Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-21

long, erected 1t at an angle Of forty
five degrees on a wooden upright, and
by a catch spring tossed the balls OF
guncotton from 1t several hundred
yards into the Russian parapet. At
ter the taking Of Hatchimakiyama
(the Turban Fort,) Imazawa found his
men for the first time on a height
above the Russian trenches. Then
he invented the dynamite wheel. This
Is a steel cylinder containing five hum
dred weight of dynamite, with a pro-
jecting shield for soldiers who roll 1t
forward under fire until 1t reaches the
declivity down which 1t is hurled.
The opposing trench precipitates the
explosion.
Imazawa also improved the saphead
shield, used by besiegers since the Mid
die Ages Formerly 1t was a heavy
log Of wood, protected by armor- plate,
behind which pioneer soldiers advanc-
ed their trenches when close to the
enemy and under outpost fire. A solid
log was too heavy for the japanese
purposes, 80 Imazawa contrived a
framework of kiri wood, both light and
tough, over which he built a steel
shield such as Maxim put on his ma
chine gun. The shield stuck out In
advance Of the framework like cow
catcher on a locomotive. 1t was rolled
out of the saphead one or two feet to-
ward the enemy. Behind 1t two sap
pers, on their bellies, dug out from un-
der their legs the beginning OF VIDE
safe trench in which, two days later
a regiment could find shelter. Ner-
vous work this, with bullets raining
overhead like hail on tin roof; but
Imazawa made 1t practicable.
Before he finally hit on his grenade
gun, Imazawa employed a BAMBOO
grenade lift his first device to let as
saulters hurl their explosives into re-
doubts without danger to themselves
These were 20-foot lengths of heavy
bamboo, to the ends Of which balls ol
gun cotton were tied. Two soldiers
carried one Of these lifts up a slope
projected the grenade over a trench OF
a parapet, and let the furious Russians
smash It and themselves into destruc-
tion.
The use of many successful inven-
tions showed the Japanese equal to al
the progress Of the age. The hyposcope
enabled them to observe what went
on in the town, and from 203-Metre
Hill revealed the fleet. This is tele-
scope cut in half, the front elevated
two feet above the rear by a further
length of scope, and the line OF vision
between made straight past the angles
nv two mirrors. 1t gives a lookout
within a few hundred yards OF the
enemy's line a chance to explore calm
ly at his leisure. Bomb-proofs 1oi
the generals were cut in the solid rocR
900 yards in advance Of the artii-
lery and overtopping the firing line
Thus commanding officers could gel
the traditional bird's-eye view OF the
battlefield. Instead Of sitting at head
quarters, miles in the rear, General
Nogi occupied bombproof In the cen
ire of his army, two and a half miles
from Port Arthur. From there
his eye glanced over as grand pat
tlefield as the world has yet produced
for within an area of ten square miles
was brought every possibility OF mod
ern warfare. Even cavalry manoeuV'
red. While his optic vision was ex-
traordinary, his mental horizon was
vast and comprehensive. Telephones
centering to a switchboard In the nex'
bomb-proof connected him with every
battery of every regiment under his
command. He was in instant touch
with the most outlying operations, and
almost with the ease and certainty oi
Napoleon at Austerlitz, could marcn
and countermarch, enfilade and as
| sault.
Telephone and postoffice follow the
flag. In the advance Of the Japanese
army down In the peninsula, telephone
linesmen bearing on their shoulders
coils of copper wire, not much larger
and of no more weight than a pack
thread. followed through the kaoliang-
fields on each side Of the commander
The moment he stopped a table was
produced, a receiver was snapped or
the wire, and a telegrapher stood
ready. More remarkable was the ao'
vance Of the telephone into the con-
tested redout Of the Eternal Dragon
where a station was placed and oper-
ated for four months, with the Rus
slams holding trenches only forty me-
tres distant and on three sides. Al
this station, along the front of which
twenty men a day were slain by sharp
shooters, mail was delivered every
time that a transport arrived, which
was almost daily. Men on the firing
line received postal cards from theiI
sveethearts and mothers an hour be-
fore death.
Telephone and postoffice followed the
flag: the Red Cross preceded 1t. The
medical corps came, not In the wake
of the army, but close on the heels oi
the pioneers. Before even the infan-
try-men entered a Chinese village II
was explored, the water OF It's wells
analyzed, its houses tested for bacteria
and the lines Of encampment laid
down. This unusual sanitation Is
looked upon by surgical authorities as
perhaps the chief cause Of Japanese
success-Century Magazine.
GREAT BORING MACHINES.
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