Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-13
A KITCHEN ON RAIL.
THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO
MAKE A NOVEL EXPERIMENT.

II Dominion Has Constructed a Commits
sary on Wheels Capable of Providing
Eations for More Tbnn n Thousand Sol.
diers in Case OF War,
The Canadian government has jus,
had built, in accordance with designs
furnished by the military authorities,
a car that will play an important part
in any future warfare in which Cana
dian soldiers take part. The car is a
gigantic kitchen, capable of furnishing
meals, On a pinch, to as many as / 500
soldiers without overtaXing it's capaci-
ty. The immense extent of territory
which it would be necessary to protect
IN case of a general wal has been for
some time a source Of uneasiness to
the Canadian government. 1t has been
evident that the sparsely settled couu-
try, so different from the thickly pop-
ulated states on this side of the bor-
DER, would be a very weak basis for
a line of battle. While the United
States would have rich foraging should
supplies run short, the British would
md only barren hills and empty wastes
IN a large part of the region over
which they would be spread to guard
the frontier. To provide against this
emergency it was decided to build a
car that would be a gigantic kitchen
on wheels, and to make 4 careful test
OF its capacity for feeding troops with
a view to ascertaining how many of
such cars would be required in time OF
war to feed the entire military force
of the dominion.
h car is now finished and experi-
ments will begin at once. A train ia
to be dispatched over the Canadian Pa
ellie railway from one side OF the con-
tlnent to the other. On this train
there will be a body of soldiers which
Will depend for subsistence entirely
upon the rolling kitchen that accom-
panies them. Meals will be served ac-
cording to a carefully prepared sched-
ule, and the officer in command will
take notes of the incidents of the trip,
IN order that the government may have
the fullest possible data to guide them
In their calculations to determine the
value Of the idea.
"AltSl 1OulllN AL
kins' will draw his ~sustenance in fu-
ture tights-and on excursions and field
lays in time of peace as WELLS
known as commiSSary car, No. 1899. 1t
is an unusually large one, being longer
than the ordinary baggage car. from
which 1t differs in construction by hav-
ing a vesttbuie at each end. The sup
ply room is entered from the front,
Here all is in readiness for the COM
Ing experiment; there is room in the
car for supplies capable of sustaining
LOCO men for a period of ten days.
From the store room entrance is
obtained to the kitchen. which is the
most interesting feature of the car.
Down one side runs the range, which
is IN reality two ranges, with a total
length of twenty-five feet. Everything
is up to date in construction and
planned on a large scale. 1t would be
beyond the strength of one man to lift
the immense copper kettles in which
will be stewed the beef that "Tommy"is
supposed to revel in, and they are to be
raised by means of derricks and chains
fitted above the stoves. With these an
pllances the kettles can be manipulated
with the greatest ease, and swung over
to the tables, ready for the distribution
OF their contents.
Opposite the stoves is a gigantic
water tank, capable of holding $500
gallons of water, and directly above
the stove is another tank. In the rear
of the car are sinks. with hot and
cold water, and the various appIian-
ces necessary in preparing meals on a
large scale. Yet only five men are re-
quired to operate this plant. The cooks
have been carefully selected. and no
stone has been left unturned to make
the experiment a success.
h car is set upon double trucks of
six wheels each, and is constructed
with a view to securing the smoothest
of running. 1t would not seem to be
an easy matter for the cooks to handle
huge cauldrons filled with scaldine
sour While the train is running at full
speed, but with a proper use of the an
p~liances provided it is thought that no
mishap will occur. The greatest diff
Guilty, however, will be experienced at
such ines. When stops are made
and several have been arranged to test
the value Of the car kitchen as a base
Of camp supply-the cooks will have
al easy time.