The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-05-17
BULLET-PROOF CLOTH.
The Invention of . German Tailor
Meets Expectations.
by Its Aid Soldier WIN BE Rendered
Impervious to Bullets - The In
ventor Submits to Hazard
ous Experiments.

Experts in military affairs, not only
in Berlin, but throughout Europe, are
discussing the recent experiments made
with the bullet-proof coat invented by
Herr DOVE, the Mannheim tailor.
There seems to be no longer any doubt
that Doves invention is most val
liable one, and that he was justified in
refusing the princely offers made to
him by firms of army contractors and
others who are desirous of purchasing
his rights. The Russian ambassador,
Count Won Schouvaloff, at the Russian
embassy, says the Washington Star,
fired two shots at the tailor while the
latter was incased in his bullet-proof
coat, and as Dove sustained absolutely
no injury the Russian ambassador pro-
nounced himself satisfied with the ex-
pertinent The experiments before
Count Won Schouvaloff began with
thorough test of the new rifle in use in
the German army. From box of car
tridges one was selected at random,
and the rifle was fired at block of
solid oak, which was pierced by the
small steel-like bullet. After the shot
at the block of oak Dove dressed him
self in his bullet-proof coat and
offered himself as target. While
the rifle was being aimed at the tailor
the spectators were strung to an ex-
treme state of nervousness and in
stinctively closed their eyes in antici-
patton of seeing Dove killed upon the
spot. But after the report of the rifle
rang out and the tailor was seen
standing apparently unhurt there was
feeling of immense relief among all
present Dove evidently noticed the
state of excitement produced by the
experiment, for he smiled, much to the
relief of the onlookers, and said: 81
feel nothing" A second sh OF was then
fired directly at the tailor's heart, but
1t had the same effect as the first; the
tailor was absolutely unhurt and both
bullets We're found imbedded in the
bullet-proof coat, which covered his
breast and body in the manner which
it is proposed to adopt for soldiers,
leaving the arms and legs, as well as
the head, without protection.
Then commenced a series of expert
ments which were even more interest
ing than the first. A horse was cov-
cred with a bullet-proof coat. for it
is proposed that the cavalry of the
future is to be protected by the Won
derful material invented by the tailor
of Mannheim. In this case number
of shots were fired in quick succession
at the animal while it was quietly eat
ing oats from manger. The horse, a
well-trained cavalry mount, started
slightly at the first shot, apparently,
however, only disturbed by the unex-
pected report of the rifle. Then other
shots were fired as quickly as possible,
some of them striking almost in the
same place as previous bullets, but the
horse continued eating as If nothing
extraordinary was happening. A naval
officer who was present at the expert
ments asked Herr Dove if his bullet
proof armor could be applied to war
ships, and he was assured by the in
ventor that ship protected by his
bullet-proof material could stand
pounding from all the warships in the
world without sustaining any consid-
cradle damage. OF course this is only
Herr Doves theory, but as he seems
to have carried out his theory in re-
gard to the bullet-proof coat for SOL
diers it does not seem unlikely that he
may be able to carry out his theory in
regard to protecting warships.
The new garment is described as look
ing like ordinary army clothing mate
rial, the resisting secret substance be-
placed beneath the outside cloth. The
garment is in the nature of breast
plate and is fastened to the side but
tons of the soldiers uniform. It is
only to be used in actual warfare and
weighs about six pounds. Represen-
tatives of several foreign governments
have been making strong efforts to oh
tain Herr Doves secret, but it is said
that these efforts have failed. and pa
triotic Germans express the desire
that the German government should
secure Herr Doves secret, so that the
bullet-proof coats may be used by the
German army alone. 1t is said that
three million marks have been offered
70 Herr Dove by the German govern
ment for his invention, or, as an alter
native, a hundred years guarantee of
the monopoly of supplying the German
government with the necessary num-
ber of cuirasses at the rate of twelve