Science: Deadly Effect

Last week the venerable Scientific American (founded 1845) reprinted parts of an article on up-&-coming military technology. The article first appeared just 50 years ago, in its issue of November 1889:

“The art of war is now borrowing from applied science all the resources that are at the latter’s disposal, and there is nothing up to velocipedism that is not contributing to the service of the army. . . . In the use of the military bicycle as practised in England, [suppose that] a small body of cyclists, ten in number (two sections and a half-section), with officers and bugler, marching in usual order of half-sections—that is, by ‘twos’—are attacked by cavalry. At the word of command, ‘Halt! Prepare for cavalry! Form square!’ each man dismounts. . . . The rifles are lifted out of their clips. . . . The machines are placed upside down. . . . Lastly, each man, as he lies or kneels down behind his machine, sets his wheels spinning round with a touch of his finger. Such a fence, apart from the chevaux de frise of bayonets behind it, forms an obstacle which few horses, if any, would face; and the men inside, in perfect security, can pick off the advancing horsemen with deadly effect.”