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Bullet Proof

Bullet Proof image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
September
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Thia week there is to be a further test ia Chicago of the power of Zegler's builet-proof cloth to resist the steel-jacketed missiles of the KragJorgensen rifle. The test will be made in the presence of the Germán and Austrian consuls by their request. Last week the flrst test vas made' by two soldiers from Fort Sheridan. Col. Hall, the commandant of the post; Lieut.Col. Carpenter and a number of other ofliccrs were present. It was the first time that the army's new rifle had been tried against any of the so-called bullet-proof cloths, and the ofHcers were quite confident that the gun would win. Lieut. Saranecki attached the cloth, which measured twenty-four by sixteen inches, to the wooden figure of a man which is used by the soldiers of the fort as a target. The first shot fired was at 400 yards' distance, and the bullet feil to the ground twisted after tearing a hole half an inch deep in the cloth. At 350 yards the bullet penetrated the cloth a quarter of an inch and stuck. At 300 yards the bullet went in deeper, and at 250 yards it went half way through. At 200 yards the bullet passed through, its head projecting a sixteenth of an inch. The army officers were much Impressed by the tests, but say that the cloth cannot be made into uniiorms on account of its weight. The piece used in the tests weighed fourtern pounds. Besides, the shock of impact would be sufficient to kill a man, even though Lhe ball did not break the skin. The KragJorgensen is the most powerful of modern rifles and will kill a man two miles away. It is thought that Zegler's cloth may be utilized to niake shields for Gatling and other machine guna.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register