Evening journal., 1918-02-06
SFONBAAE Spills
TLNA DEFYIiC EESSSy
ProofAgainSt German Shells,
1t Comes TO Griefin Jersey
Pit and InjrrcS Crew
ENGINEERS GO
TO THE RESCUE

was badly injured and seven fellow 4
members of the crew Of the famous
English tank. Rrittania, were severely
shaken and bruised when The steel
monster turned over while attempting
to climb out Of a gravel pit in its
initial demonstration before Camp Dix /
troops yesterday afternoon An inno- /
cent little New Jersey snowbank did /
what Boche shells have failed to ac-
complish and hurled the boston hulk |
on its side in the bottom Of the gravel /
hole. The accident Is said 10 be with |
out parallel IN the brief but strenuous
history Of the land-ships
As The tank fen upon It's port side
the gun turrei, which had been fast
ened by bul 3 single bolt, was forced
IN and crushed Private Donaldson, one
Of the crew against. The gasoline tank
other members Of the crew who were
hurled about inside The big steel box
We're Sergeanis Blunt and Burnside. !
Corporal Jaeger. Lance Corporal Burn
ham and privates Savillc. Bailey and
alderman
Thousands d. soldiers in training
here had assembled by regiments TO
witness the work OF tho tank. The
rough ground including d deep gravel
pit IN front Of the Y W c A. hostess
house, was chosen for the chief demon
stratlon The tank ambled across from
the quartermaster's truck section,
crossed a ditch, knocked down a tree
or two and climbed a steep hill to
get 10 the central arena. Here the
pilot essayed TO climb the perpendlcu- |
ell 44F Al r,fN
The great caterpillar treads OF tho |
monster hit into the bank and the /
land-ship pointed It's bow skyward |
Higher and higher II pointed and seem
ed about to go "over the top when |
suddenly the port tread began skid
ding ia deep snow. The starboard 4
tread, maintaining its powerful trac
tion, twisted the tank 20 one sile
and an instant later il toppled over
Hundreds Of spectators thought at iirst
that the maneuver was part of the
demonstration but Major Davis and
Captain Haigh. In charge Of the tank
here. were with division star officers
watching the work They rushed for
ward and aided by military police
lifted tho steel hatch A dsheveled
line Of men came crawling out Two
Of them We're carrying Donaldson, who
was semi-conscious.
The plucky young Scotehman, who
was one Of the original crew that pilot
cd the tank across q real battle fleld
somewhere ia France revived suffi-
ciently TO indicate 10 field hospital sur
geons who rushed TO the scene that his
injuries We're across bis hips and stom-
aoh He called for a cigarette, which
one Of his comrades produced, lit and /
placed between his lips and he man
aged to get pun or two before again
losing consciousness. A rushing ambu
lance added another touch Of real hat
Tie environment to the scene end the
injured man was taken 70 the base
hospital Surgeons said last night he
had narrowly escaped broken hip
They yet are unable TO determine the
extent Of the internal injuries.
lIasty inspection showed the big tank
was badly disabled by the accident In
der direction of Colonel r. NJ. Markham
OF the 303d Engineers, with block and
tackle and big Jacks managed TO right
the monster last evening and mechanics
believe they can have II In shape 10
continue It's demonstrations today and
tomorrow. On the latter date It will
charge through a building here and, II
the thing can be arranged with sUfety
60 spectators. Will be made the targets
for machine g1nflre as It traverses the
forlincatons on "Marne HILL"
Striving for fleet-footedness through
snow, slush and mud, picked runners
from Camp Dix are about to enter the
most strenuous training program ever
prepared for American athletes. These
men are members OF the famous "Mer-
curry squads Of human message bear
ers who viii be attached to the laision
department Of each battalion of infan
try. Their work will be the most thrill
ing and daring performed on the bat
tlenelds of Europe by American sol
diers. Major Megil, division signal Of
ncer. has asked Sol Metzger, camp ath
ietic director for the Army A. NJ. G. A.
and former football and track coach II
the University Of Pennsylvania and
other colleagues, to direct the training
work. After studying the conditions
under which the Mercury boys must
work, Metzger has reversed the old or
der OF developing speed on a smooth
cnder track and will start his squads
running ia the deep snow that now
covers the cantonment
Providing for instruction Of higher
officers of the division In up-to-the
minute military science, military
art school, organization If which was
announced yesterday. Will open IN
Camp Dix next Monday The unique ~
stiiutiou the first OF its kind in the
American Army, follows ideas suggest
I'd in the recent, much-discussed criti-
cism Of American officers by General
Pershing, in which the American COM
mander in France declared he had
found many higher officers unified 30
direct elaborate troop moV ements.
The new school vii have the sdvaa-
tage Of the experience attained by Ma
jor General Scott and his chief OF staff
Colonel Cootes. in their recent s3ur II
European battle fronts It VIII have as
its students practically all officers
above the rank Of captain Colonel w
c. Babcock. Of the 3i0th Infantry. Is Tie
chief Instructor and his assistant in
structors will be Lieutenant Colonels G.
Z Turner, Edgar Myer and Wait e.
Johnson The school will take up every
branch Of advanced military work and
will deal largely with the problems
that viii be met when the Americans
break the Hndenhurg lines and begin
lighting in the open. It will follow
the very latest developments in the art
Of topography, map-reading, map prob
lens. reconnaissance, outposts, advance
guard. attack and defense work and
froOp-leadinc problems, war games.