The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-30
PILLS FOR DINNER
NEW METHOD FOR FEEDING THE
UNITED STATES ARMY.

UNITED STATES ARMY.
Whole Meal is Compressed into One Little
Pellet Which the Soldier Can Garry in
His Vest Pocket-If He Should Happen
TO Swallow Two Pills at Time He
Would Die of Indigestion Much Quicker
Than the Enemy's Bullets Could Dis
pose of Him-Invention of Chicago
Man.
Washington, April 29.-The war de-
partment has information Of the inven-
ton of a highly concentrated form OF
iced by Professor Plum, of Chicago.
AL the essential elements Of nutrition
are said to be put together in the form
Of pellets, containing from one TO two
hundred times as much nourishment as
In ounce Of ordinary diet. 1t is pro-
posed by several army officers to test
the invention on forced march, where
It would be impracticable to carry a
large food supply, and when some form
Of concentrated food would be advisa-
bic The German army has a compost
ton of oatmeal compressed into small
tablets which is said to have all the nu-
triment Of a loaf Of bread, and themen
thrive on 1t and are apparently satisfied
with this reduced method Of feeding
Our army mas taken little interest in
the question mainly because it scarcely
expects to be so situated that the SOL
diers cannot secure readily all the solid
and fresh food that il desired. Still
In f11 interest "a nd
economy under certain conditions, the
authorities will test these foods.and if
they prove satisfactory purchases will
be made and allotted to the army this
season on its summer practice marches.
A cynic suggests that the concentra-
ted food emergency ration may be all
very well, but is certain to have its
drawbacks. He imagines such an Incl
dent as this: "A happy family is gath
cred around the hospitable board; the ia
Die Is plentifully laid with soup plates
there is kettle of boiling water; under
small glass covered dish is the Christ
mas dinner, resting on a blue poker
chip; the Christmas turkey, cranberry
sauce, plum pudding, etc, all crammed
In one pill. the head of the family
bows his head and asks blessing, and
the impatient baby in the high chair
close by grasps the entire dinner con-
tanned in the pellet and swallows it sud
denly. The pellet proves fatal, and at
the inquest it is shown that the child
Is killed by eating thirteen Christmas
dinners all at once. The same accident
this cynic asserts, might befall the Uni
ted States troops, and considering that
the present strength of the army is uu-
willing to take such risk and place such
dangers as concentrated food in pellets
where they could be so easily made way
with
DEMAND FOR ARMY OFFICERS
Inspection Of military institutions
w. here army officers are stationed will
begin in a few days. Inspector-Genera
breckenridge is now engaged In making
his selections of officers, and will start
them on the rounds before the close of
the month. st. Johns College, Anap-
oils, and the Maryland Agricultural col
lege viii be the only schools in Mary
land to be visited by the inspectors.
Applications are now coming in for
new details to colleges. which are gener-
ally made in the early summer for the
term beginning in the autumn The
number is large, and this is not surpris-
ing, since the officers not only have
DUTY preferable to that at some of the
colleges, especially those which employ
officers TO instruct in other branches |
in addition to military tactics, they re
ceive extra pay ranging from $500 to
$1,000 a year, according to the prospect
~ Of the school. An amendment to
the present law authorizing the detail
of 100 officers Of the army has been in
troduced in congress. which proposes
to restrict such details to those officers
who have had not less than four years
N-ftae u 1e.ox~ Inc
limits such details to not more than
four years duration.
DOUBLE TURRETS.
Although the board of which Admiral |
Walker is president. has not yet COM |
pleted its consideration Of the arma- |
ment TO he put on the proposed new bat |
tle-ships it is generally understood 1t |
will decide in favor OF the double deck |
turret system applied TO the Kearsarge |
and Kentucky This system of install |
ling the main battery Is advocated by |
the ordnance bureau, the CHEZ Of en-
gineerS and the entire board of con
with the exception of the |
chief constructor, who believes the new |
plan Is roo great a departure from the |
present fashion Of single story turrets.
When the question was under discus /
sion last autumn it was shown that /
the only possible objection that could /
be raised as far as the ability Of the |
gunners to work each turret to its full |
advantage was the possible danger of /
the fash and shock 10 the men in the /
lower turret from the fire of the eight |
Inch gun above. Recent tests at In |
dian Head. however, with dummy tur-
rets mounted so as TO produce the same |
conditions that would prevail in the
double-deck system on shipboard dem
onstrated there was no danger 10 be
apprehended. II the board reports,
therefore. in favor OF the new system
there will be six battleships so equip
ped Of equal dimensions, the same de-
sign and alike in every respect except
N the arrangement Of the smaller guns
A fleet like this. with ships Of equal
tonnage. speed and ordnance. is regard +
ID as desirable, as the admiral COM
would know just what each
vessel Is capable OF
MURDERER'S NERVE FAILS HIM
Tries to Kill His Wife But Fails Partially