The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-13

| the birth Of nearly every great 1nVen-
| that shrdlu shrdlu, shrdlu shrdlucmfw
| ton or discovery. In connection with
that of steam power and railroads,
| magination scared to unusually giddy
| heights; engines it was said, should
be made to employ their superfiuous
| power in impregnating the earth with
carbonic acid and other gases, so that
vegetation might be forced forward
despite all the ordinary vicissitudes of
| the weather, and corn be made to grow
at railway speed.
Again, acting on the theory that no
| great invention could long remain
without making it's influence felt on
war and warfare at large, crack-brain-
ed military enthusiasts came forward
with schemes for huge steam ploughs,
emitting noxious vapors, and with
scythes affixed to their wheels after
| the pattern of Boadicea's chariots.
! These were to take the place of cav
airy in future campaigns, where,
driven at high speed, they might crash
through the ranks of opposing armies,
! suffocating those whom they did not
mince up.
| AS time went on calmer suggestions
prevailed, the enormous Importance of
railroads for the rapid transport Of
| troops became fully recognized, and
the idea of utilizing the iron roads
as a means for the establishment Of
armored trains, or a species of flying
martello towers, to patrol our coast
line, first made it's appearance. There
have been many claimants for the hon
or of this practical but strangely neg
lected suggestion.
Capt. Fishers armor clad train, dur
ing the first stages of the campaign
against Arab Pa fha in Egypt, was the
first practical example of railways be-
ing put to such a use. This train was
constructed at Alexandria by a party
of blue jackets, spelling for the want
of aggressive occupation. 1t was COM
posed of locomotive and a number of
trucks protected by iron rails, iron
plates and sandbags. The engine was
placed in the middle of the train, while
Nordenfeldt was placed on the first
protected truck and a fourty- FOUNDER
on the next. The latter, by means of
small crane carried with the train,
could be quickly remounted and dis
mounted, one minute sufficing from
the hating of A-a train to remount
and fire the gun. An empty truck or
two was run in front of the working
portion of the train, so as to minim-
ize any danger that might arise from
the explosion of any mines laid in the
permanent way by the enemy.
Unfortunately, Capt Fisher did not
have many opportunities given him of
proving his mettle In one slight Skin
mish only did it have a real chance,
and then this strange assortment of
rolling stock acquitted itself right we'll
coming upon the scene at a critical
moment and creating a great effect by
its unexpected fire. Since then, how
ever, both France and Germany have
aWaked to thesValue of armored trains
as a properly recognized unit of a ma.
tons fighting equipment Tor -
Some five years ago, Capt. now Maid
Stone, r. A, when acting as brigade
major, r. A, in the southeastern dis
trlct Of England, found that If ever it
became necessary to mobilize the First
Sussex artillery volunteers there would
be with the corps some 800 men to
whom, under the mobilization scheme
no special duties were allotted; and,
further, that at Shoreham there was
with the corps a forty-pounder breech-
loading gun not destined to any par
| t1cular embrazure or position. He then
| conceived the idea of utilizing both
| men and gun on an armored train
| The scheme was no sooner preached
| than 1t was we'll back up by private
capital and the trains construction
| followed. The train consists of an ordi-
nary locomotive, a truck specially con.
e-f,,J1 nf0 Gov I,
! and Its carriage are mounted upon q
turntable platform, pivoted on the CEN
ter of the truck, and revolving on a
| circular racer-and two-third-class car
riages rendered bullet-proof with iron
plating, for conveying the men, the
timber, and the projectiles. When
working the gun, the gun detachment
is protected by plating some six feet
high round three sides of the turntable
and the gun is fired through an aper-
ture.
The main problem involved was the
| mastering of the recoil, so as to pre-
vent the truck capsizing bodily, when
| the gun had to be fired crosswise to
the railway line, and also to prevent
the rails being torn up or damaged
by the shock of the firing. These diff
| fculties were successfully overcome by
the addition of a hydraulic brake, and
| by rising slides on which the gun
wheels rest, causing the gun to return
automatically to the firing position
after the exhaustion of the recoil.
Again, by an ingenious arrangement
of cross-girders, which can be run out
and supported on blocks, broad base
can be obtained for the truck when
the gun is fired at right angles to the
| permanent way, while, to increase that
stability, the truck can be connected
with the metals by strong clips, acting
,i1alo IF Ia CTIi II
way couplings, and capable of being
screwed up to any degree of tightness.
During the maneuverS of 1895 in the
southeastern military district, the Sus-
sex armored train furnished realistic
proofs of it's capabilities. The railway
company placed at it's disposal a GER
/ tain stretch of line near Lydd; and,
though the engine was in the wrong
place-that is, in front instead of be-
hind, since the board of trade regula-
lions must be respected in mimic war
fare. and the same do not allow trans
ports to be pushed, they must be pull
ed-the trains special duties were
clearly exemplified.
A screen of cavalry scouts having re-
ported the line all clear, the train ad
vanced, and emerging from a cutting
caught sight of a battery of the
enemy's artillery in the disadvanta-
geous position of being in the act Of
| 1imbering Up, some two thousand
yards away In trife over five
minutes five shots, discharging five
imaginary 40-pound Shells had been
dropped among them, and the gun was
speeding back before shot could be
fired in return. On the return journey
the train had to run the gauntlet of
heavy musketry fire directed from
bridge above, but the defenders were
| presumably safe in their bullet-proof