El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-10

q AN ANTONIO. Texas, June 10
The recent 'maneuvers' in Texas,
w. if they should have no other USE
fulness, viii at least have yielded some
knowledge of the great value in regard
to methods of furnishing our army
with supplies of bread while in the
field! This was a problem which had
not hitherto betn satisfactorily solved.
The war department, however, has
taken advantage of the opportunity to
make the most practical kind of expe-
riments with apparatus Of a wholly
novel character for the making of war
bread" in immense quantities for
great many thousands of soldiers living
and subsisting under actual service con-
ditions-the most essential part of the
transportable outfit employed being
an oven of peculiar pattern, invented
Jointly by an officer. Capt. Lucius R.
Holbrook, and a sergeant, Patrick
Dunno.
One of these ovens can produce war
bread" for 100 men, or at pinch for
more than 5000. It is made of sheet
iron, with double coat and asbestos
between for insulation Ito economic
heat, and can be put together and set
up in % minutes by the watch. includ-
ing the digging of square hole in
the ground, over which it stands when
in use. The hole is to contain the fire.
The affair. only about four feet high.
is, strictly speaking three ovens. one
above another-an important feature
of the Continuance being the flue, car
rying hot air. which twists back and
forth beneath and around the indiTid-
ual ovens in such a way that all three
receive an equal amount OF heat When
the hot air has been thus economically
NTH the smoke
through a chimney pipe.
Is a Portable Oven.
The apparatus described can be taken
to pieces in a few moments and loaded
uDon a single wagon, together with all
of the supplementary furniture, includ-
ing tube for mixing dough. a long Ia
Bile for kneading with its trestles),
dozen metal buckets for incidental en-
ployment and an arrangement Of col
lapsible shelves likewise of metal. for
driving loaves@this last being rather
particular feature Of the manufacture
of war bread"
If it be true, as has often been said.
that an army travels on its stom-
ach." it must be admitted that bread
is the chief ESSENTIAL to its welfare
Hence it is that the various European
governments. especially GermanN and
r
ing recent years TO develop and syste-
Matte methods whereby good bread
and plenty of il shall be supplied. as
fresh as possible to troops in the
field. With this idea in view, socalled
field bakeries have been evolved on
various plans. the latest German con-
trivance for the purpose being what is
known as the rolling oven"-that is
to say, a sort of bakery on wheels
When possible, bread is supplied
fresh TO troops every day. But this is
not practicable when an army is en-
gagged in active service in the field
Whence the necessity of a war bread"
which shall remain appetizing and pal
atable for at least a week The war
bread furnished to our own soldiers IN
Texas during the recent ''maneuyers"
remains in satisfactory condition for
from ten days to two weeks, or even
longer. depending upon the weather
The dryer the atmosphere, the longer
and better it keeps.
Is of Dense Consistency.
This war bread" developed by our
own army bakers. and otherwise
known as field bread" may be de-
scribed as a type Of fresh bread with
a very fine cellular structure and a
thick crust Being Of dense consist
encv. it stands transportation WELL
and the thick crust helps its keeping
quality. Experience has shown that
the less moisture there is in bread, the
longer it will keep. and hence 1t is
that the ioaves, after baking, are dried
for several hours on skeleton racks.