The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-15
PIECES TO BE INCREASED
FROM TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY
OR THIRTY SIX.
Pay Also TO be Advanced-Trials
Of Bullet Proof Cloth Show That
it is Unsatisfactory-Will the Re-
organized Union Pacific Trans
port Troops For the Government
Free9-Pay Day at Fort Douglas.

pandS. 1t is stated that among the rec
concentrations which Secretary Alger
will make in his annual report will be
one in regard to it. The army bands
are now organized as they were 40
years ago. They consist Of p men. two
detailed from each company, and are
allowed SIS per month, the ordinary
pay of an enlisted man. With this low
pay there is strong temptation for the
bands or individual musicians to seek
employment in other than military du-
ties.
The secretary will show that there
has been a considerable advancement
in musical taste and requirements since
the laws providing for military bands
was passed, and he will recommend
more liberal compensation for those
who are engaged as musicians at the
different posts, and for the different
regiments. He will also recommend that
the bands be increased to 80 or Sc
pieces. 1t is probable that a salary of
$50 per month will be recommended for
the leader, and not less than S25 for
any member of the military bands.
II these recommendations so through
and are put into effect. the military
bands will be improved to a wonderful
extent. Under the present circum-
stances the bands are hampered by a
lack of a sufficient number OF pieces to
get the best effects. Then, too, the pay
is so small that many of the best mu-
sicians are not attracted into the mill
tary organizations. To be sure there
are a great many very fine musicians
in the army bands, but it is sometimes
necessary to fill UP with inferior men.
With the increase in pay and an addi-
ton to the number of pieces in an or
ganiZation, there ought to be no trouble
in getting plenty Of good musicians to
fill up the band.
The trials of bullet-proof cloth for use
in the army is still going on, but unsat-
isfactorily. The cloth so far used is
very thick, and rather heavy. Most of
it has also to be used with a steel plate,
and even then it does not always pre-
vent perforation by the new steel-cased
bullet. But even should a cloth finally
be found that is buliet-proof, it is
doubtful if it will prevent death when
the bullet strikes. The impact with
which the new steel-cased bullet strikes
is terrific, and probably if a man was
encased in steel or any other substance
to prevent the bullet from penetrating,
ne would be killed by the force of the
| blow.
The other day a trial was made at
the Springfield arsenal, of Zeglen's bull
let-proof cloth. The tests were not sat
isfactory, as in nearly every case the
bullet went through the steel plate
and also through the cloth behind it,
Once, when the cloth was backed with
a board, the bullet went through the
plate and was caught in the meshes OF
the cloth. The force of the impact was
such as to break the board, and when
! the splinters were torn off. a hole was
left which was large enough to permit
! the bullet to pass through.
The cloth, as near as can be learned
| from the meagre descriptions of it. is
! composed Of krupp steel and oakum
i The outer layer is a steel plate and is
| backed by the CLOTH which is wover
from oakum. or some such material
| The cloth is about half an inch il
thickness, and piece XII inche:
weighed five pounds. A soldier incaseC
! in a suit of such mail would be more
| helpless than turtle placed upon it:
| back. A better substitute for the clotl
would be to stay out of dangers way
| for
He who fights and runs away,
May live to fight another day"
@ @ g
Speaking Of bullets reminds one O
the story about a bullet which wa
published recently in the Army ant
Navy Journal. 1t read:
The strange adventures of a bulle
which embedded Itself in the left templ
of g French artilleryman during tn
! FrancO-German war, are recorded.
was found impossible to extract tn
lead, and it soon ceased to be painful
It lay quietly where 1he German riff
had placed it for q years, but thre
months ago it started out on tour. l
Travelled about the mans head, causing
L oa;-a ., I,~ix- in
him mad. After a rest the ball started
on another journey, and a few days ag
the artilleryman is said to have re
moved it from his throat.
@ 9 g
Experiments are constantly beini
made in the wearing apparel of the sol
diers, in order to give them the mos
| comfortable. as well as slightly AM
durable goods that can be found. TIL
quartermaster's department will 500
distribute about 30 pairs of new sampl
shoes, similar to the last samples, ex
cept for a change in shape.
A new type of mattress vii
also be sent out for trial, and report
are to be made to the department o
the result of these trials. The ney
mattress is filled with moss fibre
which is claimed to be far superior t
the cotton. The cotton fiber is tn
kind now in use, and if the others ar
more satisfactory they will undoubt
edly replace the present kind.
1t seems that the new cap is in
stay, for a time at least, as advertise
ments will soon be made for the sur
ply of 10000 fatigue caps of the pres
ent style.
With the foreclosure of the mortgag
held by the government on the Unto
Pacific, arises the question as t
whether the road is required to trans
port troops in accordance with tn
bond-aided features of the law. Ger
eral Miles has referred to the attone
general for an opinion on the question
A and should he decide that the obligs
tions of the road in this connectio
have ceased, the further movement
of troops this year will be interfere
with. The cost of transportation {
troops over roads other than the lanc
grant ones is too expensive for til
army appropriation to stand.
g 9 g
In these days the artillery branch
the service seems to be the only or
that is profiting much by the legisla
ton of congress. A few years ago tt
infantry and cavalry regiments Wel
reduced by the mastering out, or rattle
the Standardization, of two con
panies from each. This left two cal
tains in each regiment without a con
pany other than being in command
paper company" The plan whic
General Miles now has been workin
on is to further skeletonize the cavalr.
by which plan the cavalry will consi.
of two full squadrons of four troop
each with a skeletonized squadron {