New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25

Captain r. smiled. 1T really isn't as bad
as it sounds he said. OF course, every
thing that is picked up is thoroughly disin-
fected, and the old 'grayback' flannel in. that
gas mask is as free from germs as aseptic
gauze. So is everything else we send out
of the repair shop down at K. You shall
see this afternoon how we gather the dam
aged goods from the battlefield, and to-
morrow you may see at x how we make
them whole again. Nothing is thrown away
nowadays. You couldn't have better IL
lustration than that gas mask of the system
on which we work. Those pieces of flannel
we're doubtless no longer Of use for shirt
ing; saturated with chemicals, they are in
every respect as good as new fabric for the
skirts of masks or smoke helmets
"The advanced 'combng station CHANGED
70 be located right between what had been
the original British and German trenches
before the offensive OF July /, and but a few
hundred PAGES from the crumbling ruins OF
obliterated Fricourt. 1t was nothing more
or less than couple of acres Of level ground
covered with orderly piles Of disorderly frag-
ments Of every conceivable thing, from peck
etknives TO field guns, that figured in the
life and activities Of the British and German
armies-gas helmets, flash lamps, oxygen APP
paratus for reviving those poisoned with
gas. mess kits, rifles, hand grenades, boots,
puttees, caps, belts, TUNES, trousers thou-
sand things the mere cataloguing OF which
filed pages of closely typed paper.
German and British articles were kept
apart and also the damaged and undamaged
things, the latter TO be redistributed at the
front, the former to go back TO the oase
hospital far in the rear. The 'comDers "eIe
Tommies with bags and pushcarts' and their
duty was to 90 methodically over lhe con,
oucrcd territory as fast as it was cleared O
the enemy and bring in everything suscepn-
HE ~ renewing or working over into some
thing else.
"such of this hotsam and jetsam OF the
battlefield as is finally adjudged worth do
/ ing over is carted to one OF the lncohspico-
Gus but ubiquitous spurs Of light railway
that are pushed up steadily behind every al,
vance and 90 by that TO standard gauge
and thence TO the waiting wards OF the
! great hospital nearly hundred miles away.
| This remarkable repair shop was taken 10
visit the following day It's strategic situa-
I ton from an industrial standpoint is ideal,
/ for not only is II in one Of the best-served
/ Of French towns, but it has a railway and
motor roads running directly into it, busy
yards
"This great plant at present employs some.
thing over 1000 hands, about two-thirds Of
ghom are French girls, and most OF the re-
mainder men OF the British Army Service
Corps. The girls are Of the average factory
TYNE. quick with their hands and minds, but
/ with no especial training. Their immediate
/ foremen are English girls and women Of II
volunteer organization that has done impor-
,snt work in diverse fields OF war endeayor.
The men include many highly skilled work
a,s especially in the machine shops, for
emo Of the repair work on such things as
,,aes and artillery demands quite as great n
degree Of technical training as does the max
! 49,, ~ such arms In the first place