The record-union., 1898-08-03
FLEXIBLE ARMOR.
Some Safeguards Proposed and
Adopted by Soldiers.

Since the present conflict began the
War Department has received many
appeals to permit our soldiers TO wear
some sort of armOr i'm the field. Many
recommendations have been offered in
favor of bullet-proof fabrics, and it is
by no means certain that In future
wars some protection of the sort may
not be worn over vital parts Of the
body. 1t is not supposed that any
available material will prove abso-
lutely shotproof, but results much less
favorable would warrant the military
authorities in adopting safeguards OF
the kind.
Already several such fabrics have
been patented one of the most notable
being the invention of Casimir Zesien
Of Chicago. Zeglen's shotproof cloth
has already been somewhat widely ad-
vertised. Its outside layer is composed
of linen canvas, Immediately beneath
which is a stratum of hair from the
Angora goat This kind of hair is par
ticularly suitable, being straight and
fine. Next comes a series of layers OF
silk cords laid parallel, each layer
crossing the next. Finally, the several
layers are sewed together, and the stuff
thus prepared may be cut into jackets
or shields as desired.
Edward G. Gerstenberger of Brooklyn
is the inventor Of a bullet-proof and
waterproof armor which can be cut
III any desired form for garments of
soldiers. 1t is composed of alternate
layers of hairclOth and gutta-percha 81
lesia, with ground glass between the
sheets The hair cloth is saturated
with alum and the silesia is coated
with gutta percha. Heat is applied,
and the sheets are pressed together by
hydraulic power, SO as to become a
compact mass of haircloth, gutta-
percha, alum and glass.
A Philadelphia man named Harry
Gross is responsible for heart
shield" which is designed to protect
the most vital part of the soldiers
anatomy. 1t is made of metal covered
| with leather, and it attached to band
that passes around the chest, being held
| in the proper place by another band
| that goes over the shoulder Possibly
an Improvement on this is metallic
vest" devised by G. Grabe of De Witt,
| Neb. 1t is secured by straps and af-
| fords protection both in front and be-
| hind. Very much lighter and more con-
venient, however, is a waistcoat or
dl uHlluu ufn, patented Dy fkODGIl e.
| Stevenson Of Silverton, Texas.
I During the Civil War many inventors
offered suggestions to the War Depart
ment for Various kinds of armor to be
worn by the Federal troops. One man
| came to Washington for the purpose
of making to Secretary Cameron a
proposition to supply breastplates at SO
much thousand After he had used
up much valuable time in expatiatinS
on the merits of his device, the Secre-
| tary said:
| you will guarantee it bullet-proof?"
| absolutely so, replied the inventor
| Very well, then,' said Mr.. Cameron.
| Just put on the sample you have been
| showing me, and stand on the other
side Of the room while l try a few shots
4 at you with this pistol. If you remain
urhurt shall be convinced of the use
| fulness of your breastplate.''
| Strange to say, the inventor refused
to try the experiment.
| in an out-of-the-way corner of the
/ Army Medical Museum is a rusty and
dilapidated sheet of metal. Once upon
| a time it was a steel breastplate, and
| its history, related on an accompany
| ing label, is that 1T was worn by Con-
| federate officer at the battle Of An
| tietam. He was found dead on the
field after the conflict, and a small
| round hole through the metal plate
shows that a. rifle ball must have
| pierced his heart All the same, it
seems odd that as weapons used in
war have become more deadly men
have abandoned the use of means for
protecting the body
Dr. Walter Hough of the National
| Museum recently made an exhaustive
study of the armor that was worn in
battle by various peoples Of the New
World before Columbus landed.
Reeds, grass or hides, coated with
india-rubber, served to protect the Az
tee common soldier. The body armor
| of the warriors of rank consisted Of a
! breas tplate made of quilted cotton,
| over which was worn a thick cotton
ccat. This cotton armor was COM
pletely arrow proof Guards for the
legs and arms We're made of wood,
covered with leather or with goldplate
| and trimmed with feathers. Among
the Toltecs private soldiers painted the
upper parts of their bodies to represent
armor. Along the Mexican coast the
shells of the sea tortoises, inlaid with
gold and silver, were employed as
shields.
According to DR.. Hough, the ancient
Peruvians protected their heads with
| helmets made either of wood or the
skins of wild animals, and sometimes
richly decorated with metals or pre-
cious stones, and surrnounted by bril-
liant feathers of tropical birds. They
| wore close tunics of quilted cotton, like
the Mexicans The Mosquito Indians of
Honduras used armor that was made
of plated reeds covered with tiger skins
and ornamented with feathers. To this
day the Patagonians are clad for war
in a coat of mail made Of several folds
Of hide, with a helmet and shield of
like material.
In the collection of aboriginal armor
arranged by DR.. Hough is a coat of
mail from Sitka, Alaska. 1t is made
in the form of a waistcoat, and fas-
tened with brass buttons of English
make. The entire front of it is plated
with Chinese coins. The Esquimau in
former days used armor that was made
OF plates of walrus ivory. The Tlingits
and Haidas Of the Northwest coast in
cased almost their entire bodies in
armor of wood or leather. They wore
helmets with curiously carved visors,
and made breastplates of wood, and
arrow proof coats of thin, flexible
strips bound with strings. like a wo-
mans stays-Boston Transcript.