Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-11
ARMY AUTO SERVICE
SEVERE MACHINE TEST
Artillery Parts Carried From Calais
- to Bclgium's Fighting Front
Va in Ovcrlands.
MANY ROAD INSTRUCTIONS
FIFTY Miles an Hour. With Heavy
Load, Attaincd-Car often Ditch
cd to Prevent Capturc-No Time
TO Make Repairs To Automobiles.


TO Make Repairs 10 Automobiles.
In the or'cia! news from Europe.
little mention is made or the small
rennan; OF the BELGIAN army which
fought 50 rallantly IN the early stages
OF the war hut letter Just received
by the WHY'S overland Company. To-
fedo o, from the chief mechanic in
~ ~harSc OF tho hi: squad OF 500 over
- lands purchased ny Belgium shortly
/. :. after tho outbreaks OF hostiiitics. proves
Tyhat the small army is still factor
-sin the northern lighting.
IiiAn Interesting description is given
.fof one OF many trips from Calais to
:. The hchtirS front. the ears arc called
upon 10 mako. The letter. gives an
Iinklins OF the ;orrihc condition under
(which The Ovorlanls are forced TO
wort continuously
II was ordered To drive the director
E9f the cannon factory ana All officer
Sfrom Calais 10 ,hc front says the
z Mriier I'm addition to the passengers,
!. tho car which has "a transport body
= like that OF other ovc"lauGs IN use here
i.was loaded with artillery parts for
4 repair!ng guns, together with a guam
..stiiy OF petrol and oil necessary 10 last
us the entire drive. The weather was
{.cold and torsy. with strong wind
stbiowinI of tho sea
q Before leaving calais W. we're
~ stopped by tho first OF the nany SEN
I,tries encountered evcrywherr They
nasprnS UP suddenly. apparently out Of
- the ground, like jacks i'm tho box We
were stopped three times before ar
i;Sniv!nc nj luniirk. and each time we
,..Worc forced to show our papers and
~ MASSES Every prcCaution is taken
y.aEainst spies. hut they mauac" 10 gct
Rwithin the lines IN spite Of the risks
,Gthey run.
~ I'm the towns We were only allowed
'Etp maintain speed little Easter than
Ia walk. but on tho open road there
tFis no limit The overland often reached
ia speed or nifty miles an hour with
i.ts full load
2 "Aftcr We left punkr< the hard
!. driving started. Upon leaving tho
.atown 40 turned sharp to the right
i%anh followed In" canal for long dist
- Hnce. passing a number ct cars smashed
~and deserted at the roadside We saw
v,an overland upside down in the canal
SIT had evidently been deliberately
driven into tho canal TO proven, cap
1.turc at some time.
When VIC loft tho canal banks the
roads became cxccedincly rough and
r"wcre fearfullN cut up by tho passing OF
heavy TRANSPORTS the troops and artil-
lcry. While ROUNDING; turn at fair
speed had to tam on the brakes to
Keen from running into some nasty
looking barb wire acknowledgements which
stretched across the road about two
feet high Upon aliEhtnS ! found that
there was just enough room left for our
car TO crawl through dag onally across
tho road.
we had just gotten ur speed again
WHOM we we're forced TO stop and
squeeze past some carihworks built on
either side OF the road. allowing just
room enough 10 get the car through
with great deal of manipulation and
close work Immediately after that We
encountered series Of cutreucheS dug
almost clear across the road. \ fail
into these big bitches would probably
put The car out OF commission and scri-
ouslN inju:c the passengers
Slcet and SNOW. which cam. az this
point, would have made driving very
difficult and DANGEROUS had il not been
Tor the excellent adiustahlc windshield
with which the Overland i eouinpcd
When We arrived at liouiham. once a
prosperous Belgian city. we found il
occupied entirely 10y tho military. prac-
lIcaliy all OF the inhabitants having left
The streets wcr" alive with soldiers
horses and guns. gong TO and from
the lighting 'front.'. or changing posi-
tons. y the distance We could hcar
tn" cont tuoUs booming OF the Belgian
loo milimctcr guns. IN the civ we
!inch"d on sandwiches and Jumps of
chocolate AND were on our Way again
I'm less than quarter Of an hour.
ihr only road ..en here TO the front
vas Of the roug!sSl .sert. 'hrrrrdly CON
Structed for army use I'm some i'm
stances the ruts were fully a foo; dcep
The overland sped over fields bumped
over railroad crossings. noundercd IL,
mud w 10 tho aNicS. and | drove half
the Tim" with the front wheels caught
~ the great ruts made by the hcayy
guns
we Hnally reached our destination.
where noise az the guns was dcafcnins
This. wi'h the Ciack az the mit-aincuss
the Sr"ipE'N. Si.l'S