The Portland daily press., 1896-09-19
NOVELTIES FOR ARMY USE.
New Use for the Shelter Tent-Horse
Shoes of Aluminium.
New York Times.

Army officers are greatly interested in
a new utilization Of the shelter tent,
" hioh is carried by the soldier in the
field. At present this shelter tent is
made of very unsatisfactory material
and is by no means waterproof. 1t is
of no other use than as shelter tent,
and beyond that is an incum brance to
the soldier, adding to his burdens on
the march by about three pounds.
Captain Edmund Rice Of the Fifth
Infantry, stationed at Fort MCPHERSON.
Georgia, has made suggestion which
meets with considerable approval among
military experts. He proposes to make
of the shelter tent cape which may
be readily acquired by simple straps
which will fasten the cape about the
neck and waist. The double use of the
shelter tent will be appreciated by the
trooper and is in the line of modern
military equipment, the idea boing now
to economize in the number as in the
weight of articles carried by the soldier
and to make each article do as much
service as possible. In some Of the SER
vices the ration can, for instance, when
separated, furnishes the cooking utensil
of the soldier. The meat ration can of
the foreign army, when taken apart,
supplies frying pan and plate.
Ono of the most interesting of foreign
military novelties lately received at the
Military Information Division Is de-
vice in the same line as that of Captain
Rice s.cape shelter tent. 1t is shelter
coat tent used in the Austrian army.
Two of these coats can be fastened to-
gether, and, with the bayonet and rifle
as a center pole. furnish water proof
shelter for two men. The separate coats
are of finely woven waterproof material,
and in that respect are much better
than the so-called shelter-tent material
of the United States army. These Aus
triau coats weigh two and half
pounds, or six ounces more than our
shelter tent. The coats are fitted with
sleeves and are equipped with draw
strings at neck and belt. They are SER
viceable garments when worn as rub
Der coat giving p rejection from the
rain and allowing the soldier free use of
his arms in handling his weapon. This
Austrian idea is favored by the war de-
paCLIu6V6 OIuClHlst duu ~ mdy D6 Glat
this com bination article. or something
akin to it, will be adopted for our service.
1t seems to be even better than the idea
of Captain Rice. although that officer 4
suggestion is more economical, in that II
contemplates no change in the present
shape or style of our shelter tents.
The matter of military equipment in
theslast year has engaged the attention Of
the officers of the war department.. es.
pecially those interested in the furnish.
ing of supplies to the armed forces. Gu,
military ATTACHES abroad have been very
Industrious in observing the novelties
of the European services and have been
prompt to send to the Military Informal
tion Division in the war departm ent
samples of the new devices in use abroad
Many of these havs been practically
tested in our service. Among other de-
vices has been an aluminium horseshoe
This, of course. is much lighter thar
the iron horseshoe in use and is found
to be quite as serviceable. A cavalry
officer stationed at San Carlos, Arizona,
kept an aluminium shoe on his horse
for forty days. Shoes of this ma
terial are. Of course, expensive, and tn.
present cost is beyond the means of the
department for their adoption for the
service, but it is recommended that an