The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-29
When Word Comes Men Behind
Lines Work With Desperate
Speed.
DELAY MAY mean DEFEAT
Road Builders Who Follow Fighting
Ranks Taxed to the Utmost-Mo-
tor Lorries Play an important
Part in the Work.
By r. w. WARD.
Un the New York Tribune


sibIe and to insure that everything
shall be kept up to date behind the Inc
is no small order. There Is no time for
sitting down and thinking things over
If anything has to be done 1t has to De
done at once. A few hours delay
might be very convenient to the organ
iZer. but such delay would probaDl!
vitiate any plans he might make. mat
is why, when anything has TO De done
in the matter of repairs and rearrange-
ments behind the line it has to De zone
at top speed. There are no hours IN
the army. If Job has to be rushed,
then everybody buckles to the task anu
keeps on slogging until the JOB IS m
ished. Tommy may grOuse-he wouldnt
be much good If he didn't-but ne
gets away with the job when he knows
1t is important.
Once q Job had to be done at spot
where the Huns had been shelling LOT
| three solid days. 1t was just the re-
moval of stores, and all the spare X. a.
NJ. c. and A. S. c. men had been
pressed into the service on this par
ticular occasion. 1t was carried through
at night, naturally, and there were no
lights to be shown. The party would
have been blown out of the earth II
there had been any indication of their
presence.
It wasn't an easy job. In fact, II
was real hard work, the loading up OF
lorries, wagons, anything that coulc
be got in the way of wheeled transport
"Now, then, you chaps" said the ON
Ger in charge, II don't know who yot
are or where you come from. Bu'
we've got to get this job done In abou
three hours. If we don't we shall bt
sheIled to b at daylight" There
was some cheerful growing, but thu
lob was done we'll under the time, ant
dixie of tea at the finish put ever!
one In thoroughly good humor.
Motor Lorries Used.
This was only a small job, "some
where In France" but 1t was typica
Of an infinite number. AS things ar
now, there are plenty Of stores ant
material to do practically any Job, bu
of necessity they are not as rule OF
the spot, where they are actually re
) Guired. Rail heads and enginee
dumps cannot be carried forward o.
the very heels Of the advance. Tha
can be easily understood. But whe
: something has to be done in a hurry
J these materials can be brought up b
, means of motor lOrrieS, with an A.
C. driver at the wheel and an enginee
, officer in charge.
Ammunition dumps, with their mi
lions of shells, have to be built so q
TO be within easy reach Of the tran!
port. But other roads have to b
: made, leading through the dump froI
l the main route. This Is necessary
: order that lorry may be brought
and loaded or unloaded from eithe
side. These roads are Of the cOrdurC
Z variety, q floor of pit props being lai
l and made secure, for the time bein
-, But when 1t does rain in France-wel
= YOU know all about it. 1t isn't loI
= before the logs begin to sag, as tt
water gets into the ground beneat
and the first thing you know is that
, lorry dips down at an awkward angl
= one Of the wheels disappears up to II
axle, and the logs splay out in @
directions.
That's where the rush begins.
J strong pull and a long pull gets Il
lorry out Of the way, up come Il
v loose logs, the ground beneath is maj
I'D with bruShwood or short lengths
timber, well pegged down, the surfa
is relaid, and a couple of hours lat
j. things are going on well again.
q Perhaps, though, there are n
IS enough pit props available. Roul
IS PUSHES an officer, gets chit from t
IS office of the chief engineer of the arm
lie corps operating there, hops on a lori
and away he pelts TO the nearest n
re head or dump. The chit Is handed
Or TO the officer In charge there, the M
I'd essary material is issued and loade
ID back goes the lorry again, and the
- Is done.
~ Perhaps q road Is under wat
IN Well, iron pipes are necessary to ia