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Show iB SPADEASMIGHTYA5"THE rifle I flow Defenses Are Made Difficult of Attack by Men Who Know How f to Dig as Well as How to Shoot. If at this moment ono could wander at largo ovor tho Russian position abovo tho Yalti river, there would doubtless bo astonishing evidence on all sides of tho power of tho spade In dofcnslvo works. Entrenchments would bo everywhere. I In modern warfaro tho spado Is as ' mighty as tho rifle, and woo bo to tho army that cannot handle both with . equal ease. i It is because of tho effectiveness of jkrapnol, and because of tho long range of tho small caliber military rifle, that entronchments In somo form or other aro absolutely ossontlal to troops In tho open. Tho man who In tho face of the enemy can burrow tho quickest, nnd nt tho samo tlmo Is prepared to spring forward and selzo tho opportunity that Is afforded, Is tho best modern-day modern-day soldier. The ubsoluto necessity for tho spado ou tho field of battlo was first clearly demonstrated in tho Russo-Tnrtlsh Russo-Tnrtlsh wnr, when modern rifles woro brought Into piny. So grent, Indeed, was tho necessity that tho Russian gcnornl, Skobolcff, provided every man In his command with n spado, and when his mon reached tho outskirts of Constantinople Constanti-nople it wns found that thoy had discarded dis-carded overy article except their spades, belts and rifles. Thoy had learned a bitter nnd an unexpected lesson. At tho entrenchments of Plevna they discovered to their cost tho havoc hav-oc that could bo created by determined deter-mined men with plenty of ammunition ammuni-tion behind earthworks. Tho Turks had used their spades with a right good will, and In addition addi-tion to their fighting trenches, had erected bombproof works that wero afterward the admiration of tho world. At Plevna tho Turks lived entirely within their bombproofs during tho bombardment by tho heavy artillery, and when tho assaulting columns pushed to tho front tho Turks sallied out and, lining their fighting trenches, drove tho Russians back with terlblo slaughter. Tho spado mado their earthworks impregnable, but starvation starva-tion ovoutually undid what tho spado had dono. Bombproofs aro usually made ot logs placed against the sldo of a hill or embankment, nnd tho wholo covered cov-ered with earth turf and snnd for preference Bombproofs can also bo mado by simply tunneling Into the sldo of a hill, tho Idea of a bombproof bolng protection against shrapnel shell. Those shrapnel shell, filled with Innumerable bullets, burst, as a rulo, somo 30 yards short of tho enemy's position and abovo It. Tho small shot, together with tho steel filings, etc., uro hurled on tho top of tho defenders In tho open sholter trenches, searching search-ing tho cavity from end to ond. Against this high anglo flro a bomb proof Is tho only resource. In ono of our Illustrations wo show a three-tier 3hcItor trench nnd a bombproof. Theso threo-tler sholtor tronches aro very effectlvo, and It Is qulto unnecessary unne-cessary lo say that thoy give threo times tho rlllo power. Of shelter trenches thoro aro various vari-ous kinds, from tho hasty shelter tronch thrown up In n few minutes by a Fklrmlshor to tho docp gun opaulo-ments opaulo-ments for nrtlllory. The grentcst caro Is takon In concealing con-cealing thoso tronches from tho enemy, ene-my, tho earth thrown up In front for a parnpet bolng cunningly screenod by leaves, brushwood, grnss or nny-thing nny-thing but tho color of tho ground in tho vicinity to provent detection. A parapet thus screened Is of tho utmost ut-most scrvlco to tho marksman. Anothor offectlvo method usod by crack Bhots Is a rlllo pit. This Is simply a largo circular nolo, with tho loose earth thro.vn up around concealed con-cealed either by turf or brushwood. Tho rifles of the marksmen aro practically prac-tically locl with tho ground, and for a party to ndvnnco ngalnst a lino of mnrksmon In rlllo pits would mean annihilation. in the fomo manner gun pits nro fi.r, for field guns, their ugly black a. '(3 ly'.ig parallel with tho groi'iid tr ' almo't touching It. A bomb-ivoof bomb-ivoof guuEcroen can bo erected la various ways, ono of which Is shown In tho illustration. Another wny of making gun pits Is by a "blindage," which consists of a treo or something of tho klmt In front of a shelter trench that conceals con-ceals tho position of tho piece. When shelter trenches nssumo largo dimensions they nro known by tho nnmo of earthworks, and in the do-fenso do-fenso of a position every Ingenuity of tho soldier is brought into play. In front of the trenches n deep ditch Is sunk, nnd In this ditch may bo placed crows' feet Iron balls with threo spikes so arranged that at loast ono splko must bo perpendicular. perpendicu-lar. Theso crows' feet, by tho way, are Intended mainly for cavalry, but I mm1 A Gun Blindage. thoy mny bo used with wire eutangic-mont eutangic-mont or chovaux de frfso for tho do-fenso do-fenso of tronches. Chovnux do frlso may bo mado of anything shnrp broken blades or sharp Iron spikes stuck in a block of wood and bristling outward like tho quills lu a porcuplno's back. A largo troo, or a treo of hardwood, stripped ot its leaves and with all Its branches pointed sharply toward tho enemy, makes a very effectlvo chovaux do frlso. But after all It Is the spade work that tells; nnd It is tho spade mat makes the fougnss or land torpedo, an Illustration of which we give. The fougass Is simply a kind of mtno. A deep holo Is dug In front of the tronch, a charge of guncotton or dyna- Trenches Fitted with Fougass, Which Blows up the Approaching Enemy, mlto is placed at tho bottom, and tho holo Is filled with stones, tho ground being carefully arranged on top so as not to create suspicion. At tho proper moment the fougass is ex-plodod, ex-plodod, either by electricity or by contact. con-tact. Thero Is always reason for nppro-hcnslon nppro-hcnslon when entrenchments nro first thrown up thnt tho fresh turned soil will not dUcloBO tho position to tho enemy, but by sktlfull manipulation tho spado work may be effectively concealed by tho spado. Indocd, for modern warfaro on land 'the spado Is qulto as necessary as any other military implement used in the fiold. It Is tho modest adjunct of big guns, for It throws up earthworks to con-coal con-coal their presenco, without which they would be usoless. Tho engl- . w "" Diagram of a three-tier Shelter Trench, of Which the Russians Have Probably Dug Scores Along the Yalu River. noers nnd snppors of a great army havo enormous responsibilities do-I do-I volvlng upon them. Unfortunately, besides having almost all tho hard and dangerous work to do, thoy all too seldom rccelvo any of tho glory that should bo nttondnnl upon It. Boston Globo. |
