Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-09-17

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/ altern all the time. They we're the
kind you would like to have alone IN
a tight corner whether you had to
fight with knives or fists or seventeen
inch howitzers. @I .'.g'.
The sergeant took us into the store
house where he kept his supply OF
bombs F.@1 ~ }~at #a.@ "-1
What II German she'll should
strike your storehouse?" it was sug-
gested III gEu89~ liE. 49,.
Then, sir, expect that most OF
the bombs would be exploded. Bombs
are very peculiar In their habits.
What do you think, sir?" $50,
1t was no trouble to show stock. as
the clerks at the stores say He
brought. forth all the different kinds
of bombs which British ingenuity has
invented-but, no, not all invented.
These would mount into the thou
sands. Every British inventor who
knows anything about explosives has
tried his hand at new kind of bomb.
One means all the kinds which the
British war Office has considered
worth the practice test.
The spectator was allowed to handle
each one as much as he pleased.
There had been occasions. that boyish
Scotch subaltern told me without a
twinkle in his eye, when the men who
were examining the products Of Brit
ish ingenuity-well, the subaltern had
sandy hair, too, which heightened the
effect Of his blue eye. a!t:35 ~ z
combs Of All Kinds. 4. ,
There were yellow and green and
blue and black and striped bombs,
egg.shaped, barrel-shaped, conical and
concave bombs: bombs that were ex-
ploded by pulling a string or pressing
q button-all these to be thrown by
hand. without mentioning grenades
and bigger varieties which we're
thrown by mechanical means which
would have made Chinese warrior
of Confucius' time or a Roman legion
airy feel at home. g5 qa-sf ss,ss
'This was the first born" the sub.
altern explain-"thes first thing we
could lay our hands on when the close
quarters trench warfare began" =
1t was as out Of date, now. as
grandfather's smoothbars-the tinpot
which both sides used early in the
winter. A wick was attacked to the
high explosive wrapped in cloth and
stuck in an ordinary jam can. @@'flf
Quite homemade, as you see, sir"
remarked the sergeant Used to fix
them up ourselves in the trenches In
odd hours-saved burying your refuse
jam tins according to medical corps
Fdirection-you threw them at the
Boches. Have to use q match to light
livery old-fashioned; sir. 4 It,wonder
If that old fuse has got damp. No. it's
going all right and he. threw the jam
pot which made a good explosion. 4.
Later when he began hammering
the end OF another he looked up in
mild surprise at the dignified back
stepping Of the spectators - 's's
rs that fuse out p someone asked.
Eyes, sir: OF course, sir" he> re.
piled. ITS safer. But here is the
best: we're discarding the Others" he
went on as he picked up another
bomb. b&Sa5(s 81 7i& sFjts5 &
1t was a pleasure to throw this
GROWING achievement Of the expert.
ments. 1t fitted your hand nicely: It
threw easily; II did the business; It
was foolproof against a man in love
or war poet. ssf..s .is,y n y 81,
we saw as soon as this style
came out" said the sergeant, that
It was bound to be popular. Every
body asks for it--except the Bochas.
sir" 5 NJ SsS MI N III