The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-05-11
ELEPHANTS IN WAR
MONSTER BEASTS ENLISTED IN
THE INDIAN ARTILLERY.
They Move the Big Guns with Great
est Ease Ar Important Adj
dition to the British
Forces I'm India.

lily are dttdcQeQ the ar
tillery in every sense OF the word and
drag the biggest guns as if they were
feathers, keeping a steady pace with the
tramp, tramp, tramp of the infantry.
They are no lagRsrds at any time and
deep indeed must DO the mire 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 tine Notifications. for
hauling timber, and all kinds OF tasks
Tor which great strength, absolute
obedience and docility were required.
4he elephant is not a 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 we'll what to do as
the beat posted artilleryman and will
bring his gun 10 the regimental front
with as much precision as the veriest
martinez who Yields the sword could
desire.
The particular use to which the ele
plant is put in the artillery line in
Indie, is rs 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 lore
lines of bullocks. There was. how.
ever, no eud of tIoubio with these
beasts. They were hard TO control
and so many OF them were required
that they proved good deal OF a nni.
sance. So 1T is that the British artil.
leryman reioices at the substitution of
the elephant for the bullock. One
elephant will draw without effort u
piece OF artillery which long line of
bullocks would have difficulty in NOV
ing at all.
Every one of these heavy batteries
which the elephant moves from place
to place consists OF four 40-pounders
and two 6 and 3-iuch howitzera.
While one. elephant can draw, if nee.
essary, single piece OF artillery. in
order not to strain him at all they are
sometimes paired or driven tandem
For instance, In such n battery MS the
one just described, twelve elephants
are utilized These are not all EN-.
ployed in drawing the artillery Mt the
same time, for it is we'll not to wor,
an elephant too hard, because ii that
is done, he is apt to become stubborn.
despite his usual tractabiIitY. For
this reason the elephants are given
kindly Gssgage and under those cir
cumstances DO aff-that is asked of
them.
The elephant battery, or rather the
guns thereof, is always accompanie 1
by ammunition WAGONS and baggage.
Owing TO the fact that the supply OF
properly trained elephants is limited,
builocks are still utilized as the beasts
OF drau2ht for the battery nccompani-
ments. The fact that 262 buIIocks
are required to draw the ammunition
and baggage forms a striking contrast
between their powers and those of the
elephants, for the gross weight of the
ammunition and the baggage is inGn-
itely less than that of the artillery IT,.
self.
The British artillerymen do not at
tempt to manage the big beasts that
draw the guns. To accomplish this
task, there is employed staff of
twelve mahouts, with twelve assistants,
the latter being under the command
of I'm official known as jemadar. or
captain. All are natives OF India.
Then, besides the elephant company.
AZ it is called, there are with each bat
terry jemadar, six sirdsrs and 49,
drivers, who care for the bullocks
Therefore, it can be seen that bat
terry OF artillery in India amounts TO
something. La fact, it is little army
IN itself, for every one OF the natives
employed is supposed 20 be competent
and ready to fight il necessary.
Whenever IL happens that the bat.
terry is to be transported q great dis.
lance, tue railroad is used as an aid.
II it can possibly be made available.
In such eases, IL is necessary, OF
course, 10 transport the elephants by
rail, and special cars have been made
for the purpose. These cars nre in
appearance like tue ordinary coal car
on an American railroad, the sides
being about ouo.halt the height OF n
box car. at one end OF the car is "a
small house IN appearance, with one
end omitted In this little house sits
the mabout, or attendant of the eIe.
phaui, who secs that during the
journey he does not become fright.
ened, and has no opportunity OF in
/ iuring himself. over the rest of Che
car is framework. There are three
steel posts Of each side. Running
lengtbwise aud attached 10 these are
two sections OF steel Of about tho size
OF the ordinary pine board.
AZ the end, blocking 40 an oppor
tunity OF egress, are two small steel
beams Of Che size OF the scantlfne.
From tho highest OF the sections of
steel on the side rises u thin piece OF
steel TO q height which carries IL lust
clear of the elephant. Running from
the top Of these small pieces OF steel
10 the form Of the letter V il another
steel section, and the whole prevefV,
tho elephant from rising OF ~ wv
down. He must either lie a 'S -
tirely or stand up straight. & now % I
across the car and att Sfra.'t
lower section Of steel e[~Sached 3, q &, 2