Evening star., 1918-02-02
STICKS MARK END :.
-
OF HUNS AIRCRAFT
American Engineer Gives
Thrilling Account of Fall of
Boche Aviators.
RAILROAD MEN ACTIVE
BY JUNIIS b. WOOD.
Especial Correspondence Of The Even
ing Star and Chicago Daily NewsD

| BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
| Especial Correspondence Of The Even
ing Star and Chicago Daily News.)
| WITH AN AMERICAN RAILROAD
ENGINEERING REGIMENT, France
| January Il. 2.-''Where you see those
sticks standing up through the snow a
German plane was brought down last
week. That's all that is left of 1t now,"
said an engineer, pointing through the
| cab window to a spot a few miles from
the track. ut came down blazing like
a ball of paper with the Frenchman fol-
lowing right after until it was on the
ground. When it was about 1000 feet up
! the German lieutenant jumped, but the
| pilot, burned to crisp, was in 1t. They
found the lieutenant's body in the woods
about a quarter of a mile away. The
motor fell out and was as far away on
! the other side of the track
Things Are Lively There.
This is one of the daily experiences
which France gives to the hitherto pro-
sale life, varied only by strikes and
wrecks, of an American railroad man.
This regiment has few more expert
enceS than usual for 1t is operating right
under the guns of Verdun. The German
planes do not always come down in
flames. Sometimes they come down drop
ping bombs on the right of way and pep
pering away at the trains with machine
guns. For the first fourteen days that
the Americans were on the road trains
were chased by aeroplanes every night.
Big shell craters along the road and
near the camps. very useful garbage
dumps, and bullet marks on the engine
cabs show how close they came.
The first night we came out an aero
plane chased us. but ths Chinese brake
man stuck to the train and we got in all
right" said the engineer, who came from
the Rock Island. We run without lights
now, the train crew carries flashlights
instead of lanterns, but the glow from
the stack shows for miles any night and
on clear moonlight nights we're as con-
spicious as a snake on white marble
floor"
Americans now do all the operating
work on the road, but 1t would be hard
to distinguish them when they are not
talking. AS the long train stopped at
blue French infantry cap on his head
and French army slfcker reaching be-
low his hips ran along the train bossing
the switching of cars, the loading of
Of train orders. At last he hoped into
the cab and began an animated debate
with the fireman on the merits of a
certain train dispatcher. evidently not
Wear Many Uniforms.
He was the American conductor.
though Khaki breeches and canvas leg
gins were all he had of our uniform
The engineer wore khaki cap of the
French Foreign Legion. One of the
brakemen had red Algeria fez pulled
the regiment wear English army over
coats with embossed crowns on the
brass buttons Most of them have
nlouses from the Canadian quartermas-
ter never has had enough clothes in
France to outfit this regiment
Each company, however. has three
American uniforms Of assorted sizes
Kept IN immaculate condition. Three
men from each company are granted
leave in Paris every week Each one
is loaned the uniform which fits best
and 1t Is carefully cleaned and pressed
turns The American soldier refuses to
appear in the metropolis in some other
nations uniform.
Climb up in my seat now-we're
NIT nlt.1nE an up grade and you can't do
you've run an American locomotive in
France" said the engineer.
Built in Twenty Days.
The locomotives. .eightytfour ton
hogs" with eight drive wheels. each
butlt by the Baldwin Locomotive works
IN twenty days. are part OF an order
OF forty-five at $4,000 each given by
the French government for this mill
tary railroad. On their watertenders
are painted "U. S. A." and "Etat." in
dicating that they are part of the state
system of railroads. When No. IA arr
rived, number of which the regiment
IS Iond, there was a celebration and the
colonel christened 1t by climbing up
and breaking bottle of champagne
over It's stubby smokestack. Like au-
tomobiles and much of the other ma
chinery rushed over here there were no
extra parts. not even spare valves. hut
these locomotives are much more com
Portable than the French. which have
open platforms instead of cabs. some
of them made In Germany in 1856.
One thing these French railroad men
can't understand is why all American
engineers are SO young" said a Santa
E Te veteran in the cab of the other
hog" for this was double-header.
why I was railroading when / was
fourteen and had an engine when was
twenty-one. It's been years since /
puiieo freight until came over here"
No Mustaches for Americans.
Most of the Americans are young and
one reason why all Of them appear
young is that they do not cultivate
mustaches. as every Frenchman does,
A railroad regiment is pretty greasy
and grimy, the work requires that, but
locomotive always has hot water. at
least enough for a shave.
The superintendent of the road for
merly master mechanic for the st. Paul
In Milwaukee, had taken us to the end
OF the line nearest Verdun in an auto
mobile. On the few miles of track from
there to the citadel French railroad
sapeurs run trains at night The Amer
lean road supplies all that sector 81 the
front. An American locomotive does
the work of three OF the smaller
French ones and the regiment has
taken the place of two and a half times
as many French railroad men. One day
last week 100 per cent of the trains had
been on time.
KN1TS SOCKS IN 45 MINUTES
Machine Demonstrated at District
Chapter of Red Cross.
How to knit a pair of socks in forty