PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 131 



terial many types of shells, a number of which are sectionalized show- 

 ing the methods of manufacture and the character of the interior of 

 these important implements of war. The Museum has just put on 

 exhibition a rare German message shell, deposited bj 7 Maj. Gen. H. L. 

 Rogers, Quartermaster General of the Army. As far as known, this 

 shell is one of only two in America, the other being in the possession 

 of the Chief of Ordnance. The message shell was used, toward the 

 end of the war only, to send a message from one body of German 

 troops to another where all lines of communication had been 

 destroyed. 



On the end of the shell was a colored fuse, red or yellow, depend- 

 ing on the importance of the message. The fuse was ignited, the 

 time being set for the proper distance, and at the desired point in 

 the flight of the shell the end of the shell was thrown out, releasing 

 an inner container and an immense cloud of black smoke covering an 

 area of 300 yards. This smoke cloud both indicated the location and 

 afforded a screen under which the German was enabled to leave his 

 trench and pick up the container with message. A sample of the 

 paper, on which the message was written with two carbon copies, 

 is shown with the shell. 



The shell was presented to Gen. Rogers by Lieut. John J. Raezer, 

 Quartermaster Corps, who found it with salvaged property. This 

 shell is shown in the Museum in connection with a large number of 

 other interesting German relics of the war. Of special interest in 

 this connection is a collection of materials used in trench warfare, 

 including offensive and defensive grenades, gas grenades, signal 

 flares, and other objects of the same character. 



The Engineer Department has added a complete set of para- 

 phernalia used by that department during the war. This collection 

 includes giant search lights, motor trucks, complete sets of engineer 

 tools, and examples of delicate instruments used by this branch of the 

 Army. 



In addition to the material of this character illustrating the activi- 

 ties of our own Army the Museum has received from France, through 

 the assistance of Gen. Rogers, a large collection of material illustrat- 

 ing the work of the allied armies and also of those of the enemy coun- 

 tries. This collection includes uniforms and personal equipment of 

 the officers and enlisted men, chemical warfare material, ordnance 

 material, aviation material, Signal Corps material, engineer material, 

 medical material, and various other paraphernalia used by the 

 Belgian, British, French, Italian, and also the German, Austrian, and 

 Turkish armies. 



The artistic and sentimental side of the great conflict which the 

 war collection illustrates will also be well represented in this col- 

 lection. In this connection the Museum has received, through the 



