Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29
us. ARMY ACHIEVES.
SHIPPING WONDER.
More Than 400 Locomotives
Taken to France Ready to
Move Under Own Steam.

NEW YORK, December 2S.-The
shipment of American-bui steam To-
comotives. weighing each seventy
three tons, and assembled all but the
smokestack and tender SO that they
could move away under their own
steam within a few hours after their
arrival in France was among the ac-
compIshments of the United States
Army transport force under stress
of war, and has since been continued.
More than four hundred of these
locomotives were SO shipped from
New York in a few months. it was
learned here with the lifting of the
war Censorship regulations, and these
were in addition 10 1,20J when were
shipped in sections-nine to loco
motive, packed in cases. The ships
used to transport the locomotives
complete we're OF -cial type, with
three holds, each hold measuring
60 by 102 feet, entered by matches
thirty-nine feet wide and forty-two
feet long.
Thirty-Six to Each Ship.
Into each of the three holds was
placed twelve Observation-Disclosures
to ship. For a bed or flooring, on
which they rested for the voyage, was
used more than 5000 tons of steel
rails. The locomotives when in po-
sition were braced with heavy wooden.
beams and the space betm cen the
boilers to the level of the top of the
steam dome packed solid with highly
compressed baled hay.
On this hay another flooring was
laid. and on this floor was placed the
~1r0 IL
baled hay or other light cargo, packed
in the space where coal is to be car
ried. On top of the tenders was
packed still more cargo to the deck
level, and during the rush days" the
above deck space filled with Grated
airplanes. When completely loaded
with the thirty-siX locomotives and
other cargo each vessel was carrying
a dead weight of IA 900 tons, in addi-
ton to ship machinery. bunker coal
and crew supplies.
Loading Interesting Sight.
The loading of the locomotives is an
interesting sight. Steel railroad
barges, carrying fourteen of the steel
monsters, are made fast alongside a
100-ton capacity floating derrick
barge. in turn made fast to the ship
All sling OIL steer wire IS
placed around the forward end of the
boilers, another under the supports to
the cab, the signal given and the To-
connective lifted forty to fifty feet in
the air. swung over and gently loaded
into the ships hold. The whole opera
ton required but twenty minutes, and
it was accomplished with the same
ease and with the same lack of eX-
citement as prevailed on a steamer at
an adjoining dock which was taking
on board 500-pound bales of cotton.
The idea OF shipping locomotives
complete was conceived when Army
transport officers were informed that
England was shipping them across the
channel ready to move away On ar
rival.
'If England can do it, so can Ameri-
ca" an officer said, and he straight
way Communicated feet of ore-car-
rying vessels which were constructed
with matches large enough to permit
the handling of such freight.
Time Schedule Remarkable.
When the movement was at its
height the following time was record
ed for the movement of a locomotive
from it's builders to it's base of action
behind the battle lines. Shops to New
Jersey terminals. "a hours; from rail
to barges, 6 hours; from terminals to
ship side, hours; barge TO snip. ~
minutes; New York to France, 9 days;
ship to Army rail lines and hooked
to a transport train bound for the
front, 6 hours; a total of less than II
days.
Handling of seventy three-ton loco
motives as if they were but one-tenth
of their weight is only a small
part Of the tremendous work that has
been under way at Army transport
piers since the United States transport
service attained full swing.
Maj Dan O'Brien, marine director,
an officer who has won his rank by
more than twenty years service in
every big port of the United States,
Cuba, Mexico, the Philippines, where
transport facilities of the Army were
conferred, is the man who handled the
locomotives.
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