The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10
QUEER WAR STATISTICS.
ENTERTAINING FIGURES ANENT THE
ARMY AND THE SUPPLIES USED.

Relation to the Eighth Problem Is
That of Transportation-War's Cost May
Reach the Total of Billion Dollars.
Now that the war is over some per-
sons would like to know how many
bullets were fred during the conflict,
but since that cannot be ascertained,
it is striking enough to consider that
the 277, 900 men now composing the
army of the United States carry in
their cartridge belts more than 81
600, 600 rifle balls. At all events they
would carry that many If all OF them
were armed with the new magazine
rife. commonly known as the Krag-Jor-
gensen, 100 cartridges being allowed
to each man. Before long all OF Uncle
Sans soldiers will be provided with
this weapon instead of the archaic
Springfield.
Thus equipped, the 277, 200 men
now enlisted would carry 372 tons OF
bullets at their waists, and this makes
reckoning of only the leaden balls, and
not the cartridges containing them.
Each of the cartridges is q bit over
three inches long, and if all those
contained in the belts of the soldiers
were placed end to end they would
stretch 1866 miles. Just think of the
destructive power represented by that
line of cartridges
The barrel of one of these regula-
ton rifles is 80 inches long. If all of
them-the 277, O00-were placed end
to end so as to make continuous
tube, the latter would extend 131
miles, or just about the distance from
Washington to Philadelphia. But to
render the thing more striking, con-
slider the fact that the new rifle will
kill a man at 44OO yards. This makes
a total effective range of 692, 500 miles
for 277,OO0 rifles. Accordingly, II
the velocities of all the bullets could
be combined, three sharpshooters on
earth would be able to shoot far
enough to kill three men on the moon.
Each soldiers uniform, with cape
overcoat, requires eleven and quar-
ter square yards of material. Hence
it appears that if the cloth used for
making war costumes for the 277. OOO
men in the army if spread out would
cover just about GA acres, or little
over a square mile. At 1854 suit
an outfit of uniforms for all of the
troops of the United States costs the
government S., 166, $50, enough to
huild. furnish and arm the biggest
and finest kind of battleship, such
as the Oregon.
Most of the volunteers in the wal
have received only one blanket apiece
from Uncle Sam, though the usua
allowance is two. These blankets are
Of exceptionally fine material, costing
So. SO piece. To provide every mar
in the army with one means an ex
pense of 1922, 41O, and these 277, O0(
blankets would cover ga acres o
ground. They are seven feet long BY
Ave. and a half feet wide, and it il
agreed by both officers and men II
the service that better poker can b.
PLAYED on them than on any othe
kind of cloth.
To make am army shirt of cloth re
quires three square yards OF stuff
and the government pays $1.95 TO
the finished garment. Thus it is cas-
lily calculated that such shirts for al
the troops would come to a total o
$40, 900 and the material for then
would spread over 172 acres. Nor
interesting is the fact that "a, 81
calves would be required to furnisl
leather for the shoes of sll the regi
ments, and this would take no accoun
of the soles and heels which woul
have to be supplied by 80, 233 COWS
The rubber cloaks for the army Gale
"ponchos," would cost $500, SIC
and would cover 143 acres. On
: acre of good land yields 375 pound
: of cotton, which can be woven int
) lat half tents of the "shelter" kin
. used in the field. Each two soldier
! have tent between them, one carr.
: ing the right half and the other tt
: left half. Such a tent costs So. 8
\ complete, with jointed pole, ETC., tt
total expense CT sheltering the entil
army under canvas being $549, 81
Spread out the canvas needed woul
cover 272 acres, each half tent havir
l. four and three-quarter yards OF m
n terial. To produce the cotton fl
n making all this tentage would nee
IS 1889 acres, or nearly three squa
} miles.
:. An ordinary canteen holds tv
q quarts. With all these receptacle
> filed the present army of 277, o.
% men carries 1914 hogsheads OF waite
b This, in fact, is about equivalent
RS the daily requirements of water I
" the troops. The quantity would la
r. one man more than seven hundr'
e. and sixty years. Each man has
~ cup that holds pint and half.
er all of them were filed they wou
is contain 2733 hogsheads. But soldie
IN are thirsty people and their belt
le pacity is wonderful. Forty-nine inch
le long, by the way, is the average CT
IT fridge belt, and 277, 900 of them p
y. end to end would stretch PA miles.
~ One of the most interesting out
u, lions in relation to the fighting pre-
e. lem is that of transportation. 1t
10 impossible to ascertain, even appro
re mately, how many miles We're tri
ne ersed by the army as a whole, or
au the average soldier. However, it m
ne be said that the average enlisted m
I'd during the present war did not ira