The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-01-16
Generals In Field Place Much Re-
lance Upon Scientific Officers.
Bridge Building an Important
Portion Of Their Work-Some
of Their Exploits In the Euro
pean War-CaIIed Pioneers
In German and Austrian Armies.

"1 Vh thCF htihS II Va thC
Europeans armies stands the
man of science. He does not
aim the rife or charge with the bayo-
net or load and discharge the forty
two centimeter guns. He does not
cook rations for the fighting man, nei-
Their does he provide the shoes or uni
forms. But he maps out the country
olong which the armies advance or re-
treat; he lays out the roads. and he
builds the railroads and the bridges.
Without him there could be no war In
the modern sense, conducted on a gi-
gantic scale of human slaughter.
There would be war, perhaps, but it
would be the old style warfare. with
hand to hand fighting instead of the
present method, by which men are kill
ed with shells fired from a distance Of
twelve miles.
Every army, American and Euro
pean, has Its corps of engineers. 1t is
the American boast when the subject
Is brought up that the engineering
corps of the army is engaged in useful
constructive work, not insthe terrific
task of destruction, as are its European
counterparts. For examples an Amer
lean army engineer built the Panama
canal, another supervised the construc-
ton OF the Mississippi levee, another
looked over the work on the great
Keokuk dam of the Mississippi and
another set the dynamite which blew
am HILL Coto Tho nhcfruaffon RI novi.
cation in New York's East river. But
Europe's army engineers are engaged
In building bridges to facilitate the
movements of troops and superintend-
Ing railroads for the transportation Of
monster guns and laying out emplace-
ments for the same guns when they
arrive at their destinations.
Engineer Officers In the Background.
The war dispatches do not give the
names Of the great army engineers.
Like the men who dig the trenches Of
the armies, they work unseen and un-
known to fame. We hear Of General
French leading the British troops in
France, and we learn of Won linden
burg trying to drive the Russians in
Poland, but we do not know the name
Of General French's chief engineer Of
icer nor the name of the man upon
whom the German general Won Hin
denburg, or any other, relies to make
the way clear for the advance Of his
troops.
None the less, the engineer officer is
q very important factor In the ulti-
mate success or failure Of a campaign.
Much responsibility rests upon him,
and his worth Is recognized and re-
warded at the capital Of his country
even IL the general public, including
his own countrymen. never hears OF
him.
Bridge Building 10 important Work.
A very important part Of the work
Of the engineering corps is the build
ing Of military bridges and the replac-
ing of ordinary. bridges that have been
destroyed by the enemy in the effort
to delay the advance Of an opposing
army. The paths Of the armies in the
field are strewn with new, rebuilt.
temporary and permanent bridges.
Frequently 1t happens that after a big
bridge is blown up 1t Is replaced the
very next day by the advancing foe.
The story of the siege of Antwerp
from the German side, as related by an
ofacsr attached to the STATS, is largely