davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
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of trees uncovered by the trench must
be cut out. SO that by no means can
the fire eat its way across.
Fire Jumps Trench.
A single line of trench may stop a
fire. but very often 1t does not. A
double line is better, while a triple
line makes 1t just that much harder
for the flames to cross. The first
trench Is the emergency defense. It
is built under high pressure as swift
ly as may be. There is grim race
between the fire fighters and the ad-
vancing flames to reach the vantage
points.
As the trench Is completed men
are assigned to patrol given sections
They widen and deepen the trench.
cut out logs and brush and otherwise
strengthen it against the flames. But
even with these precautions the first
line trench must not be expected to
check the flames. Sparks may be
carried across by the wind; a falling
tree may scatter fire far and wide
At such times it may be necessary to
abandon section of trench and drop
back. But this is done by connecting
the new line with the old. and allow
ing a salient to project into the de-
lenses. With slow-burning fire in a
forest where there Is a deep deposit
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

of duff. even a third trenchline may
be required.
In locating his fire trench the ran
ger takes advantage of the lay of the
land. He follows the tops of ridges
and mountains, and connects with
cliffs and lodges across which the
fire cannot pass. He thinks in terms
Of forests rather than of single trees.
There may be watershed of some
nearby city or irrigation project
which must be protected at all costs.
Very often he will have to sacrifice
considerable amounts Of less valuable
timber to do this. 49,. s.ss
= Small Arms.
The fire lighters small arms con-
sist of an axe. shovel. mattock; or
rake. and he develops no little in
genuity in the use Of these tools
against his enemy. A shovelful of
dry earth in the case Of grass fire
is employed. not unlike shrapnel. If
skillfully scattered 1t will put out a
considerable amount of fire. From
the trench the ranger goes over the
top into the enemy's country, some-
times to fell burning tree which
threatens to throw sparks across his
line, sometimes to beat out the flames
before they reach the trench. He
counter-attacks with back hres. Undes
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

That is why the progress of the bat
tie was not noted in flaming headlines.
and the public knows little of the
menace that was beaten off. But in
severity of the ordeal there was not
much to choose between the two
years.
Discipline and experience did it.
Much has been learned since 1910
about trench warfare in the woods.
1t takes generalship of no mean order
to direct a campaign like that of last
summer to successful ending. The
means used must be adapted. with
quick and sure Judgment, to the con-
ditions on each field of contest.
Making the Trench.
A fire trench may be four inches
deep and a foot wide, or 1t may be
two feet deep and four feet wide. It
all depends upon the terrain and the
severity of the attack which the
trench must Withstand. The twigs.
leaves and half-decayed logs on the
ground will burn; dirt will not Ac.
cordingly the trench must be dug well
down into the mineral soil, so that
the fire will die out for lack Of fuel.
On peaty swamps, where the accumu.
lation is centuries old, this sometimes
involves the construction of sizable
bitches. The small brush near the
| line must be cleared away.s the roots
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
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and the vulnerable points of the
enemy's body, they were able to seri-
ously wound many of the Colonial
troops, especially in the fight near
Gaba Tape.
The italian Is clever with the bayo-
net. and he is compelled to fight in
the snow and ice of the Alps and
wade icy streams in his charges
against the rAustrians, yet he goes at
it with a vim and heroism which go
far In bringing victory for his be-
loved land. The regiments recruited
in the Italian mountains. are COM
posed of men whose endurance is lit
tie short of marvellous. and many an
Austrian has gone to his death from
McLaglen System.
The system of bayonet fighting used
by the British Army and their allies
| is that known as the McLaglen Sys-
tenn, and was the invention Of Captain
Leopold McLaglen.s It is a mixture
Of the systems which were in vogue
in the Russian, French, British and
Japanese Armiesthe best being
| taken from each one. Captain Nc.
Laglen made a thorough study Of the
methods Of each nation, and came to
| the conclusion that none of. them
were getting the full benefit OF
the bayonet-an essentially offensive
weapon-go straight at an opponent
with the point threatening his throat
and deliver the point wherever an
opening presents itself. If no open
| ing is obvious, one must sbe created
by beating off the opponents weapon
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

has always proved himself
an adept with the bayonet. This was
shown during Wellington's time in
the Pyrenees and at Waterloo. Again
in the Indian mutiny and in frontier
campaigns the bayonet has played an
important part.
AT the battle of Somme Sir Doug
las Haig paid . high tribute to the
British infantryman. who rushed the
German trenches with their bayonets.
killing or taking prisoners hundreds
Of the Kaiser's picked men. At Yer
dun, too, the bayonet was in the fore
front of the battle. OF course. the
huge guns on both sides did deadly
work. but now the close proximity of
the trenches makes the bayonet a
most effective weapon. It must not be
taken for granted, however. that the
Germans know nothing of the death
dealing sscience of bayonetting, for
such Is not the case. Many Of them
are experts in handling the weapon,
and meet the charge with great alac.
rity. They, however, use bayonets in
less systematic manner than the
British. and on one or two occasions
in trench raids the Germans have
thrown down their bayonets and went
at the British with their lists and
teeth.
Turks And Italians.
Even the Turks are able to use the
bayonet with more or less skill, and
during the landing at Gallipoli they
charged the British with nok1ittle sue
cess. While their work was not scien
ttnc, and they were not always able to
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

