The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-19
REDUCED TO FIGURES.
Some Statistics That illustrate Vari-
Gus Phases of the Late But Glori-
Gus War With Spain.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York sun
Now that the war is over some per-
sons would like 10 know how many
bullets were fired during the conflict.
but since that cannot be ascertained,
1t is striking enough to consider that
the 277,000 men now composing the
army of the United States carry in
their cartridge belts more than 27,000,-
600 rifle balls. At all events they would
carry that many II all of them were
armed with the new magazine rifle,
commonly known as the Krag-Jorgen-
sen, 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,OOO men now
enlisted would carry 372 tons of bull
let's at their waists: and this makes
| reckoning Of only the leaden balls, and
not of the cartridges containing them
Each of the cartridges is bit over
three inches long, and If all of those
contained in the belts of the soldiers
were placed end to end they would
stretch 1886 miles. Just think Of the
destructive power represented by that
| line Of cartridges!
The barrel of one of these regulation
rifles is thirty inches long. If all Of
them-the 277,OO0-were placed end to
| end, so as to make a continuous tube,
the latter would extend 131 miles, or
| just about the distance from Washing
ton to Philadelphia. But, to render the
thing more striking, consider the fact
| that the new rifle will kill a man at
4,400 yards. This makes a total effect
| i've range of 692,5 500 miles for 277,0O0
rifles. Accordingly, If the velocities of
all the bullets could be combined, three
| sharpshooters on the earth would he
able to shoot far enough to kill three
men on the moon.
CLOTH USED.
Each soldiers uniform, with cape ov-
| ercoat, requires eleven and a quarter
| square yards of material Hence il ap-
| pears that the cloth used for making
war customs for the 227000 men in
the army. If spread out, would cover
| just about 664 acres,or a little over a
square miles. At 1855 a suit an outfit
! of uniforms for all the troops of the
| United States costs the government
s5,166,050. enough to build furnish and
arm the biggest and finest kind of a
battleship, such as the Oregon
Most Of the volunteers in the war
have received only one blanket apiece
from Uncle Sam, though the usual al
| lowance is two. These blankets are Of
exceptionally fine material, costing
$3.33 a piece To provide every man
in the army with one means an expense
of 1922, ,410, and of these 227,0O0 blankets
would cover 244 acres of ground. They
are seven feet long by five and a half
wide, and it is agreed by both officers
and men in the service that better polk
er can be played on them than on any
other kind Of cloth.
| To make an army shirt of flannel
requires three square yards of stuff,
and the government pays $1.95 for the
finished garment. Thus 1t is easily
calculated that such shirts for all the
troops would come to a total of $40
600 and the material of them would
spread over 172 acres. More interest
ing is the fact that 34,625 calves woul6
be required to furnish the leather for
the shoes of all the regiments, and
this would take no account of the soles
and heels which have to be supplied
by 90,233 cows. The rubber cloaks for
the army called "ponchos" would cost
$390,570, and would cover 143 acres.
One acre of good land yields 375
pounds of cotton, which can be woven
into 147 half tents of the shelter" kind
used in the field. Each two soldiers
having a tent between them, one car
rying the right half and the other
the left half. Such a tent costs 1891
complete. with jointeG pole. etc, the
tota! expense of sheltering the entire
army under canvas being s549, ,S45
Spread out the canvas needed would
cover 272 acres. each half tent having
AZ yards of material. To produce the
cotton for making all this tentage
would need 1889 acres or nearly three
square miles.
ARMY THIRST.
An ordinary canteen holds two
quarts. With all these receptacles fill
ed, the present army of 277,O0O men
carries 3,64i hogsheads of water. This
in fact is about equivalent to the daily
requirement of water for the troops.
The quantity would last one man more
| h,rn nd fx,t,,