The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-11-07
ARM0RED TRAINS
IN WAR TINES
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Some Of the Novel Travelling Forts
Operated by The British In Natal.
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FIRST USED BY THE FRENCH
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They Can Be Of Crest Service Bat
Must lie Accompaniedby Cavalry
to Prevent Being Cut 0nt.
FIRST USED BY THE FRENCH

TO Prevent Being Cut 0nt.
The nrm0rcd train la prominent
feature of the Transyaal war. owing "a
the position Of tho contestants and The
long, unprotected border of the boun.
lary line. The destroyed train wns a
hastily constructed nnair, consisting OF
n locomotive ana two ears The engine
was In the center ~ the train.
The box cars and tho locomotive wcrv
covered with bollrr plating thrcc-qunr-
lcrs ot an inch thick, az firmly riycted
ua time would alluw The train was
constructed ~ Mafrkng. whore there
arc several railroad shops the town
being on the new main line from the
Cape to Bulawnyo
The locomotive was the only part of
the train that did not carry guns. the
steel easing bring solely 70 protect the
mechanism ~ The engine from the shot
of the enemy The remainder ~ the
armor. however was thlcky perforated
with port holes, through which guns Of
varying calibrc popped. thc Maxim.
Nor1cnfelt and gatllng being the most
scrylc"Oble weapons for this kind Of
work Tho smaller holes were Tor the
rifles ~ the mBrksmen. ana usually the
dcadliegt IN the regiment We're selected
for the position It takes an expert
markgman to shoot with satisfactory
results from a quielSmoying train. A.
usual. the train was supplied with "a
powerful search light In view of pos
sihlc night attack
or course the boiler tubing can ofrer
no resistance 20 artillery. In fact. rife
shots fired al short range will some
times penetrate the piatea. and 20 meet
such a possibility rand bags were pro-
ylded. as WAS the case In the Egyptian
campaign. when the slrlar found the
nrmorcd train Of great service.
hut In spite OF all protection, the
Beers conquered They had their ar
tulcry stationed along the hills beside
the tracks II was a vcritable trap
The track ahead was blocked. The
Engl.shmcn had failed 20 accompany
their train with the usual cavalry ad-
vance guarI which experience had
| taught was absolutely necessary,
Unaware Of the true state Of arfairs,
the doomed train steamed to the OBJ
structon and became derallcd. Tho
men sailed forth and worked like
beavers to put the wheels back on the
track and remove the obstruction, Thon
the Eocrs op-acd nrc with their can
non.
AZ the ilr4t report the redcoats few
back into their iron battery, They
worked their guns FOR all that was IN
them, hut their force was small and tn,
firing necessarily slow.
The cannon fire of the Beers wai
rapid aud accurate, The thin shee
iron protection against bullet shots wa
an ldcnl bursting ground Tor the lar
ger shells, The armored train wa.
soon total wreck and most Of the crew
dead or badly wounded. In that con
diton the Englishmcn surrendered, anC
the arms ammunition and big guns SC
badly needed by Colonel Baden Powell
at MafekIng never reached their desti
nation,
Armorcd trains, however, do not al,
ways fall so easily into the hands Of tht
enemy Armorcd trains mounting field
pieces and machine guns are being ex'
teaRively utilized by the American
troops engaged in the conquest Of tn,
FlllpIEos. and Il will be remembered
that the successful Issue of the fight al
CalumpIt was attributed to the oppor'
tune arrival of just such flying bat
terry. During the Cuban rebellion there
were numerous accounts waited to tn,
United States Of the use Of armoreC
trains by the Spaniards. The question
now arises, where did this mode o
fighting originate?
Although II ls impossible to obtaiI
any reliable details, II Is certain tina
the Franco-P -Prusslan war was the frs
campaign witnessing the use OF protect
ed train and locomotives on the telC
of battle. In their sorties from Parb
the French troops We're frequentl.
backed up by the fire Of light iiel'
places carried in this manner and whel
the Communists were holding the cap
ital against the Versaillese an armor
ed train operated upon the railway Il
the direction of Chateau Brecon, an
is said to have achieved its object Il
silenclng the batteries which the regu
lar troops were endeavorlng to estab
llsh In that position. 1t is this eXpei
ience, perhaps, that has given rise I
the belief that the French We're tn
original adapters of the idea for IN
utilization Of permanent lines of raj
way for the transport Of artillery, cal
able of being brought into action upo
the metals themselves. Shortly aft'
the war of 1870 an Engllshman, M
Evelyn Llardet took out patent Il
an armored train. which was nulliiit
by the discovery in the patent office
, Mr.. Anderson's prior scheme, Mr. ia
J Anderson Of Edlnburgi In 1Sl7, pr
pared aud patented a series of plan
and further submitted a working mod
Of his defensive rolling stock for Il
inspection of some distinguished eng
neer and artillery officers.