when no rain falls for weeks, when
fires spring up on all sides. when the
smallest blaze is a formidable danger.
and when the fighting becomes in
tense, ferocious and prolonged. with
battle lines that may almost rival
those on the European battle fronts.
Great Fires Of 1910.
!. The great fires of 1910 furnished
an example, and last summer fur
nished another. The attacks of the
enemy seemed endless. Aided by
his secret agents. in the form of care
less campers, who left their fires un-
extinguished, unscreened locomotives,
which scattered red-hot sparks far
and wide, and lightning. which was
responsible for many outbreaks. the
fire fiend, time after time, threatened
the existence OF the forests. Dogged-
ly the defenders raced their foe. Far
flung battle lines were strung through
the Western mountains. The cost
mounted into the hundreds of thou.
sands of dollars. But by the aid OF
hastily-constructed defenses, manned
day and night by determined men
timber valued at millions was saved
from the destroying flames.
In 1910 the fires triumphed. The
defenders were driven from one
trench-Iine after another. until a vast
area had been conquered and laid
waste. But in 1917 the lines held
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
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about eight feet in length. This was
a part of the English sergeant's equip
ment until 1880.
The halbred, another kind OF pike,
was the great German weapon of the
early days, and was adopted by
France early in the fifteenth century.
When Henry the Seventh came to the
throne of England he introduced the
halbred into his army. He, however,
had the shape of the head changed
So that it might be used as either q
pick or an ak. The ha1bred is still
carried as an ornamental weapon by
the Kings Yeomen of the Guard.
familiarly known as the Beefeaters
today.
The dagger came into use during
the Flint Age, and continued for sew
eral centuries, only to- be dropped
from the soldiers equipment during
the seventeenth century, and be re-
vived again in the trench fighting of
the world wary When powder was
invented the arquebuse succeeded the
pike, as 1t was impossible for a man
to carry the two weapons. Pretty
soon the reliable pike was missed,
and 1t became necessary to combine
the two. and crude form of, the
bayonet was the result.
Named For Bayonne.
There is a tradition that dur
ing a fight in the Basque prov.
inces the combatants improvised
pixies by inserting their knives in the
muzzles of their arquebuses.t The
trick worked so well that 1t led to-the
manufacture Of. special blades. for
this purpose, blades which were first
inserted in wooden handles, and then
stuck into the muzzles of the argue
buses. They were called 4bayonets.
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
Great Fires Of 1910 Burned Over Immense Tracts
Lessons Learned Then Have Prevented Later
Outbreaks Hard Work and Steady
Nerves Needed In Service.
By JOHN L. CoBBs, JR.

- RENCH WARFARE Is not con-
fined to the shell-torn battle
nelds of Europe. nor is it the
- innovation that it is commonly
thought to be. Long ago the rangers
OF the Forest Service found that only
by digging In" could they check the
ravages OF the fires which yearly
sweep our forests. Each summer for
the past ten years or more has seen
a trained host of men fighting in
trenches In our own country against
a foe as ruthless as the Hun Nor is
there any prospect of lasting peace.
Each year the rangers fight savagely
to hold the fires in check. Each fall,
wit:i the coming of the autumn rains,
the danger disappears. and the tired
men take q well-earned rest. But
every summer. when long drouths
and hot winds have made the forests
tinder-dry. the old enemy reappears,
and must be driven back.
The intensity of the fighting varies
with the season. Some years when
the forests are kept damp by evenly.
distributed rains, 1t takes the form,
not of general engagements, but of a
sort OF guerrilla warfare, in which
the rangers quickly and with compar.
alive ease put down all the outbreaks
which take place. Sush seasons
serve to- keep the men in trim and to
perfect the organization against times
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

