Evening star., 1918-12-03
TRAIN Of Twelve CARS
GEN. PERSH|NG'S S Home
American Commander in France
Has Completely Equipped
Headquarters on Wheels.
rY JuNrus B. WooD.


Cablegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright lSi&
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY OF
OCCUPATION. November 3o.-Stnce
the verdun offensive started. on Sep
tember Is. Gen. Pershing has lived on
a railroad train which Is rolling
home in itself. Wherever there is ac-
tion the train is within a distance
easily reached by automobiles. The
task Of directing the immense expedi-
tion demands trips to Parts and in
spection Of forts. and tines Of commu-
nication, all of which requires almost
constant. travelling. The official desti-
nation of the train Of the commander
in-chief is "Field Headquarters"
which enables the commander to work
all day and part Of the night and still
be at a new: point by daylight the
next morning. q
Sleeping and. Dining Facilities.
French sleeping and dining. cars re :
modelled for: the purpose were put in
service last January and were used
by Secretary Baker on his two trips
in March and September. At present
the train is in Luxembourg moving
forward as the American Sd Army
advances. A German engineer is a
the throttle of locomotive and LUX
emburgers make up part of the crew
The remainder Of the personnel con-
sists of American Army men. Capt
Earl L. Thornton of Chicago, for
merly assistant manager Of the Hote-
La Sale and now with the Quarter
| master Corps. runs the "hotel." He
provides breakfast for 8 francs (6f
| cents) and luncheons and dinners TO
8 francs ($1.20), which is cheape
than at any other Army mess. Til.
| guests can pay when they are there
or they may be also charged month";!
rates.
The train consists Of twelve cars
| the first two Of which are for horses
each accommodating six mounts. The
| third is a telephone and telegraph
car, with a switchboard of twenty
five lines connecting the compart'
! ments of the train. Three truck
| are hooked up by the electrician
| wherever the train stands, giving di
rect communication with the variou
| Army headquarters.
Electric Light Plant Aboard. ,
The electric light plant, gasolin
| engine and dynamo for a circuit o
| 1876 lights are on these trucks. The
| fourth car is Gen. Pershing's private
| waiting room office, with accommo.
datiens for officers, aids and stenog-
raphers. The fifth car is also the
generals car, which he uses as g
! private parlor, bedroom and dressin,
room. There also are bedrooms for
his aids. The sixth and seventh cars
are sleeping cars of seventeen com
partments for officers.
The eighth is the dining car, which
is divided in the center, one-half o
| the space containing a large table
seating twelve. persons. and the other
| the small tables. It, also contain
| the kitchen. The ninth and tentr
cars are for the personnel. accommo-
i dating thirty orderlies. che uffeurs
electricians and stenographers. The
eleventh, is the baggage car, used fol-
carrying an automobile. and also
! houses the kitchen help. The twe1ftr
| is an automobile car, with an open
ing at both ends and carrying two
seven-passenger cars.
The portrrs and walters are COL
ored soldiers, who formerly were
Pullman sleeping and dining car men
in the United States.