The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-04-26
TANK TO PREFORM
IN CENTRAL PARK
At 8 THIS EVENING
BATTIE-SCARRED FIGHTER HAD
TO GO TO ARDNIORE GARAGE
FOR ALLNIGHT REPAIRS.

FOR ALLNIGHT REPAIRS.
At S o'clock this evening in Central |.
Park Il battle-scarred "cootlc" war tank |
win do stunts for the edincation of the
citizens of Ardmore This tank is
1917, siX-ton, French type, but Ameri- |
can made. bullet-marked. camouhaged
little fighter, 1t is Of the tracklayins
or crawler type and will crawl or climb
a short bank at a 45-degree angle. ltI
Will climb straight wall four feet
high and cross a trench five feet wide
IT has fuel and ammunition calculated
to last eight hours 1t is controlled by
one man, while his pal operates the
Marlin machine gun. 1t is covered with
e by lO-nch armor plate, which is deco
rated with the crazy black and yellow
blotches OF the camoufleurs.
Sergeant Il. ". Hopper is i'm charge
of the tank, and drives IT, Tank Ma
chine Gunner Carl Burke operates the
rapid.tire Marlin gun.
The tank arrived late yesterday after
noon, made 20 short trundling march mp
Main street and then was taken into q
garage for repairs
At ten o'clock this morning &c was
taken to the High School building.
The pupils and teachers who flooded
Washington street felt the little old
'coouo' over aud wondered at it's
strange appearance and habits. At
1925 this morning it was taken to the
Ringing station to meet the special
train bearing the teachers and pupils
from New Wilson. whose interest in the
tank drew them to Ardmore.
Repaired in ArdmOre
When the tank reached Ardmore last
evening it was taken to the Suggs Rice
and Rice Auto shop for repairs. Two
gears had stuck in the transmission, the
lateral clutch brakes were burned out
and according to Sergeant Hopper tn
tank was in a pretty bad condition The
mechanics, Lee Henry and Virgil Rice,
assisted by Tel Folsom worked from
7.3O o'clock last night until o'clock
this morning getting the tank i'm con
dition to tour the city as had been
| planned.
These men deserve a great deal of
credit because the thing was in a
pretty bad hx and ,hey have overhaul
ed the transmission and fixed it ur
] ttafI
moro trouble" said Sergeant Hopper
we called it 'cootie tank ON IN,
front, This is because 1t lis so SINAI
compared to the big tanks, and bccaus'
it crawled all over and got everywhere
However, the coolies played big par
in the final overthrow Of the Huns.
This particular tank was ON the from
sixteen months and went through the
last big drive. In size it compares with
the French Baby tank, is forty-hv'
horsepower and makes twelve miles PEI
hour.
Both Men We're Fighters
Both Sergeant Hopper and Gunne
Burke saw the thick Of the tghtul
on the Western Front and both know
well what it means to an enemy Il
have these monsters crawl in ON then
With their death-dealing guns ant
field pieces. Both men served I'M tank
at st. Miheil Burke camu througI
without scratch, but Hopper wa
wounded and gasscd just two hour
before the signing OF the almislc,
Sergeant Hopper received TWO decor.
tions from the French government II
wears the CruiN de Guierre with ON
star. lie had three tanks shot uu
from under him. the last one just tw
hours before the armistce stopped th
fighting 1t was in This cngagcmcr
he was wounded lie Was with th
344th Tank battalion. lie fought 'ua
i'm the Argonuc Forest battle. al
homo is in Dyersburs, Tenn
Hundreds including many hiEi
school students. accompanied by Bel
Herman teachers i'm history, yicwe
the tank while il was at the rcpa
shop.
Buddy" Nelson Niih II
! Sergeant Buddy Nelson, formorI
of Ardmorc. and who was wounded ;
Chateau Thicrry. while he was wit
the 9th division. marines. is acoompan,
ing the tank.
Mai. Jim Goodheart, who former
had been with the intelligence branC
OF the air service. and a spanish An
elican veteran. Is speaking with Il
p tank ut the points OF the demonstr
c tons, Liberty notes may be bougl
on the grounds.
a W. #, Motfett is the associate sta
n director in charge Of the special ira
which is carrying the tank
> Walter $, Gilbert. chairman Of 4
committee ON transportation for Il
Carter county Victory loan headquy
5, ters, is the man to be thanked f
4 getting the tank to Ardmore. and fro
the numbers of curious people W
II are following it about the city todu
- it IS easy to see. that Mr., Gilbert h
Is brought to Ardmore the most drawil
attraction he could have brought, wi
e the single exception Of Mr.. Wilhu
- Hohenzollern himself.
g, The tank will leave Ardmore sol
timo tonight.
~ $