Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-12

cAVY BATTERIES OF THE INDIAN
From a Photography
more useful. At first the big beast was
used on the Notifications, for hauling tim
Der and all kinds OF tasks for which
great strength, absolute obedience, ana
docil,ty were required. The elephant
is not a particularly intelligent beast
and. therefore. his progress 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 20 the regimental front
with u. much precision as the veriest
martl..et who yields the sword could de-
sire.
10 gain an accurate IDEA Of the ele-
phant I'm service with the artillery,
gance at the accompanying Illustration
is helpful. He is shown at rest and on
parade and to all appearances realizes as
well as the mahout who perches upon the
giant head that he Is on view, and must
look his best and stand as straight as the
ranks in front Of him. Everybody who
knows anything about elephants Is aware
of the fact that when excited he Is IN
the nature Of a terror. oddly enough,
however. the trained elephant rarely gets
into that state Of mind. With the knowl-
edge he gains seem to come the power
TO control himself and do his duty as best
as he can.
The particular use TO which the elephant
is put in the artillery bne in India IS as
beast of draught for the heavy batteries
and for the guns of the siege train. These
instruments of war are tremendous in
size and exceedingly heavy. Until the
regime Of the elephant, it had been the
custom to have them drawn by long lines
of bullocks. There was however, no end
Of trouble with these beasts. They We're
hard to control, and so many Of them
were required that they proved a good
deal of a nuisance. So It Is that the
! British artilleryman rejoices at the sub
stitution Of the elephant for the bullock.
| one elephant will draw without effort a
piece Of artillery which long line of bull
/ locks would have difficulty in moving at
all.
TWELVE UTILIZED.
Every one OF these heavy batteries
which the elephant moves from place
! to place consists OF four D-pounders
! and two g. and 3-inch howtzers. While
| one elephant can draw, if neces-
! sary, a single piece of artillery, in or
I der not TO strain him at all, they are
| sometimes paired or driven tandem. For
! instance. in such a battery as the one
| lust described, twelve elephants are
utilized. These are not all employed in
/ drawing the artillery at the same time,
/ for il is well not to work an elephant
/ too hard. because, II that is done he
/ Is ant to become stubborn, despite his
! usual tractabnity. For this reason, the
/ elephants are given kindly usage, and
/ under those circumstances, 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 the fact that the supply or
/ properly trained elephants IS limited
J bullocks are still utilized as the beasts
| of draught for the battery accompam-
| ments. The fact that 262 bullocks are
required TO draw the ammunition and
| baggage forms a striking contrast be-
tween their powers and those Of the
elephants for the gross weight or the
| ammunition and the baggage is ininlteiy
less than that of the artillery itself.
The British artillerymen do not at
/ tempt to manage the bis beasts that
/ draw the guns. To accomplish this task
there is employed a stan or twelve
mahouts. with twelve assistants, the lat
ter being under the command OF an oiii-
| cial known as jemadar, or captain. All
are natives of India. Then, beside the
! elephant company, as it is called, there
| are with each battery a jemadar, six
sirdars. and 1S1 drivers, who care for
the bullocks. Therefore, 1t can be seen
| that battery of artillery in India
amounts TO something. In fact, 1t Is
| little army in itself. for every one OF
the natives employed is supposed TO be
competent and ready to fight, IL neces-
sary.
ON RAILROADS.
Whenever it happens that the battery
is 10 be transported a great distance, the
| railroad is used as an aid, If 1t can pos
siblv be made available. In such cases
! Il Is necessary, OF course, 20 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
a box-car. At one end OF the car Is
a small house in appearance with
one end omitted. In TINS NIUE
sits the mahout. or attendant OF
! the elephant, who sees that du'
ring the tourney he does not become
frightened. and has no opportunity OF
! iniuring himself. over the rest OF the
| car "a a framework. There are three
steel posts at each side. Running lengtn'
wise and attached TO these are two sec
lions of steel. about the size Of the or
binary pine board.
At the end, blocking up an opportunity
of eeress. are two small steel beams OF
the size Of the sGantling From the hish
| Get Of the sections OF steel on tht
sides rises a thin piece Of steel 70 q
height which carries It just clear OF thu
eIenhant. Running from the top OF
these small pieces Of steel. in the form
80 the letter V. is another steel section
and the whole prevents the elephant from
rising or sitting down. He must eitnei
lie down entirely or stand up sttalsnl
ctra,sbt across the car, and attached e
tha lower section Of steel on the sides, II
q h,o beam that keeps the elephant from
ha,n9 thrown against the end Of the cal
nv a sudden jolt. Entrance and eAi
from the car are made by means OF
heavy platform. In TINS way me 81. &c,
nhant "a able to move by means OF tn