Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-16
WAR, UP-TO.DATE WAR.
Its Probable Horrors Worse Than Man
Has Ever Known.

Has Ever KNOWN.
(Ex,racts from the Engineering News)
War meant one thing in the days of the
Crusaders II meant an entirely differ
ent thing when the North and the South
Joined issues in the bloody struggle that
closed thirty years ago. What would 1t
mean at the present day, when smokelcss
powder, magazine rifles, high explosives,
machine guns and all the countless DEATH
dealing appliances which the last score of
years has developed would be applied to
its prosecution?
1t will probably surprise many to learn
that there will he few charges either of
cavalry or infantry In the battles of the
future. The success of charge always
depends on the ability Of the moving
troops to cross the danger space and reach
the enemy's lines without losses serious
enough to check the advance. There has
been an enormous increase in the rapidly
and effectiveness of infantry lire in the
past ten years, or even the past fiVe. Inc
danger space Is now so wide, the possi-
bilties of rapid firing are so great ana
the killing power of the bullets so terrible
that neither cavalry nor infantry could
now reach intrenched troops without be-
ing annihlated.
We may even go further ana say that
the science of handling troops upon bat
| tle-iield must be entirely revolutionized
I to suit modern weapons. the infantry
rifle enables a soldier TO fire hundred
rounds of ammunition In four minutes.
The bullets will kill at a range of between
one and two miles. and at point blank
range will penetrate sixty pine boards
each one inch thick. BetwSnathis, hght
| field machine guns can pour forth n per-
| feet hail of missiles with unerrng aim
/ 4 lightweight Maxim gun, weighing only
/ twenty-five pounds, can fire 600 TO 100 SHOTS
] .f.... ,.aft 4, u
/ miles For the latest improved Gatling
gun, with electric motor, l,SOO shots per
minute are claimed. Heavier field pieces
| of longer range can deliver % TO 81 SIN
pound shots per minute.
] 1t Is evident enough from these figures
/ that no manoeuvro masses OF troops upon
n battlefield within sight of an enemy
will be to invade their humiliation.
The enormous velocity of modern pro-
iectiles will have a marked influence upon
the fatalities of any future war. n bullet
which will penetrate sixty one-inch pine
boards will require heavy earthworks TO
protect troops, and field intrenchments
cannot be made to afford protection with
such rapdity and facility as in past wars.
More important still, in firing against
troops formed in mass single bullet may
frequently kill several men. With the OLD
ammunition in countless cases, the soldier
in the front rank fell while the man be-
hind him escaped unhurt.
The risks of naval warfare have be-
come quite as great as those on land.
The naval conflicts in the late Japan
China war showed that the pounding of
an ironclad by an enemy's projectiles
may do serious injury to the crew with
out greatly endangerng the vessel itself
The most important new element in
naval warfare is doubtless the use or
high explosives. 1t Is now possible to
fire with ordinary guns shells charged
with high explosives, and It is believed
that these will be extremely effective in
the bombardment OF land Notifications
or cities.
But high explosives at the same time
constitute the greatest danger to which
modern battle-ships are subjected. Tor
pedoes of the automobile class have al
ready proved their powers of offense in
the Chilian and japanese wars, ana these
with sunken mines and floating torpedoes
will probably prove a chief source of fatal
ity to naval vessels engaging in coast at
lacks in any future war. In fact, 1t Is
quite possible. If not indeed probable
that the present floating fortresses on
which the nations OF the world chiefly
base their naval strength VIII be rendered
obsolete in very few years by the adj
vance in the use of high explosives.
War at the present day Is quite certain
to be vastly more costly than the wars OF
past decades. A single battle-shp, when
equipped ready for action, may cost -four
or five million dollars as much as Il whole
fleet cost in the days of sailing vessels
The pay of troops again, VIII doubtless
have to he on n more liberal scale In
any future war, unless compulsory enlist
ment Is adopted and all governments will
nut off that measure as long as possible.
We may be sure that 1t Will be insisted
upon in any future war that the soldiers
and sailors who go out to risk their lives
in their country's service shall receive
pay that would have been accounted out
of the question generation ago. mas
much as future wars are likely to be much
more fatal to those engaged, the pension
bill to follow will be great in proportion
During the past quarter century an
enormous increase has taken place in tho
the use of credit as a medium of ex'
change, and the great Improvement and
cheapening In transportation facilities
has doubled and quadruped or multiplied
even more greatly in the volume of trade
both domestic and international. Each
community, each section, each nation ha.
its prosperity bound up with the fortunes
of It's neighbors in way that was never
before known in the history of civilization
Any interruption to the circulation oil
commerce, either its arteries the railway
and steamship lines or its veins, the sys
tenn of commercial credits and the cur
rency. is at once felt the world around
only a few years ago financial disaster
in one insignificant South American re-
public made an era OF nara times tina
was felt to a, greater or less extent al