Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-01-30
400 LOCOMOTIVES
Sent TO FRANCE
Dispatched Intact, Ready for
Steam, by the Army Trans
port Service.
1900 SHIPPED IN SECTIONS
Record of IL Days Made From Shops
in This Country to Lines at the
Front-Great Work Is
Now Revealed.

Now Revealed.
Washington.-Shipm Of American
built steam locomotives, each weighing
70 tons, and assembled all except the
smOkestack and the tender, so that
they could move away under their
own steam within a few hours after
their arrival in France, was among the
accomplishments Of the United States
army transport force under stress of
war, and has since been continued.
More than 400 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 add
ton to 1000 which were shipped in
sections, nine to a locomotive, packed
in cases. The ships used to transport
the locomotives complete were of a
special type with three holds each
hold measuring 60 by 102 feet, entered
by matches 80 feet wide and ~ feet
long.
Into each of the three holds were
placed IL lOcomotives-36 to ship.
A bed or flooring on which they rest
ed for the voyage required more than
5000 tons Of steel rails. The To-
cOmOtives when in position were
braced with heavy wooden beams and
the space between the boilers to the
level of the top of the steam dome
packed solid with highly compressed
baled hay.
Compressed Hay Under Flooring.
On this hay another flooring was
laid, and on this floor was placed
the tenders-the smokestacks, with
more baled hay or other light cargo,
packed in the space where coal is tC
be carried. On top of the tenders wa
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 36 locomotives and other
cargo each vessel was carrying dead
weight of $4,000 tons in addition to
ghiD machinery, bunker coal and crew
supplies.
The loading of the locomotives is at
interesting sight. Steel railroad barges
CARRYING IA of the steel monsters are
made fast alongside a 10O-ton capacity
n~ntlng derrick barge, in turn made
fast to the ship. An ordinary sling
CT steel wire is placed around the for
y ard end of the boilers, another unGCl
the supports to the cab, the sigma
even and the locomotive lifted - q
50 feet in the air, swung over III"
gently loaded into the ships hold. This
whole operation required Eat 20 min
utcs, and it was accomplished with
the same ease and the same lack OF
excitement as prevailed on board
steamship at an adjoining dock which
was taking on beard 500pound 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.
"America Can Do It,"
eff England can do it, so can Amer
ica," an officer said, and he straight
way Communicated a fleet Of Ore-carry-
ing vessels which were constructed
with matches large enough to permit
the handling of such freight.
When the movement was at its
height the following time was record
70 of
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, 6 hours; barge to ship, 20
minutes; New York to France, 9
days; ship to army rail lines and
hooked up to transport train bound
for the front, 6 hours; "a total of
less than IL days.
Handling of 73-ton locomotives as
if they were but one-tenth of their
weight is only small part of the ire
mendous work that has been under
way at army transport piers since the
United States transport service at
tanned full swing.
Maj. Dan O'Brien, marine director,
an officer who has won his rank by
more than 20 years service in every
port Of the United States, Cuba,
Mexico and the Philippines, where
transport facilities of the army were
conferred, is the man who handled the
locomotives.