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Show Wtett&ssczy'j'2g' pvzyY Ivlen Who Plan Trenches, Jpiild Bridges, Construct jKailways, Dig Mines, Set Mp Telephone and Telegraph Tele-graph Lines and Other-KseCarry Other-KseCarry theHeavy Bur-Bens Bur-Bens of War. (.opi right, 1U17. by TUe International Syndicate. BS"GINEERIXG HAS ALWAYS ''Con an Important part of war-! war-! " faro and the oarllest historical 4 records of military expeditions jklv& numerous Instances of the suc-K?ss suc-K?ss of a campaign being due to some engineering' feat planned and executed Bby those specially trained in the science of mechanics. It Is a tradl-Btion tradl-Btion founded on fact that great Baby-jflon. Baby-jflon. resting secure behind Its seem- j it lmprognablo walls, was captured by the army of Cyrus after tho engineering engi-neering feat of diverting the Euphrates Euph-rates River fron. Its courso, tho enemy onterlng tho city on the bed of the rlvor under the walla. Only rocently a noted military expert ex-pert declared that the Japanese ongl-neors ongl-neors won tho Russo-Japanese war for Japan. Many attempts had been made to take Port Arthur without success. suc-cess. The Japanese were particularly anxious to have the placo In their possession before tho birthday of the Mikado, knowing It was the best birthday present they could give to him. Aftor vainly trying to break down the fortress the engineer corps was called into service. These men decided that tho army must go in underground un-derground so they dug their way Into 'he fortress by cutting a verltablo maze of passageways beneath the surface sur-face of tho earth mines, tunnels, trenches and saps ran in zig-zags until un-til finally tbo infantry was enabled to march under the outer fortifications without being exposed to fire. The fight then became a hand to hand conflict and Port Arthur fell due to" the work of the engineers who made it possible for tho "little brown men" to enter without being exposed to tho artillery fire from tho fort. Engineers Save Tho Day. During tho present war more than one delicate situation has been turned into victory for the Allies by the French and British Engineer Corps, who have many times worked unceasingly unceas-ingly under tho flro of the German guns building bridges and repairing railways In order that reinforcements might be brought to the sccno of the conflloL During the great retreat in August, 1914, of the British and French toward Paris no less than one hundred and thirty bridges wero blown up or burned by the allied armies in order to hinder tho advanco of the Germans. The greater part of ! this work was done by the engineers, I for they are trained in tho art of de-I de-I structlon as well as in tho art of construction, con-struction, and one of the engineer I officers' duties Is to know how and where an explosive should be placed to wreck a bridge or building. When tho army moves a part of tho engineer corps goes as the advanco guard to seo that bridges are strong enough to bear tho wolght of tho transports and to lay pontoons, If nececsary. Thoy facilitate tho march wherever possible. Another section of engineers moves in tho rear of tho army ready to destroy tho bridges and roads over which tho troops have passed should this be a war necessity, as it frequently Is during dur-ing a retreat. Tho greater part of their work is done under fire, and although shot and shell may bo falling all around them it is necessary that they continue their work so that tho line of communication communica-tion may not be broken and other troops can bo moved to the sceno. In several instances German guns have wiped out whole companies of engineers, engi-neers, but others have come up to tako their places. Keeping open tho communication Is ono of the first duties of the engineers. The telegraph and telephone wires usually run along the roads In Franco as they do In America, and they aro frequently shelled and wires and polos demolished. Many an englnoer has gone to his death in repairing telephone tele-phone or telegraph wires, for tho top of a pole Is not a safety zone when shrapnel is flying through the air. Tho battle around Messlncs was won by the engineers who tunneled llko human moles, making a subway beneath tho enemy's trenches and working under tho most adverso conditions. con-ditions. When all was completed tho Infantry rushed In with steel and bayonets, bay-onets, mowing tho Gormans down llko flies, yet without tho engineers' plans I and picks and shovels such a thing would have been Impossible. Repairing tho railroads is another important task of tho engineors for tho supply of food and ammunition must be kept up. When it Is known that In Franco some of tho big howitzers on tho Western front uso from flvo to ton tons of ammunition per day and that Franco usos moro than S5.000 tons of food and material, Including horso food, each week, somo idea of tho importanco of railway communication can bo understood. Building Trenches. Tho planning and building of trenches is ono of their duties, and since trench warfare seems to play such an Important part In tho conflict the work has to bo done with the greatest accuracy. In laying out the trenches many things have to bo taken Into consideration and their rolativo importance Judged according to special spe-cial circumstances and objects in view, keeping In mind tho probablo lines and manner of dofenso of the