Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-04-09
NEW TENT FOR ARMY
Shelter Designed by SchuyIkiII
ArsenaPs Head.
TEST TO BE MADE IN CUBA.
Improvements Make Canvas Carried
by Soldiers as Snug as Brick Walls.
Transporting Permanent Shelters In

ny SoioteTs as Snu9 as bTlCk WaiiS.
Transporting Permanent Shelters In
Wake of Expeditions Not Necessary.
An American soldiers life in the
field will be made as snug as that of
the dweller within brick walls, and a
serious problem of all big military
movements-the transportation of tents
will be solved by new type of can
vas shelter which is now being made
at the Schuylkill arsenal, Gray's Ferry
and Washington avenues, in Philadel-
phia.
Captain J. r. r. Hannay, who is in
charge of the arsenal, or the Phila-
delphia quartermaster's depot, as it is
officially designated, is the man who
designed the new tent. After working
out the problem he took the plans to
Washington, and the result was that
the officials of the war department au-
thorized him to manufacture tent
equipment for one regiment, according
to his ideas, says the Philadelphia
Press. If it is found after this regl-
ment has given the new tent a salts
factory trial that it upholds the expec-
liltOliS, llCll ILLS NsinN SuGllti Will Uc
adopted for general use in the army.
Under Captain Hannay's direction
the first output of the tents is now
being made. These will be sent to
Cuba, and the commanding officer
there will select regiment having
hard service in prospect to give them
the try-out. However, this is simply
the formality which all military inno-
vations have to go through, for the war
department never adopts anything un-
less it is absolutely certain of its mer-
it, and those who have seen the new
tent are certain that 1t is bound to be-
come the regulation American army
shelter and that the troops of other ma
tions will soon adopt It,
Those who have seen encampments
of the state national guard are famil-
lar with the type of tents which the
soldiers of Uncle Sam sleep in when
they go far afield. These are com
posed of two pieces, which are carried
by two soldiers as parts of their equip
ment, together with wooden poles for
holding them up.
These when formed are closed in the
back, but remain open in the front.
Only two sections can be fitted togeth-
er-that is, tent can be made of the
canvas. carried by two soldiers, and no
more. And there is no way in which
the front can be closed against winds
and storms unless the soldiers them
selves devise some scheme.
OF course these tents are merely
makeshifts. After the soldiers who
carry these on their backs always
come other canvas shelters, which give
them more protection. But out in the
Philippines, for instance, where trans
portation facilities are bad, it takes
an exceedingly long time for these
other tents to get to the scene of their
need, and usually by the time they get
there the soldiers have "hiked" to some
other territory.
Altogether it was long ago set down
as a military fact that the regulation
tent w9e unsatisfactory and that the
trans ,a... ION of better shelter was
thing whi>-. ought to be obviated.
The advantage which the new tent
possesses was arrived ut in a very
there is rectangular section which
forms the side wall and triangular
part which goes to make the inclosing
flap Mt the back. The problem was
solved by cutting these apart, separat-
ing the triangle and the rectangular
section. Around the edges of all the
parts, rectangular and triangular, are
buttons and buttonholes, and with
these the sections can be brought to-
gether into almost any conceivable
style of canvas shelter desired.
While with the canvas now in use
only two soldiers can combine their
tentage, with the new type any num-
Der can join forces, and the more the
better. OF course If only two privates
form a tent the style will be just the
same as at present, but when four
pool their issues the result is verita-
BILE little canvas house, closed both at
the back and front.
Eight, of course, could make tent of
similar outline on larger scale-in
fact, there is no limit to the number of
those who can thus cooperate to build
a house of canvas. Then, too, walled
tents can be constructed just as easily
as the "a" type.
Captain Hannay also has made the
new tent much more waterproof than
is that now in use. This was done,
however, not by increasing the weight
of the material, but by increasing the
tents slope. To accomplish this lit
tie more material is put into the new
tent, but the added weight is overcome
by providing new style tent pole.
The poles now in use are of wood
and are somewhat awkward for a sol
der on the march. The new ones are
of light steel tubing, which lack three
quarters of a pound the weight of the
wooden one and are easier to carry, be-
ing of the telescope variety.
All in all, therefore, the weight of
the canvas is increased to raise its di-
mensions, and this is offset by the de-
traction of weight from the pole. Con-
sequently the burden of the soldier is
not increased one ounce, and when he
bears 1t the weight will be made light
er, no doubt, by the knowledge that 1t
IS not a temporary shelter to be used
until the army mules can catch up
with him, but permanent one.
And when the soldier carries a per-