New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
FLEXIBLE ARMOR
SOME sAFEG Yards PROposrn
ADOPTED BY sOLDyrpe
From The Boston Transcript

partment has received many appeals :" =
our soldiers 70 wear some sort Of armo,
field. Many recommendations have ha"N Y
In favor Of bullet-proof fabrics and = y
means certain that in future wars 49,
lection Of the sort may not be worn c"as
parts Of the body. 1t Is not Supposed .tt NJ
available material will prove absolut.ia1
proof, but results much less fayoraM"
warrant the military authorities in ssw
safeguards Of the kind.
Already several such fabrics have h.
entcd, one Of the most notable heinz ~
vention Of Casmir Zeglen, OF Chicago
shotproof cloth has already been so~sse
widely advertised. It's outside layer i.
posed Of linen canvas Immediately
which Is a stratum OF hair from the
goat. This kind Of hair is particulars ~.
bic being straight and fine Next come /. 10y
of layers of silk cords laid parallel each h,
crossing the next. Finally. the several
are sewed together and the stuff thus nrsss
MAJ be cut into jackets or shields as des,ss
Edward c. Gerstenberger. OF Brooklyn i. !.
inventor of bullet-proof and wafsr
armor which can be cut in any desired fo,v
garments OF soldiers. 1t is composed Of n.y.
nate layers Of haircloth and gutta-perch. y
lesid. with ground glass between the ~.
The hair cloth is saturated with alum and q J.
scsia is coated with gutta percha Hss, D
applied. and the sheets are pressed togeths, :
hydraulic power so as TO become a Conn.
mass Of haircloth. gutta-percha, alum ana -,
A philadelphia man named Harry Crnss b
responsible for a heart shield" which =
signed to protect the most vital part a. NJ
soldiers anatomy. 1t is made OF metal ,s,J
cred with leather and Is attached to band ~ !
passes around the chest. being held n ~
proper place by another band that goes ovs, ~
shoulder Possibly an improvement on this =
a metallic vest" devised by g. Grade A. h
Witt. Neb 1t is secured By straps and aGo.sy
protection both in front and behind ~
much lighter and more convenient. howeye, +
a wais;coat OF aluminium. patented by Rob~2
+ Stevenson, Of SilyeTton, Tex
During the Civil War many invention d
fered suggestions to the War Department ~
various kinds Of armor TO be worn by the ~
eral troops One man came 10 Washington n
the purpose Of making to Secretary Came
a proposition to supply breastplates at 50 mr}
a thousand After he had used up much y,I(
able time in expatiating on the merits Of NJ
device. the Secretary said:
you will guarantee ii bullet proof"
absolutely So" replied the inventor
Very we'll. then" said Mr.. Cameron. III
put on the sample you have been showing -
and stand on the other side Of the room Win 1
try few shots at you with this pistol. II ~
remain unhurt ] shall be convinced OF the -
fulness Of your breastplate."
Strange to say. the inventor refused to t'
the experiment.
In an out-of-the-way corner Of the Army M
cal Museum is a rusty and dilapdated shea ?
metal once upon time II was a steel breasl
y, dCCOm01nlx
ing label is that ii was worn by Confedes,sl
officer at the battle OF Antietam. He was four
dead on the field after the conflict, and a n
round hole through the metal plate shows ~
a rife ball must have pierced his heart All y
same il seems odd that as weapans used IN n
have become more deadly men have abandon
the use Of means for protecting the body |
DR. Walter Hough. Of the National Musesn
recently made an exhaustive study OF the ~
that was worn in battle by various peoples Z
the New World before Columbus landed
Reeds. grass or hides. coated with indanh'
her served TO protect the Aztec common d
der. Tho body armor OF the warriors Of N
consisted OF a breastplate made OF quilted 81
ton over which was worn a thick cotton cou
This cotton armor was completely arrow-pn
Guards for the legs and arms were made
wood covered with leather or with goldpal
and trimmed with feathers. Among the Tols
private soldiers painted the upper parts Of u
bodies to represent armor. Along the Mexiu
coas. the shells OF great sea tortoises iala5
with gold and silver. were employed as shie1
According to DR.. Hough. the ancient Pei
VANS protected their heads with helmets q
either OF wood or the skins Of wild animab q
sometimes richly decorated with metals
precious stones. and surmounted BY brill
feathers OF tropical birds. They wore u
tunics Of quilted cotton. like the MexicanA 81
Mosquito Indians Of Honduras used armor ~
was made of plated reeds covered with ~
skins. ana Ornarenteu Win ledlnerS IL
day the Patagonians are clad for war In 81
Of mail made Of several folds OF hide. viii
helmet and shield OF like material
In the collection OF aboriginal armor arrane
by Or. HOugh is a coat OF mail from Stk
Alaska. II is made in the form Of wastcu
and fastened with brass buttons Of Engd
make. The entire front OF il is plated VI
Chinese coins. The Esquimau in former ~
used armor that was made OF plates Of vain
ivory. The Tlingits and Haldas Of the N9nl
west coast ncased almost their entire bode :
armor OF wood or leather. They wore heng
with curiously carved visors. and made bsea.I
plates Of wood. and arrow proof coats OF u
flexible strips bound with strings. IKE
woman's stays