Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-29
Unload Transport.
Take or, Coal and
Leave in Forty Hours

Correspondence Associated Press.1
American Port France July 24.-The
spirit which aninates ali Americans
here is the same as that Of the front
line trenches. II the words Of the gen
eral commanding. It IS an inspiration
OF intense eage-ness. This is shown ny
the fact that under the stress ~ haste
10 send American soldiers 20 the Fight
ing front the time required to unload
the greatest OF American transports
bringing u, 090 troops. coal her and
start back 70 America has been reduced
from four days 70 Forty hours.
This Is The best deep water port OF
western continental Europe with a
Aar5or capable OF receiving the navies
Of the world and yet up 10 the time
the Americans came here six months
ago it was practically undersigned
and unused. II was estirnat eo then that
the facilities might poss IDLY permit
the landing Of 10000 men a month.
E1t with $50. 900 men a month com
in- from America something had TO
be done on gigantic scale and done
quickly, Fortunately the emergency
der general who has planned and
executed some OF the great engineering
protests Of the west and an American
admiral who has the reputation Of ac-
complishing large things in quiet
Wa Around them were grouped men
Of tie same talents.
Out Of il has arisen this marvellous
receiving port OF today where one
days landing OF IS. 600 men has been
followed The next day by Is .O00-50, 900
In TWO days or at the unheard rate Of
ao0 900 2 month. And the strange thing
has been that the port has not felt or
even known OF the huge migration
passing thru It's gates. so quietly and
smoothly the organization has
fBnctioned
II Is the same with the handling Of
the immense stocks ot war supplies as
il is with the handling OF troops Six
months ago II was estimated that 5000
TINS month could be handled
Actually more than that is handled
daily and this is not the main port for
supplies as Il IS for men.
4 large measure Of credit for the
high record in debarking troops IS
-
charge Of the several thousand negro
stevedores. This officer has rad a
remarkable career which exactly
equips him for the present huge under
taxing. He was Liverpool decker
who went to tie United States with
the CUnard Company and worked Up
10 me position Of terminal super!n-
tenient at Boston As an expert and
master Of docking he was appointed 3
major IN the army. But ne forgets all
about being a major when he taxes
command Of those 900 black steve
dores and 2 great ocean steamer
heaves into sight with thousands o.
Tae1 aboard who must he landed on
record time. All the old spirit Of the
Liverpool decker comes back again. he
becomes a human dynamo and the
army Of black stevedorrs follow hin
with the same eagerness that mer
follow their leader "over-the top" Here
are some examples showing just what
this means:
When the greatest Of american
transports first came OYER i took fifty
two days TO unload her at Liverpool
The next trip was better-twenty-
eigat days Then on the third trip i
was decided 10 send her 20 this French
port whore the Americans had begun
IN take Things over II was a risky
experiment. they thought But they
failed to reckon on the major and his
slack stevedores for this is the re-
ruarka bic record of how the great YES
sci has been handled az this port:
First arrival 10. 900 men and supplies
unIoaded and the ship coaled and SEN
hack IN four days.
Second arrival. unioaded, coaled anc
sent hack in three days.
Third arrival, unioaded, coaled an'
sent hack in forty eight hours.
Fourth arrival, unloaded, coaled ant
sent back In forty hours
Tie magnitude Of such al accom-
plishnaent may be judged by the fac
that 5000 tons of coal has TO be put or
the huge transport to send her back
and all Of this must be loaded from
lighters as her forty one feet o
draught keeps her far cut in the har
Dor. And all This In forty aours besides
deaarking 1900 troops on lighters an
several thousand Tors OF steel ant
emergency war cargo.
Americans seem to have discoreret
fer the first time that this port Il
uearer Sew York than any OF the grea
ports and is thus on the great com
,aercial hivhroad from the west 10 con
tinontal Europe. This holds out
briNisnt future for the port in the afte
the war comne q ial renaissance. On