Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-06

public works and transportation, To-
Gated the ports to be used for Ameri-
car men and supplies, and mapped
out a route from those ports to that
section OF France where the American
headquarters were to be established.
There was no question Of, picking
and choosing ports already developed.
their maximum capacity for the
French and English. Neither could
the French railroads, despite the fact
that they had been we'll maintained
through three years OF war, handle
the extra burden Of Americas war
materials. z.
The first order that came back from
our railway experts Insurance called
for 100, 900 tons of rails, 100000 ties,
500 miles of telephone wire, 1900
freight cars Of a type that could be
handled through French bridges and
tunnels, and for all the railroad con-
struction men and operators that
could be SEN yer.
The first engineering troop. LOO
strong, arrived in France July 25.
Engineering materials and supplies
necessary for beginning construction
already had preceded them. and the
flow OF men and materials into France
has been constantly increasing one
since, that time.
within six months of the arrival of
the first 100 engineers abroad, Our
engineering forces alone in France
numbered more than 10000 men. '
More than 5000 of these are men
traired in railroad construction and
operation. Divisional engineer regi-
ments and their trains make up an
other 10000. OF trained foresters, at
work getting out timber from French
forests. more than 5000 are. IN
France and additional thousands are
now in France number more than the
total population. men,, women and
children, of the average American
county seat city. ~. ~.
But. in building and cquipping this
American railroad in FRANCE, it has
not beer u proposition of simply buy
ing the supplies and. sending then,
abroad. New types Of equipment have
had to be designed to meet conditions
existing in France. French bridges
! are low and French tunnels small,
Grades are steep. Curves are sharp.
A new type engine was designed to
! meet these conditions. Orders were
| placed for 985 of these locomotives
and already a considerable part of this
number are pulling their loads of sup
| plies from our ports in France to the
headquarters of the "a. F.. IT," as the
American expeditionary force Is
| known.
The ordinary French railway car is
only from 10 to Is tons, as against
the SO to 75-ton capacity Of modern
American freight, cars. ~
American engineers. however, have
designed n new car for use. in France
which meets all the requirements o.
the light bridges and sharp curves
and still will carry from 40. to SO tons
Nineteen thousand of these cars viii
be needed. to maintain a proper flow
of supplies for an army Of 1000, 0O(
men. The first thousands of them arr
there. and in operation.
Trains Of these light-painted cars
each marked in large letters ~. S
A." are today weaving their wa,
across France with their burdens o
men and munitions-visible evidence
to the French people that Uncle San
means to do his full share in the wal
whatever labors it ma entail or what
ever difficulties stand in his way.
These cars, Of course, are shipped
! motives. The transporting of a rail
road and equipment comparable t,
that of the Lehigh Valley, from
America to France, has placed !,
heavy burden on shipping at d tim,
when tonnage is short. But it is par
OF the job to be done, and it is beinl
! done.
Each locomotive weighs. .166,oO'
pounds--S3 tons-and fills 10 larg'
crates when prepared for ocean ship
ment. ''t
The development of our militar,
railroad in France has been under tn
direction of S. NJ. FELTON,, presiden
OF the Chicago Great Western. Feltol
probably has had more experience II
directing troop movements than an,
other railroad man in the Unite,
States. He was in charge. of tn
ECueen g. Crescent as receiver durinl
tho Spanish war. and handled the bull
IF the men moved to southern camps
Two years, ago. because, Of his khowl
edge of Mexican railways. gained a
i president of the Mexican Central, h
organized railway. service on tn
border preparatory to an expedition
in force into Mexico. $50. -.