Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1917-05-15
HOW RAILROADS
WILL MOVE ARMIES
Instructions Sent All Systems
by Railway Association.
TROOPS WILL HAVE CONTROL

All Equipment Will Be Carefully In.
spected and All Train Movements Re.
ported at Once-Fairfax Harrison Of
the Southern Tells What 10 Being
Done.
Detailed instructions to railroads for
the transport Of troops and munitions
have been issued by the American
Railway association. Copies Of rout-
ing plans were sent to each Of the $50
railroad systems Of the country.
Fairfax Harrison, president Of the
Southern railway and general chair
man Of the special committee on ma
tional defense, said that the instruc-
tons had been drawn up Jointly by the
government authorities and the rail-
road officials covering military opera
lions. These are the instructions in
part:
1.-The routing Of troops from home
stations to mobilization camps will be
in the hands Of the Quartermaster gen.
eral of the army. Routing schedules
will be furnished promptly by or
through the department Of quarter
master to the camp quartermaster,
showing the route to be used by each
organization from the mobilization
camp to concentration point or other
destinations. Where movements are
entirely within the territory Of the de-
partment routings will be in the hands
Of the department Quartermaster. Ow-
ing to the limited amount Of tourist
equipment the assignment and distri-
button Of tourist equipment will be in
the hands Of the office Of the quarter
master general.
Camp Quartermasters will make d.
rect requests on the Quartermaster
general for equipment as far In advance
as possible when 1t is definitely known
troops are ready to move, giving name
Of organization, number Of officers and
men to move, route and approximate
time Of departure. The American Rail-
way association representatives at each
camp will telegraph daily to the Amer
lean Railway association committee
central bureau at Washington depar-
lures for the preceding twentyfour
hours, organizations with strength to
move in next twenty-four hours and
strength still In camp, with such 9TH
er information as may be necessary for
their records. The camp Quartermas-
ter will assist the American Railway
association representative in securing
this information.
"As soon as the railway equipment
is received the American Railway as
ISOLATION representative, or some COM
petent person designated by him, will
make a preliminary inspection Of the
same with a view to ascertaining i'm
mediately and correcting any defect.
II necessary he will at once reject any
unsuitable equipment and secure other
equipment in it's place. Before the
troops are entrained joint inspection
Of the equipment should be made by
the American Railway association rep
resentative and the train commander
or his representative.
1.-The camp quartermaster, after con-
sultation with the train commander,
should advise the American Railway
association representative as to the
exact makeup Of each train, showing
the order in which the cars should be
placed in the train. Trains should go
through to destination intact unless
there is some exceptionally good rea-
son to the contrary. Under no circum-
stances will troops be separated from
their rations and messing facilities or
animals from their forage.
particular attention should be paid
to the supply Of water for drinking pur-
poses. The facilities that are sufficient
for normal travel are usually made
quate for troop movements over long
distances. and supplementary supply
will be provided by placing a barrel
filed with water on the platform Of
every coach or every second Pullman
or tourist car