The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-05-31
LUMBERMENTR TRICK
GERMAN D0MBERS
Save Ammunition Dumps and Big
SaWmiIls From De-
Struction.
YAhkS PULL CLEVER STUNT
Electric Lights Strung In Woods Mis-
lead Huns-WorId's Biggest Repi-
ment Cut 5000 Cords of Wood
a Day for Fuel.

Washington.-How the Twentieth,
the biggest regiment In the world. made
up Of lumbermen and foresters, fooled
the Germans and saved ammunition
dumps and big sawmills from the Hun
bombers, Is told by Percival Sheldon
Ridsdale. secretary of the American
Forestry association, Of Washington,
who recently returned from a three
month tour of France, Belgium and
England investigating the forest losses
of those countries. The association
has planned to aid in the ~reforestation
OF those countries, also of Italy.
Fooled the Huns.
THE biggest mills operated by the
Twentieth regiment" says Mr.. Rids-
dale, "were at Eclaron, In the forests
of Argonne. These were situated near
big ammunition dumps and as the
plant was run all day and all night, be-
Ing electrically lighted. Ii made a very
good target. The mills were bombed
several times, but none of the workers
was injured nor was much damage
done. and finally a real American trick
resulted In so misleading thu German
bOmbers that the danger was entirely
overcome. This trick was devised by
Major Spencer, who, realizing that the
electrically lighted mill was a bright
target for the German bombers, ran
electric wires into the heavy woods for
q distance of, one-third of a mile from
the mill and installed a number of cleo
trio lights on the trees. Whenever an
alarm Of an air raid came, the lights
OF the mill were e~xtlnguished and the
lights among the trees one-third Of a
mile from the mill were lighted by
switching on the current and were kept
blazing while the Germans wasted
bombs on them and inflicted damage
only or some of the trees.
"Other mills up along the fighting
front were also bombed frequently, but
without serious damage"
Operates Many Mills.
Continuing his statement about some
OF the wonders accomplished by this
regiment of lumbermen and foresters
during the war. MI. Ridsdale writes In
the American Forestry Magazine:
The regiment was composed of 40
companies of approximately $50 men
each, divided into IA battalions and
having connected with 1t 36 engineer
service companies or labor troops. 1t
was organized originally to contain As
companies, but the Forty-ninth was
added In France. being composed of
members of the New England saw mill
unit who had spent almost two years
In cutting In the Scotch forests. Three
ofacers and 80 men volunteered as o
nucleus Of this company. The full
complement was secured by getting
men from other organizations.
"The chief forest cutting of the regi.
ment was In the Vosges section. with
Epinal as headquarters. At Eclaron
In the forests Of Argonne, was the lar
gest single installation, a mill capable
OF shipping, as 1t did, an average of
5000 ties a day. This mill furnished
duck boards. bridge timbers, piles and
poles. etc., for the First and Second
armies.
AT the time the armistice was
signed, the regiment had 81 lumber
mills In operation and II more being
installed"
The contingent with the First and
Second American armies at the fight.
ing front managed to secure and main.
tain q production Of about 5000 cords
Of wood a day, which supplied fuel for
approximately 100000 troops.