The herald., 1918-01-31
ROADS FOR ARMIES
One of important War Issues Is
That of Transportation.
MUCH EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED
Miles of Railroads Must Be Built to
Carry Soldiers Through Eastern
France saG Western Belgium
Engineers in Danger.

The transportation problem back of
the allied armies has become one of
the most important issues of the war.
The maintenance of the English and
French armies has required the use of
thousands of miles of railroad lines
and huge quantities of rolling stock
and other equipment. Need for this
equipment became more and more i'm
peratiye each time the allied armies
dented the German line.
THE Can" railroad, an abbreviatiOn
Of the Chicago, AnamOSa and Northern,
supplied six freight cars, two combina-
ton passenger cars. three locomotives,
six steel bridges, 80 miles of rails, not
including several switching tracks. and
numerous other equipment. A similar
service has been performed by half Il
dozen other railroad lines which have
ceased to exist.
One Problem of French.
One of the problems in connection
with the installation of an American
army of several million men on the
western front will be the building of
miles of other railroad lines through
eastern France and western Belgium.
The task facing the American engi-
neers can scarcely be appreciated by
the layman.
To begin with. the task of building
and eQuipping these lines in the short
space of time available for this work
would be difficult enough even in times
of peace. One Of the problems now be-
fore the engineering staff Of the army
is to find equipment with which to
build. Hard pressed steel mills, which
make speciality of railroad equip
ment, must be pressed into service,
even at the risk of sacrificing other
imperative orders, or America must
surrender many additional miles Of lit
tie used railroads.
Either that or else some of the great
railroad systems must spare what lit
tie equipment and rolling stock they
can with other demands already over
whelming them.
Most of these railroad lines will be
laid within the zone of gunflre back of
the American lines. and the dangers to
the American lines, and the dangers
to be encountered by the American
engineers will be even greater than
the periIs encountered by the pioneer
engineers who built the first lines
through Indian country in the wild
west days. British engineers have av-
eraged a mile of road n day under
Shellfire. working with gas masks and
steel helmets always at hand.
The rivalry between the corps of
American engineers who have been en-
gagged in the arduous task Of building
subways, dams, deepening rivers, etc..
and the Royal engineers is expected
ment in this respect.
Narrow Gauge the Exception.
Despite the popular impression, mar
row gauge lines are nOt-the rule at
the front. To be truthful, they are the
exception, for the huge guns and the
tremendous quantities Of supplies
which must be moved over these lines
demand the heaviest of equipment.
Miles and miles of standard railroad
track run right up to the big guns
which are belching death into the Ger
man ranks.
Shell holes must be filed up, the
wreckage Of German narrow gauge
lines moved to one side, bridges in
stalled and equipment brought up,
sometimes under fire so CALLING that
the work is even more dangerous than
trench fighting.
1t is TO such tasks as these, with
what new material and equipment can