The Dickinson press., 1898-09-24
BARBEDWIREFENCE
sPAN,ARps MAKE THEM HARD TO SEE
AND HARDER TO DESTROY.

II 10 Almost Impossible to Out Them
Away-wires Loosely serunE-Posts So
Green That They wM Not Burn-Mas-
ser Bullets Flisht-wounds It Makes.
Captain Cavanagh Of the Thirteenth
United States regulars is now in New
York re~cuperating from wound receiv-
ed in the famous charge Of the Thir-
teenth before Santiago. Captain Cav
anagh was one Of the nine officers who
successfully took command during the
15 minutes which the charge lasted,
each one, from the colonel down, being
wounded or killed.
The captain says that the defenses Of
Santiago were far stronger than the re-
ports would lead one to believe. The
barbed wire fences, he says, form n Of
the most efficient barriers it is possible
to conceive. The posts, according to the
captain, are usually seen where they
are covered by a dense growth Of green
foliage. They stand about five feet
above the ground axd are 25 feet apart.
Into each post two iron bars are driven
at right angles to each other and the
ends are left projecting about four inches
on either side. Then, instead Of fasten-
ing the wire firmly to the post, which
would give an opportunity to cut it.
with, nippers or axes, the wire is Topped
loosely around the irons and strung
from post to post in strands so numerous
that a sort Of network is formed, which
it is almost impossible to penetrate.
The loose wire gives no backing for a
blow from an ak, and the number Of
strands in the trocha makes it an hours
work to cut through with nippers.
The posts used in these fences or
trochas are made from the plant pal
mettos out green and planted with the
foliage still on them. This serves effec-
tually to conceal the attachment Of the
wire. Various methods were tried to re-
move these posts, but it vas found that
burning was too slow u process and
that it was next to impossible to break
them off because Of their toughness
and elasticity. The only recourse was
to chop them down, and as they are al
ways set up in places exposed to fire
44OW VAO 0HaAASA G10AGAo6 VAAo W0o .
very dangerous piece of work.
The general impression seems to be
that the wounds made by Mauser bull
let's are clean cut and easily healed.
Captain Cavanagh says that this i'm
preston is far from correct. The truth
in regard to wounds from Mauser bull.
lets, according to the captain, is this:
At any range below 45O OF SOC. yards
this bullet tears and mutilates to. an ex-
traordinary degree, often leaving o
wound into which. . hens egg could be
inserted. At ranges between 500 and
1, 200 yards, the usual distance in the
fighting before Santiago, the wound is
clean cut and regular, being only tho
size Of the bullet, about .27 caliber in
circumference. At these middle distance
ranges the bullet passes. through bone
without splintering or crushing. /,
From ], 400 yards on mp, to its OK
treme, range the bullet regains. its tear
ing capacity and causes very large and
painful wounds Many theories have
been offered to explain this strange be-
havior Of the bullets used .byl the Span;
iards, but the most plausible seemsTto
be as follows: The Mauser bullet,
though Of very small diameter. il, about
an inch in length. The rifles. used are
highly grooved and. give q very swift
rotation to the bullet The rotation acts
upon the bullet in the same. way that
the rotation given by the string acts
upon an ordinary spinning top. 49,