At times of severe fires, like the
past summer, picked forest supervi-
sors from distance and members
of the District Officers of the Forest
Service drop all other work and be-
come a sort of general staff. which
directs the operations on all the
fronts. They pay flying visits to the
different scenes OF action, helping
shape up the organization here, taxi
| ing over some of the actual work
there, giving the benefit of their ex-
perience and Judgment everywhere to
| the harassed rangers, and the men
under them. d ysa
Plans Worked Out.
| For every National Forest there Is
| a carefully worked-out fire plan.
which outlines the campaign against
any fire situation which can be for e.
seen The roads and trails are so
located as to facilitate the movement
of fire-ighting forces into dangerous
sections. Fire lines are cleared along
the tops of ridges orr near stands of
valuable timber. Supplies of tools
and provisions are placed at strategic
points. Arrangements are made with
nearby ranchers, miners and settlers
| to assemble at a given place when
notified to do SO.
High on the tops of the Hottest
peaks keen-eyed lookout men keep
constant watch for the appearance of.
the enemy. At the first sign of dan
ger the news Is flashed down to head.
quarters by heliograph or telephone,
and a flying squadron is disnatcssts
| to the attack. s.--ss af
BY such prompt action most os thos
fires which occur in a normal season
are smothered in their incipiency.
Occasionally one starts in an isolated
! section which it may take several
days to reach. because of the lack OF
trails. In that case the ranger
heaves a sigh. and prepares for a
longdrawn-out fight.
! In seasons like the past summer.
when no rain falls for weeks. fires
spring up from the slightest cause,
and the smallest blaze is a cause Of
dread. Then. indeed. the rangers
buckle down to the hardest of hard
work, and not before snow flies OK
the fall rains come can they know
that the old enemy has been subdued
until next sumnaar.
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
ar LzezZzz2 62Zyaze< 2aS75e

training for games. The work has
been made interesting by contests in
which light sticks are used, and the
face covered with masks. After the
full bayonet drills are mastered, dunn
mics are used in order that the men
may learn now TO reach the vulner-
able spots of the enemy's body. These
dummies are made of sacks filed
with straw, leaves, mill shavings,
leather .scrapings, etc., or anything
that will give great resistance without
injuring the bayonet. These dunn
mics are placed on rough tripods, or
hung on crosspieces, like the dunn
mics used to practice tackling in foot
ball games. On some of these dunn
mics the vulnerable spots of the body
are marked, thus giving the men an
opportunity to try for these parts. If
possible the point eof the bayonet
should be directed against an oppo-
nent's throat, as the point will enter
| easily. and make a fatal wound on
penetrating few inches. Other vul-
nerable and usually exposed parts OF
the face. chest. lower abdomen and
| thigh. and the region of the kidney
when the back Is turned. Four to-
OLA AuCl1CS pSAolIdIlOA Is SuIuCl6QL
kill, or, at least, incapacitate ones
opponent. If the bayonet is driven
! too far, withdrawal is difficult, and
the students are taught to fire a round,
of ammunition to break UP the OBJ
struction.
Bundles of Fagots.
| Sometimes bundles of fagots hung
on rods are used as dummies, and OBJ
structions are placed in front of them.
This is when fgoing over the top
Is practiced. The men then rush
out of the trenches, which they have
built during their training, and leap
over the obstacles, going at the fagot
enemy and trying for the vulner-
able spots. Frequently they practice
trench raids with bayonets, and are
supposed to clean the trenches OF the
enemy. OF course, this isfonly done
by advanced students, as all the eIe-
ments of bayonet training must be
mastered first. During the entire
training the instructor tries to instill
Ia dash and courage into the work of
their men, for half-hearted bayonet
charge is more dangerous to, the at
| tacker than to the attacked. Conf
dence and dash are necessary to win
battles with a. bayonet,S and from the
behavior of the men in the American
camps today the men of our Army
lack nothing in their determination
to win out with the bayonet
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
How This Ancient Wea-
pom of the Dark Ages
Has Come Into theP Pres
ent War How Its Death
Dealing Qualities Have
Been Made a Science.
Copyright, 1917. by The International
Syndicate.

- q
" is DIFFICULT to trace The
exact origin of the bayonet. but
1t Is well known that the spear
y of the ancients was the fore
runner of the modern bayonet which
is playing such an important part in
the present war. In the days of the
Saxons foot soldiers were armed with
a weapon called BILL" which did
duty as an az and a. spear. It was
similar to the instrument used in cut
ting hedges today. However. it was
a deadly weapon in the hands of an
expert. and during the ancient-wars
sent many men Other deaths. A
somewhat similar weapon. known al
a partisan, designed for thrustine
only, was introduced in France about
1400. and used until the beginning OF
the. eighteenth century, -s------,
During the reign of Queen Eliza
beth the bills Of the English bowmen
were. discarded in favor of the pike
such as was used by the ancient Chi
nese- These weapons, used in Eng
land throughout the sixteenth cen
tury.' were great, broadheaded spears
lin some cases sixteen feet long from
point TO butt-and like the bayonet
of today. were always carried by foot
soldiers. The officers carried what
wsts known as half pike, q lance
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

