The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-28

was not for tank service | STRUGGLED
! blinded by the dislocated furs, my cl-
bows gripping the oil spattered floor,
! my feet Wrigpling In the outer air and
| frantically sqnlrmins after me. Pres
entity my knees also sripped the floor,
and was able to stand up--that Is. al
lmoRt,
! The man In ovoralls came In after
m" with an easy agility that put skirts
| to scorn. ''.Sii down." he said hospit-
ably. grabbing up some waste and WHIP
ing off "A boxliike construction fixed
solid near the middle 10 the tank be-
| tween the gun rack ana some mystic
rtous looking machinery AT the rear of
the beast,
Directly over this box opened n trap
door III the roof, admitting light ana
air,
| J sat down and looked about me
Multitudinous bolts and plates. OF steel
| tiny loop holes" for spying the enemy
! and four shelves with revolving rests
for guns. two on either side, were the
salient features of the interior.
crew Of seven under an officer,
| usually lieutenant. man the tank I'm
action. Savillc told me. SaviIls was
the name of the agile youth In over
hlls--Elbert Il. Saville Of London. He
has been III service more than two years
and has been wounded three times. He
looked whole enough now, and declared
himself ready to go to the front again.
one man drives the car, two shift
gears ut the back. Four men man the
guns when the tank is in action and the
officer usually handles the brakes. They
carry supplies for not less than AZ
| houra, and are never out less than IA.
one crew WAS on continuous duty for
II hours. Captain Haigh told me 40
himself
Seventy-two hours In the bowls Of
that roaring steel beast No room to
stand up, no room TO lie down, no re-
lief from the laundering noise Of ma =
chinery and guns: crowded, close, dark.
reeking with oil and gasoline, below
Ing like an avalanche, in momentary
danger Of being blown to bits by a
J German shell. Jonah didn't have so
: much of nm experience after all!
All the noise Of that powerful ma p
: chinery, let loose TO echo and re- echo
In III" cavity Of 80 tons Of steel, crashes
against your ears like physical blows.
J. IT seems to pelt every ounce Of your
flesh with gloves Of h.avy weight. to
loosen your teeth and squeeze water
from your eyes.
leaned over and Bhrickcd in sa-
wits ear: whats il like when the
iGerman shells nr" bowling on the out .
side too?'
Just the same" he shrlekcd back
Il trrn ~ boa Nj.
4 noise"
At first such violent shaking gives
i the Illusion Of speed But YOU are
making only eight miles an hour on
New YORK pavcmenta Saville told the
on his fingers. And ii Is seldom more
than three or four over the holes and
hills the barbcd wiz" and mud Of the
battlefield.
smut up tight in the blind noise il
was easy to imagine we were driving
desperately toward the German
trenches. And We were only rolling de-
eorously up Fourth avenue needed
TO be convinced. so climbed up un
the bog aud thrust my head through
the open trap, half expecting 10 sec
the d"solate stretches Of No Mans
. Land.
. me from the streets and windows
cheersf rom ~" following throngs. and
, friendly waving handkerchiefs from the
white coilarcd C!erg3men and Ret
Cross workers on The steps of Calvary
p church.
Presently the noise grated off int
silence and the tank stood still,
e SPRAYED out much in the manner tina
| | had craHled in. to the sudden stlenc'
of Madisnn square. The noise OF New
York traffic had taken on a milde
t.. tone. | have II new tolerance for evel
the d!abolc roar OF the elevated rail
1 road. and a new idea Of IN" noise o
@ battle.
r \ Connecticut inventors musical in
n strumeht has IL single violin string C
o more than usual length and Is playe
4 xsyIV -. ,l.ftz n