Farrow's military encyclopedia : a dictionary of military knowledge . ires li minutes totake its position, and that when the pontoons arel)laced, the roadway can be laid, if properly arrangedpreviously, in IJ minutes for each interval betweentwo pontoons. A river of 6IJ0 feet may thus be bridged in less than 1^^ hours. The process ofthrowing a bridge over in face of an enemy isfraught with the utmost danger to the engineers em-ployed. Pontoon bridges have to be passed withgreat care, and every measure should be adoiited,such as breaking step, etc., which can reduce thepeculiarly dangerous vibr
Farrow's military encyclopedia : a dictionary of military knowledge . ires li minutes totake its position, and that when the pontoons arel)laced, the roadway can be laid, if properly arrangedpreviously, in IJ minutes for each interval betweentwo pontoons. A river of 6IJ0 feet may thus be bridged in less than 1^^ hours. The process ofthrowing a bridge over in face of an enemy isfraught with the utmost danger to the engineers em-ployed. Pontoon bridges have to be passed withgreat care, and every measure should be adoiited,such as breaking step, etc., which can reduce thepeculiarly dangerous vibration. The following isthe method generally employed for building bridgeswith the bridge equipage of the United States Army,and known as the construction by successive place for building the bridge having been se-lected, the pontoons are brought to the banks of thestream, near the spot, and theboatsare launched in-to the water. Each boat is provided with an an-chor. Some of the boats cast their anchors up-stream, while others cast them down-stream. The. number of anchors to be cast will depend upon therapidity and strength of the current. Under ordi-nary circumstances, an anchor cast uij-stream fromever} alternate boat, and half the number down-stream, will be sufficient. The boats casting up-stream anchors are launched above the bridge ; theothers Ijelow. If none exists, an easy approach forthe wagons and artillery should be constructed,leadingdown the bank to the bridge. A strong sillis then imbedded in a trench, perpendicular to theaxis of the bridge,and is held firmly in place by fourstout pickets, driven about eight inches from eachend. This sill is horizontal, and should be as near-ly as possible on a level with the flooring of thebridge. A pontoon is then brought up opposite tothis sill, and close to it. Five balks are broughtforward, and the ends placed upon, and lashed tothe outer gunwale of the boat, in the proper placesThe men holding the balks push the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade188, booksubjectmilitaryartandscience
