The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-08
..MniRE DIRT GATHERS, D0IIN
WASTE Rules. Use 9AFOLIO
SIEGE RAILWAY SYSTEMS.
Probabilities of n Necessity for Their
Use In China


(From the Pail Mall Gazette.)
Our Regulations for Military Railways"
state that in the stores for a unit of a
siege train, consisting OF thirty guns (sucI
as was despatched to South Africa in No
yember lastj, the following plant for about
five and a half miles of single track 49,
inch gauge railway is also proyide6-name-
ly, three small tank locomotives, twenty
five trolleys, each mounted upon two four
wheeled bogies, including one trolley spe-
cially adapted for moving heavy guns; TO-
1888 rails, each is feet long and weighing
"A pounds to the yard; 80 switches, 10
crossovers. II 600 light steel sleepers, $500
pairs of fshplates. together with large
stock of platelayers' tools, one or two
portable turntables, and other minor ac-
cessories.
However, when the siege train left these
shores last November. the foregoing plant,
to constitute what is termed siege rail-
way" did not accompany the heavy 5-inch
and finch guns and 6-inch howitZers. And
from this omission 1t is TO be assumed
that the siege railway, supposed to be
ready in store, either existed only upon
paper or, for some reason or other was
not available. In the then probable con-
tingency of Pretoria and johannesburg
having to be besieged, steps were imme-
contract for the plant such as has been
just described. was placed with private
engineering firm located at Stoke upon
Trent. This firm was allowed only fifteen
days in which TO execute the order, but,
nevertheless. they managed to accomplish
IL IN ten. - Ia
As we are all aware. affairs have turned
out so fortunately that no portion OF the
siege train has had TO be fequisitiuned in
racr act Of s4c;4 =.
though the heavy guns, split up into small
batteries OF two or three pieces, have
proved OF the greatest utility in ousting
the enemy from some of his strong natural
positions.
AT the present juncture. however, .here
seems every probability that, although the
British army has not been called upon TO
undertake siege in South Africa, 1t may
soon have to do so somewhere in China
1t is extremely fortunate, therefore, that
we at last possess a properly equipped
siege train, and that the same should be
now SO advantageously posted, If it is re-
quired 10 despatch Ii in haste to the Far
East. In this paper though. we are onl,
concerned with the railroad portion of
the material. ri e.,
A siege railway becomes divided into
two systems, railway and a tramway.
The railway commences at the general
These main parks-it is convenient to
have but one of each-should be out of
sight and range of the fortress besieged,
and be located as near as circumstances
will permit to the railhead of the ordinary
railway communication. From the out
lying works of the defence, 5000 or 10, 600
yards ought to be the minimum distance
for a park containing gunpowder or other
combustibles. From these two parks the
siege railway supplies in due course the
immediate depots of each arm. Most
probably there would be more than one
main line of approach and on each u
depot connected with the general parks
and the siege works by line of the rail-
way. These depots might be about 5000
yards from the fortress, out Of sight,
and each should contain supplies for one
siege day-that is, twenty -four hours.
They are the Rugbys or Granthams CT the
miniature system, in that all trains stop
there to unload and load again; for from
them are supplied the trench depots,
which are not fixed permanently in posi-
tion, but advance with the progress of
the attack. At the trench depots the
railway stops, or rather proceeds as a
trsmway.
So far locomotive engines have been
worked on the line from. the artillery and
engineer parks, but now that the track is
about TO enter the zone of fire from the
fortress the engines uncouple and the troll
leys are handed over to men or horses.
The track continues, laid In the parallels
and approaches, and is applicable for tho
service OF ammunition to the siege bat
terry magazines. for the transport of engin-
erring material and for the removal OF
sick and wounded to the rear. Big guns
can also be easily moved from one posi-
lion TO another along this tramway by aid
OF the special trolley. When horses are
employed to haul the rolling stock they
are in lasso draft, the tugs being attached
to the side of the platforms, so that an
animal would not have to walk over the
sleepers, disturbing the adjustment of this
very light line.
The siege railway can be laid throughout
its length with great speed and almost
without noise. In the trenches at least
1t is not even necessary TO ballast the
track provided the soil Is of average hard
ness; it will be sufficient to cut a good
drainage trench along the reverse OF the
parallel In the trenches we'll trained men
of whom we have no lack, thanks to the
splendid aid forthcoming from the Crewe
Railway reseryists. can lay from 100 to
15G yards of track per hour.
The guage of eighteen inches may
seem absurdly narrow but it is Sc
lected for the reason that it allows of
very sharp curves, as small as a twenty
foot radius being practicable.