New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-03
THE ARMY RAILWAY CORPS
AN ENGLISH FORCE OF VOLUNTEERS RE
CRU1TED FROM THE GREAT SHOPS.

]
The Importance TO military commanders in
/ the field of having the control OF an efficient
! railway corps able to move with an army in
order TO construct or repair railways in advanc
/ InS, ana To ulSmantle and break them down
when necessary to cover retreat-for railways
/ are never destroyed except in the latter con.
/ tnSehCy-cannot be overrated. For instance
when the Germans invested Paris they largely
! awaited themselves of the railways round thl
| city and took possession of the extensive loco
/ motive works of the Northern Company in or
/ der TO repair the rolling stock and plant re-
! CURED But their own special Railway Corps
| oNerWht lined with work on their lines of com
! munCauOn, was not available for this additional
1 task; consequently they were comreled TO seeI
/ out and impress into their service many of the
/ French artisans and skilled mechanics employed
/ IN the shops honorably paying these foi
| their forced labor.
For facilitating and aCceleratng mobilization
! and concentration on frontiers like those OF
/ France. Germany and other Continental coun-
tres II mas been long realized that railways are
| invaluable. or little more than academic in.
/ terest however. would be an account of the
special military railway systems organized foI
/ the purpose, since the requirements Of thos,
nations are 50 entirely different from our own
/ III snort. II is not here necessary to discuss tht
/ question of our own railroad system as a factor
! of national defence, beyond remarkinE that tn,
/ basis of the whole scheme rests i'm the rccogni
7 ton Of the fact that as the system. per Sc. il T.
/ acknowledged to be the best in the world, anc
is being worked always at high pressure there
fore its own civil functiOnares are the proper
J persons TO De retained TO COntrO! IT.
There can be little doubt that this plan l.
greatly preferable to those Of France Germany
/ Austria etc, where the actual technical working
I of the railways is taken out Of the hands of eX
/ pcrienced officials and placed in those of mill
tary officers, whose only practical knowledge
has been gained by occasional exercise anC
periods Of training. Some years ago. however
+ Colonel II. NJ. HOZier read paper before tn,
members of the Royal United Service Institu
ton. in which h. enlarged upon the idea that il
! addition 10 a well thought out railway mobiliza
/ tion scheme for home defence the peculiar re
qurementS Of the British army demanded pro
visions by which a special railway corps. or Onl!
/ the nucleus Of one, might be forthcoming from
/ the great railway works Of the country, to ac
/ company ii on expeditions or in operations
abroad For as the lecturer pointed out ther
| could be possible doubt that it would be o
the greatest assistance to those conducting suci
! operations. particularly in civilized countr!
well equipped with railroads, TO have AT thel
/ disposal not only trained engineer officers, bu
/ specially enlisted artifCers, engine drivers, IRE
/ men and skilled wOrkmen of all the various
! crafts concerned with the construction, repair
/ ing and working Of railroads.
The dispatch of an army corps to South Airic'
[ is a case in point. and happily, the troops arr
/ to be accompanied by just such a semi-miltar!
and UNIQUE departmental corps. If the term ma!
/ be applied to the men now modifying at Cnat
ham, from two, if not more, of the prncipa
I railway works.
! eminently practical force come about! 1h
scheme owes its origin to the patriotism an'
/ foresight of the late Sir George tlndiay' '
/ general manager Of the London ana NoTth"'St
/ ern Railway Company. who conceived the lde'
| Of forming a technical volunteer corps sp'l
from the men employed at the famous O''"'
/ works. and early in 1877 an effective force o
over six hundred men was here embodied uHdr
| the title of the "a Cheshire OtailWay EnSince
| Volunteers The corps is composed almost ~"
tirely OF men who in their everyday aNopdlI'.
| are smiths, filters engine uilNe'S' SiSn"'''''
etc.-in short acquainted with every phase O
| railway work and who undergo, IN addlOIoH u
the ordinary infantry drill, course Oh lhSuI uc
tiOn in military engineering ,-.. ,.o,.o,
! But Sir George Findlays patrlotlc ehuedNo
did not stop here Realizing that the corps
from having been incorporated upon the oIuili@l
| voluntenr principle was liable only to be cale'
ont for active service in event OF INVASION III
next APPROACHED the War Once win schcHn
by which a certain portion Of 1t might De rem
dered available for service abroad ms "a !"
! which was at once heartily acquiesced IN 10y ul
| autboritios and soon came to pass, Is as Ioio"S
! 4 certain quota Of the men comprising eacH
ina civ compan."S are enlisted as matter "
form in the Royal Engineers for one uH a. an,
| are then placed IL the First Class ARMY 49,
/ Cor civ wears during which pcilOd tleH az no.
f,. e.r,,ico If called upon, and receive the oIdl
| nm, nav of their rank. Among the men 'Il,'.'
/ selves the proposal was wen Iec1INtu any .u
starting with serenty-hNe heScI '''o vi 'i,., =,
urigue type the number mas s'I''c '"'''-"
/ ouita one hundred and htF. -,,o,.
HIr I,rne 1883. the CreWe Engineer Noiuh,ecI
.o ,o,iewod by II. Il. II. tn" DUKE oil am
bridge. who comTlimentfd IilHc b'ir rr[b9
non heir efficiency. and spoke oi lhtlT I'u"a
/ IL t.slne to the country in the event OF VA 4"
! ulr 80 lime expressing the hope that me cN
annie SO Wen set at Crewe would be lo.I3" '
at other great railway centres. Tnis mas ~
/ o. aso for the Great Western Company III
/ tIe H,rtbarn COMPANY the London ah'
Sdntbwestern Company, the Southea. tern CON
nany the Great Eastern COMPANY; III. NVi n a
EASTERN Company and Calcdon2n Hohj isbEEo,r q
/ Ct,.irdnn PETERBOROUGH, Eastleigh' HNn.'i -, -
Stratford Darlington and Glasgow , rIS
an strongly support the local volunteer COZ i,f
! ucb none vet can boast, as can icWe' d 49,