The record-union., 1899-11-24
OF ARMoRED TRAINS.

warfare. Not so, it was in use very
many years ago. If we are not mis-
taken, armored trains were used in the
war of the rebellion. Of course they
were then at best rude affairs, but
they were armored for all that, even
IL the armor was no more than railroad
ties. For an armored train of cars is
simply a train of vehicles with shelter
for the soldiers being transported. But
the armored locomotive is new. Not
comotives with iron and padded shields
SO as to protect the motive power and
the man at the throttle.
Long ago locomotives of transport
trains were sandwiched between
freight} cars to afford them some need
OF shelter and to prevent their derail-
mentiby having several pilot cars in ad-
vance. That plan is pursued in the
Transval war. we notice, even though
the cars and locomotives are armored,
Tor derailment of the locomotive is the
thing of all others to be avoided. The
Hrst armored trains of the modern or
der, with steel and iron sides some
times backed by heavy timbering and
wood sheathing, and sometimes back of
that packing of soft material, such as
cotton, wool, sawdust, etc., were first
introduced in the Cuban war by the
spanish, but they were rather rude af-
q
IN use by the British in South Africa.
Those our 'officers have had construct
ed IN the Philippines are superior to
the trainsiused by the Spanish In Cuba
Ihe armored trains of the English are
not improvised affairs as most have
been. On the contrary, they are very
eiaporately gotten up. A box car is
usually selected. It is STRENGTHENED in
every part of it's frame. 1t is some
tunes provided with a hanging shield
reaching down almost to the ground so
as to cover the wheels and defect artil-
lery projectiles and this shield is of
heavy boiler iron. The sides of the car
are covered with boiler iron. put on
notsvery securely, because it has been
found that there is no necessity to
thickly rivet it.
Behind this and the natural walls of
the car are frequently placed sheath
lngs OF plank with an interspace packed
with some material that will receive
and negative the bullet if it passes
through the iron. Where low or open
cars are used, the iron sides are usually
curved inward as they rise so as r.
form an inward sloping shelter for their
troops. In these cases the firing is
from over this half roof. Where box
cars are used the firing is from loop
holes. or slots arranged for the pur-
pose.
In every car thus armored are placed
some necessities for the dressing of
wounds, extra rations and extra sup
piles Of ammunition. There would be
no necessity for armored trains, such
as We now have, even for reconnoiter-
ing. We're it not for the modern proiec-
Tile and the Improvement in powder.
Inc Springfield rifle with black powder
and the old stye balls were not effective
against moving train, except at very
close range, and even fairly thick sides
OF crossed planking would resist the
ouiiets. But the new high-velocity
puliet and the improvement in the
power OF powder to ianpart velocity to
'iie missile nave rendered iron plating
ana wall packing of cars necessary.
though the wall packing is only rarely
resorted to, the chief reliance still be-
ing upon the boiler plate hung upon
the side and sometimes protecting the
wheels as described.
1t is necessary to spring over the
boiler section of every locomotive draw
ing an armored train one and often two
curved platings of iron, for the pro-
Jectiles OF modern warfare will very
OFTEN, especially if fired from close
range, penetrate a boiler and then it
is all up with the locomotive, and the
train becomes but a narrow and very
lnconvenient fort. 1t is probable that
the armored train will be greatly more
improved, and that it will in future
wars become a factor to be counted
upon and against in military science
opponents of the Administration have
been indulging in the pastime of figur
ing out that the result of the recent
election in Ohio was no real triumph
Tor the Republican ticket, which re-
ceived only plurality But it is worth
while noting that in all cases-with
very few exceptions, at Ieast-where
there are more than, two candidates for
the same office. a majority does not re-
suit. 1t happens, that in the Ohio case
Judge Nash received nearly double the
plurality of Bushnell, Republican. in
1897. Under the circumstances there
can be no other sound conclusion but
this. that Ohio did indorse the Admin
istration, and just as emphatically re-
pudiated Mclean and the opposition, to
say nothing of the Chicago platform.
which the Ohio Democracy pledged
itself to reaffirm.
The ti-expansionists have been
busy ever since the announcement OF