The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-14
Army Bridge-Building.

Among the arts which form a part of
the education of military campaigner
in such country as Cuba is bridge-build-
ing. Next in Importance to laying out
his campaigns on lines which are bound
to be successful stands his power to ex-
ecute his plans with a large body of men.
who must be fed, clothed, sheltered at
night. and nursed and healed when sick.
In all these things the ordinary enlisted
man can give his officer all the help need
ed by simply obeying orders; but bridge
building involves more. 1t is the work
of body of men. not of individuals; and
all the baggage-trains and commissary
supplies and medicine-chests owned by
the government would become mere i'm
pediments to the army's advance unless
some way were found to transport them
across streams which are too deep 10
ford.
OF all the worlds armies, Germanys
has perhaps the greatest reputation for
its skill in pontoon-brdge construction.
1t enjoys an advantage, of course, in hav-
ing both it's training and it's practical
exercise of the art in pretty thickly-
populated country, where the material for
bridge-building is always at hand In its
practice manoeuvers one battalion has
been known to bridge the Elbe, at a
width of about one-tenth of mile, in two
hours. But this was under favorable con-
ditions of weather and current; when
these conditions are unfavorable Of course
the work takes propoTtionally longer. The
favorite form of pontoon in Germany is
the barrel-bridge. For this purpose COM
pany of men are sent out TO scour the
country and bring in all the empty bar
rels and casks they can find, together with
F., l..
can not be procured in sufficient quaint
ties. large logs or even whole tree-trunks
are used. The barrels are first strapped
together in threes, side by side. Two sets
of three are then fastened end to end.
Then a space of a few feet is left; then
comes another set of three barrels. then
another three, then another space, and
finally another set of six, laid like the
first. On these is built a r1Eh timber
raft, and one unit of the bridge is COM
pete. a series of these units are ioated
into the stream and anchored so that the
heads of the barrels point up and down
the streams. At intervals are set longer
and more elaborate RATS of logs. with
pointed ends, like the big buttresses OF
a stationary bridge. When all the RATS
are anchored in place. with spaces of
about their own width between. 50 that
they stretch all the way across the stream,
a flooring OF plank is thrown across the
whole, the two ends are secured to the
opposite banks. and the bridge is ready
for the men, horses, wogans, and artil-
lery TO cross.
The most serious difficulty with BRYCE
building in the enemy's country is that
the enemy usually knows the most favor
able positions for bridges, and, by scat
a Clri Of Sb Fr,o~ a~C
at convenient points overlooking the op-
Grafton. can pick of the men engaged in
IT. In such cases it is sometimes neces-
sary 10 build an entire bridge under some
shelter parallel to the stream to be cross
ed: then. fastening the lower end Of the
bridge to the bank on which the invading
force is halted all the rest Of the stTuct-
ure is set sfoat at once, the loose end
being allowed TO swing around with the
current and float down 70 the paint a here
Il touches the opposite shore and can ~
fastened there in turn. This Is danger
Gus undertaking Any uiscaiculatlon as 20
the width Of the stream. OF any frsiiy
in the RATS or their connections. may be
a fatal defect and cause the wreck CT the
whole Undertaking
Where II Is possible bridge built upon
boats fastened together In raft formation
= EAEGa04r 70 d1lt AAsl<zs 4+-t4 F4t8sA4A-Fc-
But boats are often difficult TO transport
The boats which are large and strong
enough for this purpose are necessarily
heavy II they ranst be carried BY men,
* takes twenty 70 carry boat The boat
IS turned upside-Gozn. and poles are run
under *, crossing the guuTzles a. right
angles, and resting on the shoulders % the
men TIE weight Is thus distributed. 50
that. say eighty pounds fan TO each mans
load. and the distance made between rests
may be two OF three hundred yards.
Where the approach 70 the stream -
across grassland Or uud. skics az T&sak
may be used drawn BY horses IKE a
sletEe
IL the Mexican var. while The education
az cur soldiers In b-sdEe-bzli6sng was STU
elementary. rubber TOntooas were en-
1co1tizae9 ca TE1rd PGgsS