The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-04-24
ELEPHANTS IN WAR,
MONSTER BEASTS ENLISTED IN
THE INDIAN ARTILLEkY.
they Move the Big Guns with Great
est Ease-An Important Ad.
dition to the British
Forces in India.

ELEPHANTS have become one
~ of the most important adjuncts
VI of the English army in India.
They are attached to the az
;illery in every sense OF the word and
lrag the biggest guns cs if they were
feathers, keepinga steady pace with the
tramp, tramp, tramp of the infantry.
They are 20 lageards at any time and
deep indeed must be the mlre and high
The barricade which they cannot walk
through or demolish. In one respect
the elephant in artillery is like Napo.
leon-he never knows defeat.
The officers and men of the Indian
army have for years been working with
the idea of making the elephant more
and more useful. At first the big beast
was used on the Notifications, for
hauling timber, and oil kinds OF tasks
for which great strength, absolute
obedience and docility were required.
The elephant is not q particularly in
telligent beast, and therefore his pro-
gress has been slow along the lines
laid down by the disciples OF Mars.
Now he knows as well what to do as
the best posted artilleryman and will
bring his gun to the regimental front
with as much precision as the veriest
martinez who Yields the sword could
desire.
The particular use to which tho ele.
plant is put in the artillery line in
India, is as 8 beast Of drought for the
heavy batteries and for the guns OF
the siege train. These instruments OF
war are tremendous in size and ex-
ceedingly heavy. Until the regime
OF the elephant. it had been the GUS
tom to have them drawn by long
lines Of bullocks. There was, how.
ever, no end of trouble with these
beasts. They were hard to control
and so many of them were required
that they proved good deal Of nui-
sance. So it is that the British artil.
leryman rejoices at the substitution of
the elephant for the bullock. One
elephant will draw without effort
piece OF artillery which long line OF
brllocks would have difficulty in NOV.
ing ct all.
Every one Of these heavy batteries
which the elephant moves from place
to place consists of four AO-pounders
and two 6 and 3-inch howitzers.
While one elephant can draw, il nee.
essary, a single piece Of artillery, in
order not to strain him at all they are
sometimes paired or driven tandem.
For instance, in such q battery as the
one just described, twelve elephants
are utilized. These are not all en-
ployea in drawing the artillery at the
same time, Tor it is we'll not 10 work
an elephant too hard, because il that
is done, he is apt to become stubborn,
despite his usual reliability. For
this reason the elephants are given
kindly usuage and under those cir
cumstances do all that is asked OF
them.
The elephant battery, or rather the
guns thereof, is always accompanied
by ammunition wagons and baggage.
Owing to tho fact that the supply of
properly trained elephants is limited,
bullocks are still utilized as the beasts
of drau9ht for the battery accompani-
ments. The fact that 2C2 bullocks
are required to draw the ammunition
and baggage forms striking contrast
between their powers and those Of the
elephants, for the gross weight Of the
ammunition and the baggage is min
itely less than that of the artillery it.
self.
The British artillerymen do nos at-
tempt to manage the big beasts that
draw the guns. 70 accomplish this
task, there is employed q staff OF
twelve mahouts, with twelve assistants.
the latter being under the command
OF an official known Us jemadar, or
captain. All are natives of India.
Then, besides the elephant company,
as it is called, there are with each bar. |
terry iemadar, six sirdars and ISL |
drivers, who care for the bullocks. |
Therefore, it can be seen that bat
terry OF artillery in India amounts TO
something. In fact, it is little army !
in itself, Tor every one OF tho natives
employed is supposed to be competent
and ready to fight ii necessary.
Whenever it happens that the bat
tory is to be transported a great dis
lance, the railroad is used as an MD,
if it can possibly be made available.
In such cases, it is necessary, Of
course, to transport the elephants by
rail, and special cars have been made
for the purpose. These cars are in
appearance like the ordinary coal car
on an American railroad, the sides
being about one-half the height of
box car. At one end of the chr is a
small house in appearance, with one
end omitted. In this little house sits
the mahout, or attendant OF the ele.
pnant, who sees that during the
Journey he does not become FRIGHT.