enemy and whether tho trenches aro for permanent or temporary uso. Places must bo provided for machine guns and listening posts as well as for men with rifles and bayonets. Many of tho trenches have sevoral levels, and it is from this typo that tho men go "up and over" during trench raids. Tho construction of dugouts, too, como under tho englncor corps. These are carofully prepared with roofs more or less shell proof, for hero human beings live for days llko rabbits In their burrows. Frequently Fre-quently tho medical corps havo first aid stations in dugouts, and the problem prob-lem of keeping these dressing stations sanitary is not easy to solve. Somo of the trenches have floors and these aro regarded as luxuries for thero Is nothing so wearying to soldiers as to tramp through wot, slippery trenches. Loopholes for firing are merely windows win-dows without glass among tho sandbags, sand-bags, and aro set up In seotlons settled upon by tho engineers. Tho sandbag protection, too. must bo carofully built up and Is under the supervision of tho corps. Tho sapping and destruction destruc-tion of the trenches of the enemy is ono of the delicate tasks of tho war, for tho Germans havo listening posts as well as tho Allies and should the sounds of sapping be heard tho work is useless as tho men will bo moved from that particular trench before the explosion and blowing up takes placo, or a counter sap may bo made and the Allies' sappors bo blown to atoms. Tho sotting up of barbed wire entanglements en-tanglements Is not as easy as It looks, and this was formerly done by tho engineer corps alone, but tho task bocamo so great In Franco that tho Infantry had to bo pressed Into service and for tho past year they havo been working under export engineer officers and havo erected flwlre entanglements, dug tronches and rlvotted them, made tho loopholes and traverses, floored trenches and proparod tho necessary saps. Frequently It happens that a battery of guns requires a clear Hold of flro and it Is necessary to get rid of trees In front of tho position. Thjp axo is no longer used for this purpose, tho dynamlto squad of tho engineer corps soon accomplishes the task by a few charges of dynamite. It Is important that newly captured positions be protected. This Is among tho most dangerous of tho engineers' tasks, for it invariably ontalls tho sotting sot-ting up of wire entanglemonts whilo tho big German guns are In action. Naturally tho wator supply and sanitation san-itation of camps rests with tho engineers, engi-neers, who work In connection with tho sanitary officers in giving tho men puro water and keeping them free from disease. Indeed, tho tasks which confront tho englnoer corps In tho present war seem almost overwhelming, overwhelm-ing, and tho British and French corps are so overworked that when the United States entered tho war the first cry from Franco was a plea that engineers en-gineers bo sent at once, and already a largo number of the American Engineering Engi-neering Corps aro on duty in that stricken land. . U. 3. Engineer Corps. Tho Corps of Engineers of tho United Unit-ed States Army was organized in IS 02, I and consisted of about twenty officers j and men. Thoy were statlonod at i West Point and formed the nucleus of the present military academy. From tlmo to tlmo the corps was increased jH until it includod several thousand I mon. Sevoral schools wero opened i jH for the special training of tho on- j IH listed men of the corps, the largost one being at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. I As this is the scientific branch of the jH servico tho graduates at West Point IH who' stand highest in the class aro assigned to, this service. The rank and fllo aro not required to bo trained ! artificers when thoy enlist, but aro "? IH given a courso of technical training , jH by their officers. Hundreds of men IH of tho englnoer corps are now in train- lng in different camps throughout tho iH United States proparing to go to France, whoro thoy must undertake jH large operations in tho construction jH and ropalr of bridges In France. They muBt repair and maintain roads over JH which our supplies will be brought to tho battlo lino. According to the Chief of Engineers of the Army much IH of this work will havo to bo dono IH within tho range of tho enemy's gun3.. Will Carry Own Equipment, Tho Engineer Corps it is stated will carry Its own rolling stock to the IH theatre of war, which In ltsolf will bo IH a glgantio task. Export miners will bo sent to carry out tho Intricate op- IH cratlons of modern trench warfare. Tho mon In the camps arc studying all the new appliances whlchthe pres- IH cnt war has brought into uso, appll- IH ances hlthorto unknown in warfare. JH Tho lights for night work on tho bat- lH tlcfield will bo under tholr supervl- Bion, and tho uso of search lights, IH flares, star bombs and rifle gronados IH are a part of tho training courso IH Camouflage, tho modern art of re- IH ducing tho visibility of objects, must iH bo applied for the protection of our troops, guns, air-craft, etc. In Franco, and the engineers arc making a spc- jH cial study of this subject Men who IH aro artists and experts In color havo been sent to Franco to work out these rroblcms. Tho actual work will be dono by tho soldiers after tho plans IH aro complete. IH Perhaps tho American Engineers will causo history to repeat Itself ' and win tho war jJ |