ON THE CAISSON CAN BE CARRIED:
STOWING OF CAISSON IMPLEMENTS.
Long-handled Shovels.—The concave faces of the blades are toward and resting against the axle, under side, the shovel-points being passed into staple-straps in rear of the axle and the shovel handles afterward into catches on the front cross-bar, against which the ends of handles rest.
The Pickaxes, which must be put on before the shovels, are carried beneath by fixtures attached to both middle and side-rails. The ends of the handles are brought together, the pointed halves of the blades overlapped, one in advance of the other (if the spare pole be on, this must be done above the pole); handle-ends are then passed into a broad strap of sheet metal depending from the middle rail, and at the same time the outer blade-ends into brackets or shelves on the side-rails. In this position the overlapping blades should be under a catch and immediately in front of a bracket or shelf on the middle rail, which is to support the picks, and to get them into which they should be pressed up against the spring and toward the axle until the spring falls behind them.
This spring has, toward the axle, a long branch on which to place the hand when pressing up the spring to remove the picks.
The Axes and Spades are carried between the chests. A board is there, permanently riveted to the side-rails at each end. Within the rails, on opposite sides, are slots, into which the blades are placed vertically, the halves resting on top of the board. The spade-blades, spade-handles crossed, are placed on the board, one at each side, between the helve of one and the blade of the other axe, concave face toward the axe-blade, the ends of spare blades against the outer branch of the upright metal stops fastened to the board-ends; the handles of the spades are then forced down until the ends rest on top of the axes.
The Canvas Buckets are carried in left compartment under limber foot-boards.
The Lanterns.—Lanterns are carried in canvas bags hung across the spare-wheel axle-bolster. They hang below the floor-rods and do not swing.
The picket-rope section, manœuvring-handspike, and spare pole or spare wheel are carried as already indicated. Spare wheels, spare poles, and manœuvring-handspikes are not considered part of the regular caisson equipment. In war-time it is proposed to carry on each spare caisson a spare wheel, on the left caisson of each platoon a spare pole, and on the right caisson of each platoon a spare handspike.