Evening journal., 1915-04-08
overland CARS IN
Thick OF Battle
Automobiles Carry Men
From Calais to the Fight
ing Front in Belgium

In the official news from Europe.
little mention is made of the small
remnant of the Belgian army which
fought so gallantly in the early stages
Of the war. But a letter just received
by the illys-Ovorland Company,
Toledo, O., from the chief mechanic
in charge Of the big squad of 300
Overlands purchased by Belgium
shortly after the outbreak of hostil-
tiles proves that the small army is
still a factor in the northern fighting
An interesting description is given
Of one of the many trips from Calais
to the fight front. the cars are called
upon TO make. The letter gives an
nkling of the terrific conditions un-
der which the Overlands are forced
TO work continuously
Il was ordered to drive the director
Of the cannon factory and an officer
from Calais TO the front" runs the
letter. "In addition 10 the passengers
the car, which has a transport body
like that of other Overlands in use
here, was loaded with artillery parts
for repairing guns together with a
quantity of petrol and oil necessary
10 last us the entire drive. The wealth
er was cold and foggy with a strong
wind blowing off the sea-
Before leaving Calais we were
stopped by the first of the many SEN
tries encountered everywhere. They
spring up suddenly. apparently out of
the ground, like jacks in the box. We
were stopped three times before ar
irving at Dunkirk and each time
We we're forced TO show our papers
and passes. Every precaution is taken
against spies, but they manage to
get within the lines in spite of the
risks they run.
In the towns we were only allow
ed to maintain a speed a little faster
than walk, but on the roads there
is no limit. The Overland often
reached a speed Of so miles an hour
with its full load
After leaving Dunkirk the. hard
driving started. Upon leaving the
town we turned sharp to the right
and followed the canal for a long
distance, passing a number of cars
smashed and deserted at the roadside.
We saw an Overland upside down in
the canal. It had evidently been de-
liberately driven into the canal to
prevent capture at some time.
when we left the canal banks the
roads became exceedingly rough and
were fearfully cut up by the passing
of heavy transports, the troops and
4 artillery. While rounding turn at
fair speed had TO jam on the brakes
TO keep from running into some nasty
looking barb wire entanglements
which stretched across the road about
two feet high. Upon alighting /
found that there was just enough
room left for our car TO crawl through
diagonally across the road
I'VE had just gotten up speed again
when We were forced to stop and
squeeze past some earthworks built
on either side Of the road, allowing
! just room enough TO get the car
through with great deal OF manipu-
( latiOn and close work. Immediately
after that we encountered series of
entrenches dug almost clear across
the road. A fall into these big bitches
would probably put the car out of
commission and seriously injure the
| passengers.
"Sleet and snow, which came at
this point would have made driving
very difficult and dangerous. had il
not been for the excellent adjustable
Windshield with which the Overland
is equipped. When we arrived at
| Houtham, once a prosperous Belgian
city. we found Il occupied entirely
| by the military practically all of the
! inhabitants having left. The streets
were alive with soldiers. horses and
! guns, going to and from the fighting
front, or changing positions. In the
! distance we could hear the continuous
booming of the Belgian $50 miiimeter
guns. In the city we lunched on
sandwiches and Jumps Of chocolate
! and We were on our way again in
less than a quarter of an hour.
/ The only road from here to the
! front was of the toughest sort, hur-
riedly constructed for army use. In
some instances the cuts were fully a
foot deep. The Overland sped over
fields, bumped over railroad cross
ines. 1oundered in mud up to the
aklos, and | drove half the time with
the front wheels caught in the great
ruts made by the heavy guns.
We finally reached our destination.
where noise of the guns was deafen-
ing. This. with the clack OF the
mitrailleuse, the shreking of shells
and the continuous galloping of bat
teries. made bedlam of what used to
be peaceable farming country. I
unloaded the car as soon as possible
and started the return journey in the
dark. And driving at night in Bel
gium is far different from the night
driving you know. Your work re-
quires full speed and yet you arc
/ allowed only half of your lights and
even they must be dimmed."