Evening star., 1898-10-08
CHAPTER XVIII.
The March of the Motor Cars.


When the German emperor crossed the
Meuse near Domvilliers, he headed su-
ptrb army of 10000 veteran infantry, 80,
O00 cavalry mounted on hardy and power
full Westphalian horses, and 800 guns.
In physique, equipment and stamina, in
evsry soldieriy quality to endure and to ac-
ccmplish. it would be difficult. if not i'm
possible, to surpass throughout the world
IL is splendid expeditionary force.
Vansittart, even if he were restored to
health. was hopelessly blockaded to the
north and EAST by Kreuznach and the army
OF Metz. If he attempted to fall back to-
ward Paris he laid bare his extended flank
and line of march TO disastrous attack. If
he marched southwark he would be hard
pressed in pursuit. and could do nothing to
resist the kaiser.
In word the road to Paris lay open, de-
Tended only by the garrison of Chalons,
which Wilhelm could swallow during the
course of the ordinary days routine.
The distance to be traversed was 130
miles. and the emperor told his troops that
he expected them to bivouac in the forest
OF BOndy, on the outskirts of Paris, at the
end of the sixth day.
In mere statement. this task, to the train
ed military mind. seems almost impossible.
The movement of an army numbering 15s,-
coo fighting men. with vast army of COM
missariat, medical and other subsidiary
services, at the rate of nearly twenty-five
miles each day, has never yet been effected
over anything like the distance stated
But the cIockwork accuracy of the Ger
man machine nanifests itself with telling
fcrce precisely in such stupendous under
taking
But the great coup that the German EN-
p=rOr evolved in the Hotel de Vile at Metz
when he heard of the incipient Paris COM
Dlune, had. strangely enough, been fore
seen and discounted by Nansttart before he
left New York.
Ii will be remembered that Jerome had
set in motion an expenditure of nearly
twenty millions sterling before he sailed i'll
the Seafarer. Much of this vast sum had
gone in the Immediate purchase of a great
variety of stores and animals, in which he
knew the French defenses to be seriously
deficient; but a huge sum was devoted to-
ward the construction and equipment of
motor cars solely designed for the rapid
transport OF troops across country by
means of ordinary reads.
In the United States a tremendous devel-
opment had been given to internal traffic
of heavy nature by the adoption Of motor
traction. The quick-witted American man
ufacturers soon saw that the horse would
Eever be displaced a means of convey
ance by the pleasure-loving public. 1t was
quite a different thing where the haulage
OF goods was concerned. Here was the true
future of the horseless carriage. and the
result of u general activity in this direc-
tiOn enabled the millionaire to readily and
promptly secure the multitude of motors
he required.
So secretly and efficiently had his agents
worked that large consgnments of the road
engines We're shipped from the states and
landed at Toulon, without public notice
being directed to the event.
Meanwhile the artifiCers of Lyons and
other metdllurgtcal CenterS in the south of
France Were busily engaged in construct
in no .lT-r-isl iT1ts dc Ie In,
conjunction with the motors
As these vehicles will figure largely in
the forthcoming operations. it will serve
to eIuCidaJe matters il they are described
with some degree of minuteness.
The engines We're compact, extremely
powerful, and so simply and strongly de
signed as to be capable of withstanding
rough usage. Small, broad-tired running
wheels, with seven clear feet of axle width
gave ample margin for security in rapid
running over roads of S.eep gradient. They
We're capable of drawing load of forty
tons at an average rate Of l. miles an
hour. while on level straight roads, and
for short distances. this rate Of progress
could be greatly exceeded.
They were protected by plates of tough
steel fixed al reclining angles, and IL was
estimated that even artillery fire, unles ex-
Cepuonhly accurate. would fail 10 do them
material damage by isolated hits. Against
nlusketry they were practically impregna-
BILE The motive power was petrol. fused
TO high explosive temperature by inter
mixture with small jet of steam generat-
ed by a tiny subsidiary boiler. and it was
possible to carry sufficient fuel to last for
a run of 10 miles without repienishment.
Each engine drew two cars. similarly ar
mored. and running on bogies while a
marvelously effective set of spiral buffers
gave cohesion and fairly comfortable re-
silence to the whole turnout, even when
travelling very rapidly. Each of these cars
accommodated, al squeeze. thirty men, or
eight horses. besides carrying rations and
" - In Tft
htted for the conveyance of two guns with
out limbers. the recoiI being absorbed on
the quick-firing principle.
At the very moment when Vansittart re-
celSed ample assurance from the Lyons
arsenal authorities that motor-car carriage
1or 10000 men was available for immedi-
ate delivery, he received the news of the
German emperor's march on Paris
Acting with his accustomed rapid and
hnal decisiveness. Nansttart ordered the
moDlIlzation of the motar-car army a Wit
ry. He chose this town being south of
the German line of march and consequent
ly less liable to sudden attack
he ordered the general commanding at
Chalons to throw his whole force in the
way OF the emperor and to delay him as
much as possible, but on no account to
destroy bridges or tear up roads. even If
retreat became thereby imperative
Above and beyond every other consid-
Grafton the French cavalry must keep tn.
Gerin:i1s from scouting to the south of
Chalons. else they would infalliby discover
the preparations made at V try
Nansittart in his own mind fixed uuon
Rheims as the probable scene of conflict
between himself and the kaiser and. as
matter of fact, the subsequent battle
centered round Very, a village only ten
miles TO the southeast of that historic civ
This plan of action once settled he threw
himself into the mass of details necessary
for the mobilization at Vitry, at twenty
four hours notice. of the 10000 troops
selected for the enterprise and the strange
Means OF locomotion which they were to
use for the first time in warfare.
The Chalnns garrison had been driven
from the hilly country in the neighbor-
hood Of the two villages. lie Grand and
lie Petit Mourmelon, situate midway be-
tween Rheims and Chalons.
glance at the map of this part of
France shows that the hamlet of Very
lies eight miles due west of Little Mour-
melon, on the slopes of the famous cham
pagne country. and in direct line between
the German bivouac and Paris.
Late into the night did Varsirtart and
his principal officers examine every topo-
graphical detail Of the locality falling
back upon the personal knowledge of resi-
dents IN ChalOns where the excellent mans
In their possession seemed in any degree
vague or misleading.
The most pressing immediate difficulty
was to cOntrive TO hold back the expected
German assault upon ChaIOns rbiIa NO,