or making "feint point" to make
him. uncover himself. Captain Nc
Laglen at once set to work to invent
a new system. with the result that the
men of the allied armies who have
been trained in his system have never
lost a bayonet charge. One Of the
advantages of this training is that a
comparatively small man with a
knowledge of the McLaglen method
is more than an equal <match for an
enemy without it who is three or four
times his own weight and physical
strength. Before 1t was taken up ex-
hibitions were given before all the
noted military men, and 1t was pro-
nounced perfect. one of its greatest
values being that it provides for every
contingency, and shows how every
point of vantage on the enemy can be
used.
Captain McLaglen is evidently a be.
lever in the jiu-jitsu, for his bayonet
system has a certain amount of that
art of self-defense interviewer into it
and in case man should fall and lose
his bayonet, instead of being at his
opponents mercy, he can still recover
himself by throwing his enemy, tax
ing his bayonet and leaving him de
fenseless. Thirty thousand Austrian
troops were trained by this system
as were the New Zealand troops. The
first Victorian Cross won by the Aus
tralian forces in the Dardanelles was
won through the winners knowledge
of this great system. Lace-Corporal
Albert Jacka, who was one of the
original squad trained in the McLag
len system, was given the decoration
for having killed seven Turks single
handed. five with his rifle and two
with his bayonet.
The Canadians take naturally tc
the bayonet, and exhibitions in the
public squares Of the Canadian cite:
are given to stimulate recruiting
Only recently in Toronto a large mum
Der of men came to the recruiting
station after witnessing a bayoner
drill. There is spirit of aggressive
determination born of bayonet exer
else which appeals to the Canadian
and they make excellent fighters witt
the bayonet.
Americans Alert.
Among our own men the bayonet /.
proving a. popular weapon, and IL
every camp, whether it be Reserve
Officers National Guard or Nationa
Army, the men, are deeply interested
! in bayonet warfare, and are practic
ing bayonet fighting with the sam
enthusiasm which animate them II
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09

favorable circumstances, where water
is at hand, he is enabled to employ his
heavy artillery, in the shape of man
power pumps rugged up SO as to be
easily transported on horseback. In
one instance, on the Flathead Ma
tional Forest. in Montana, an ingen-
ious ranger diverted creek into the
trenches, whence 1t drowned out the
approaching flames:
Behind the First Line.
But fire fighting Is not all done on
the. first line. The men must be
housed and fed and supplied with
everything. from shoes to chewing
tobacco. They must get their meals
regularly, and must get good ones.
They must have safe and comfort
able place to sleep. and must be sup
piled with the proper tools with which
to do their work.
To look out for these needs there
must be a force behind the fire line.
Supply trains must be kept moving
steadily up the trail to the front; the
quartermaster's department must see
ignated points at the proper times.
r
the places OF those who become ex-
hausted and drop out.
- The Ranger.
The forest ranger becomes. in the
case of large fire on his district, the
commanding officer in charge of a
good-sized force Of men. Last sum-
mer more than two thousand laborers
were employed by the Forest Service
In the States of Montana and North
ern Idaho ale.e -. weeks. The
daily expense Of fighting the fires in
this one region was for a time over
$4,000, and the total for all the Ma
tional Forests over 100000.
The ranger must plan the distribu-
ton of his forces, and the method of
attack and defense. Under him there
are assistants who have charge OF
the different crews. A system of
| comm unication is established by
which the various forces report to
headquarters. BY prearranged plan
experienced men take charge of the
actual fighting, others superintend
the camps and supplies, while in dis
tant cities recruiting Offices are open.
ed to secure a sumcisa9 shpply OF
~mAA-power."
The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-09
named in honor of Bayonne. where
they were first manufactured. vari-

named in honor of Bayonne, where
they were first manufactured. vari-
Gus shapes and kinds of bayonets
were made from time to time. one of
the most popular being the type in
vented by Colonel Rice, OF, the United
States Army. and known as the trowel
bayonet. 1t can be used as an en-
trenching tool as we'll as fighting
carrying of special tool for digging.
During the early part of the pres
emit war the opponents in battle rare
ly saw each other. as the fighting was
done with heavy artillery, but today
all is changed, and the men meet in
hand-to-hand combat, and when the
fighting is done with bayonets, as is
usually the case. it Is truly "the sur
vival Of the 'fittest"-the man. who is
the cleverest fencer and the quickest
thinker. s~a2 RI "
The bayonet came into the present
war during the German invasion Of
Belgium, when great amount Of
street lighting occurred. the Belgians
and Germans meeting in hand-to-
hand conflict. Bayonets were freely
used. ..,5ssNs.. ;
English Clever With Bayonet.
The Eng1ishman is a clever boxer,
and frequently a good fencer. both of
which serve him well in bayonet fight:
Ing. Getting the enemy when he is
Off guard is the great point. and in
this the Englishman is very skillful.
Frequently in a charge. when only a
few feet from. the enemy, "Tommfe''
will throw his hat in the Germans
face. then up goes the Germans
hands to protect. his face. This gives
Tommie q chance for. a heart thrust.
land the deed IS done. The British