People's voice., 1900-11-15
FIRST USED i,
Armorcd Trains TrG. i,
Originally DurIrr 49, C..!...
In This Country.

In This County,.
AS with a great many other u'ili
tartan devices, the Americans were the
irst TO construct an actual armor-
plated train. During the civil war
IL the states a mob destroyed the
bridges on the Philadelphia, Whining
ton d Baltimore railway, and in order
to prevent q recurrence of the disor-
.ers and to protect the line generally,
The government hit upon the expedient
Of converting long, flat baggage car
into small movable battery. The car
has built up and covered in with thick
sheet iron, in which were pierced a
number of loopholes for musketry.
Port holes were arranged at the center
snd at each end, and cannon IN a
iraversing turntable was mounted for
Iiuty at each or either of the port holes.
The projectiles used were of some
what extraordinary character, being
aching more or less than disks GU
from boiler plates.
Perhaps The most effective use of the
armorsd trains, upto recent years. says
TIE Ciicaro Chronicle, was made b,
the French during the siege of Pari,
Ia tAese uanns both engines and ca,
'.ases were bullet procf, and coutainel
2 number of locpholes. Each train car
ing forr s'nall cannon which couG
= reao,iy a4,S cXp,lit;ousiy mGneu-
Sercd from the train. was capablc
j ho.a.rg SO men. Considerable use
fas made of. these trains in bringing
I provisions to the beleaguered
lrenoAEen, and they were turned t.
accou.t oy the communists afterwarc
against the government troops until
Ih"r position was ou,fanked by heav!
naval guns.
In the year 1852 an armored train
witch va only partially protected +
Roller plates and sandbags, was usoo
AGAINST the Egyptian rebels under
aTabi Pasha. \ similar contrivanct
WAS also employed at Kassasin previ.
ouS 70 the British advance on Tel-el
Sebir. One operating in Chill during
the civil war, and sardbGg protected
or armed" train, equipTHd with a felt
cnn. was utilized with advantage in tn.
Soudan quite recently. In Cuba 10
comotive Ind truck. protected wit
three-eighths-inch boiler plates, VI.
sent in advance to pilot and proteci
from the rebels TIE trains betwse'
Colon and Santa Cara.
The South African armored train.
row being employed by the authori
hes consist of nothing more or les,
than ordinary cars covered with from
half 10 three-quarters of an inch oI
common steel, the locomotives being
similarly protected, and a car placed
in front with gun in advance. Thes,
trains are. of course, OF little or M
use II the line falls into the hands Of
theeEemy-a few dynamite cartridge.
or the removal OF rail or two las wa,
painfully demonstrated in the recent
disaster to the Mafeking train) would
render them source more of danger
than service.
The German emperor has an idea
that "war cars" can be constructed or
Q plan which he has devised, which
will enable them to traverse at viii
over battlefield or territory which
does not present Impossible geograph
ical difficulties. He proposes that eacl
car shall be complete in itself and il
size about that Of Pullman. TIL,
sides are to be constructed to fall JUS
above the level of the ground, in order
to protect the wheels. These plateS
sides-will consist of steel Of great re-
sisting force, and will be pierced will
a requisite number of port or looI
holes for quick firing and machip,
guns and rifles. In order that a pos
sible enemy may not be able to get
on top of the car, it is to be mad,
with sharp bayonet spikes protrudint
from the sides and roof. The Who'll,
Idea seems very chimerical. but as tn,
world-famed Krupp is responsible ant
has now an experimental car in prog
ress, it would scarcely be safe to sal
that there is nothing in the idea.
Why, Johnny, you are not afraid Of
the dark, are you?"
mo, amt afraid" said Johnny,
but 1 amt very fond of it."-Cincin.
1 att