Show bamboo fortifications throughout the east the bamboo plays an important role in nearly every bind kind of outdoor work in building earth works it ie is utilized very cleverly indeed in sandy soil or in the soft loam along the swamps tips two rows of bamboo are hiven about tour four feet apart the lengths of bamboo are about 10 or 13 12 feet long and the thickness is about lour four inches earth or sand is thrown in between the rows of bamboo making a ditch in front of the stockade A third row of bamboo ie is then driven four feet in the rear of the inner row but this row rises only a couple of feet above the natural level of the soil more earth or sand ii is filled in and the filling in each case is rammed down as hard as ble where there has been a sufficient length of time to cut portholes port holes through the front thickness of earth the men in the fortifications thus thrown up need not expose themselves at ell all but when as in all cases of rapidly constructed field works temporary protection alone has been desired the rows of bamboo do not nee rise more than three feet above the natural level and the men lie down or crouch behind the protection thus afforded and fire over it such works will keep out any rifle ball and will even so localize shrapnel fire as to make it very ineffective if the shrapnel the bamboo before exploding it will harm barm only those di erectly in front of it if it bursts before reaching the earthwork the shrapnel balli will fall to penetrate it |