The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-04

use OF the American army and its sup
plies In France. shall supcrlmposc It
upon the eastern section Of tho UIntcd
States.
Imagine a railroad that starts ut New
York and cads at Pittsburgh and you
have the exact mileage Of the main
stem OF our line OF rail communication
from Base to tho chief regulating Sta
ton. a regulating station Is tho same
thing to an army as clearing house is
to hank. The regulating officer de-
cIdes the question Of priority. Just az n
balanced ration Is made up for the indl-
vIdual soldier so do supplies have 10 be
balanced according to the needs Of the
units in the field. That is the job OF the
regulating officer. lie is 4 sort OF UNI
pire.
Located between tho chief regulating
. station and Base l arc various inter-
mediate supply dcpots for some OF The
American camps are in parts Of France
between the upper end OF the min stem
and the ScabOard. ON beyond the chief
regulating station up different railroad
arteries FOR q distance of from thirty
to Fifty miles are the advanc" supply
QrpOtS. from which railroads equipment
and subsistence are mOturtruckcd 10 the
principal network nf American camps
American army occupies its own ScclO-
| on til" front. liIh; railways will have
To lac huilt for the forward movement OF
the heavy guns.
In short. To grasp the idea of what is
going on in France you must first con-
! ceive tn" main line of the Pennsylvania
Railroad from New York to Pittsburgh,
| then Il fan-shapcd Eridirnm % tracks
running out above Pittsburgh. each 1T
It's terminus having IN outgoing motor
! truck service connected with the prin-
; clpal American camps or the towns ard
villages where American troops are hill
| lctcd.
, But the main stem Of the rail feeder
| for our army in France has supplies 10
carry which arrive from other debarlia-
tion ports than Base l. These branch
lines for the movement Of freight Join
| tho main stem at different polnts up the
| road.
The first of these branches comes In
at q point up the lin" from our hy1iO-
thctical New York equivalent TO the
distance away Of New Brunswick. y. J.
Now take II ruler and draw Il line from
I that little city 20 any location on tho
Atlantic coast III miles L" the south and
you will have an accurate Idea OF the
: length Of the branch.
/
, brunch. which joins the main stem. say.
ut Philadelphia That IL tho exact dis
t:nce involved. Use the ruler again 10
make Il line OH the map to the north SD
that precisely ZIG miles lie between
, Philadelphia and the ScahoArd. 1t Will
represent the interval freight has to
; come down this second branch.
! The third branch joins the masn stem
! in France at Il point Which corresponds
! On rb1rr hr,
! Off n line from Lancaster To the %'.a-
/ board south Of New York So that ex-
! actly IL miles intervene. As for the
, fourth branch. it comes in at point
equivalent tn Huntingdon. Ia. and rel
ativcly 1t runs 700 miles IL II location
un the scnhuard north If New York. OF
course the outline Of Franc" docs not
correspond In amy WAY ~ the outline OF
She portion OF tho United suites taken
for Illustration. Eut mileage over here
has importance To home folks in THE
, terms of rlur"s they are familiar with.
, Summed up. We have 43S miles Of
main stem over which freight must
move before passing the regulating sta
,ion Most Of it har previously been
regulated and In boxcar lots is on route
to it's destination. In addition VIC have
9dg miles Of branch lines feeding Into
! thu main stem. 6l5 miles nt roadway TO
,
the Snuth. Even then We hive left out
IF the calculation entirely the conncc-
lurs going to railroads beyond the chief
regulating station.
Jumping tho whole proposition ia q
linear way. we have n railroad cQunl In
length 10 the distance Of Topeka Kan.
from New York city which Is used In
whole or in part for the delivery or SUP
plies for the American army after they
reach France. In addition the same
trackngc must do Its normal work Of
taking care Of the transportation and
freight needs OF the local population.
That the French railroad officials have
been able to do both speaks volumes for
the wonderful vitality of tho people OF
our sister republic, feat that COM
mands the admiration Of every Amer
lean upon this side Of tho Atlantic.
Fortunately q practical railroad man
we'll known in Philadelphia has boon
put ut tho head Of tho transportation