The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-01-25
eULLET.pROOF CLOTH.
The Wonderful Invention of Poor Tai.
Tor OF Mannheim. In Germany.

| The most popular tailor III Germany
, today is neither Worth nor Felix; he
is Heinrich Dove. Until a month 400
| no one had ever heard of him outside
of the poor quarter of Mannheim.
Baden, where he followed his homely
trade, making blue blouses for work
ingmen and mending trousers of men
| of his kind. Now his name is familiar
TO every soldier and war minister of
Europe, according TO the Cl0ttier and
FttrnlSher. He has been received in
audience by Chancellor Caprivi: he
has been courted by representatives of
Austria, Italy, and France. aud his
daily mail requires the services of a
secretary. Scores of editorials have
borne his name as head line, and
patriotic Germans have eulogized him
IN verse. His name has been coupled
with that of Moltke and his achieve
ments have given rise to new dreams
OF German conquest.
About six months ago Dove BEGAN
to experiment with peculiar kind Of
cloth, which be hoped to make popu-
lar with workingmen because of lis
durable properties. BY accident lie
put 1t through process which he
has kept secret-and to his astonish-
ment found its power of resistance al
most incredibly great A DISCHARGED
revolver bullet tlattened against its
surface. Naturally-for Dove served
his three years in the army-visions Of
bullet-proof uniform and hordes of sol
dlers standing up against flying lead
missiles arose before him. He con-
tinued his experiments with greater
zeal In the dusk of evening, after
hard days work, he stole out TO the
shooting grounds of the Mannheim
regiments, placed his cloth on the
linz bs of trees, and began to fire at it
with his army gun. His fellow labor
ers in the tttle shop thought him
crazy and kept him at respectful dis
lance. The small BOYS of the town
gathered about to jeer aud mock Kim.
but Dove worked on His eXperi-
ments were interrupted for weeks at a
time for lack of money to purchase
ammunition and chemicals. In the
interval he would ply his needle with
especial diligence, would save a few
marks, and then proceed with his high
er labors. At last, halt confident of
his success, he unfolded his plans to a
physician at Mannheim. who, after |
considerable hesitation, lent him 80 |
marks with which TO continue his eI- |
periments. He could give no security |
for the money and could only prom |
Use the doctor percentage of future
gains.
A little more than a month ago he |
called upon the commander of the |
Mannheim garrison and asked him To
TRY his bullet-proof cloth" The officer
laughed incredulouslv, but consented
TO accommodate him. TO the amaze
ment OF the officer and his aids, the
experiments were successful and the
bullets of the ordinary Lilies made no
impressions on the dark blue cloth"
The Lebel gun, the terrible DESTROYER
of men," it is true, was not used IN the
shooting; but Dove is confident that
his cloth eventually will be able to
flatten the bullets from the "Lebel
barrel"
The Mannheim commander sent the
news OF the invention to the war office
IN Berlin, and day later Dove was a
famous man. He is about 81 wears
Did, and widower with two children.
bis education was meager. and it is
that he understands no phys
cal law. He is intelligent, however,
or man of his class, and with the
wealth which seems to be within his
grasp he will be able to fit himself for
he comparatively important place
which he may be called upon to oc-
,upy.