The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-24
RUSSIAN RAILROADS
 IN DEPLORkBLE FIX
Sixty Per Cent. of 18,OOO
 Engines Out of Commis- sion, Says Colonel GaskiIl.


 state of Russia's railways was out lined by Colonel c. s. Gaskill, of Moorestown, N. J., former chief Of the American Relief Administration Traffic Division, who recently was in London en route to the United States. where he is to resume his position with the Pennsylvania railroad.
 There are only 6l 'o0o Versts Ca road in all Russia under Soviet con- trol Colonel Gaskill stated. This means about one-twelfth of the Un1- ted States mileage in country far larger. Enormous stretches of ter ritory, including many fair-sized cities, have to depend for their connection with the outside world on wagon and river transport, being absolutely un- touched by railroads.
 '"The total number of locomotives" Colonel Gaskill said, according to Soviet official figures, is only 1S,700, of which 60 per cent. are out of com mission. Of the remaining 40 per cent. 5 per cent. are fully 50 years old. The number of cars is estimated at 440,O00, of which 30 per cent: are out of service. The condition of the others is dilapidated in the extreme"
 Evidences of former wealth in roll ing stocks are seen in some fine large American and other cars, which one constantly finds piled up on sidlngs, where they are used as houses by ref ugees and even by railroad officials.
 Make Homes From Cars
 'fThese cars have been turned in many cases into quite comfortable homes," he declared. Whole fami- lies conduct a regular menage in them. Presumably many of these cars were seized during the various wars and never returned to their proper uSes."
 The railroad beds, the Colonel stat ed, apparently did not suffer much as showing the need of repair. The ties are rotting, and so far the people have not had the strength to cut the wood for manufacturing new ones. The same lack of strength was large ly accountable for the dearth of fuel which at first threatened to handicap seriously the movement of American Relief Administration supplies. "Our salvation,'' he declared, "Iay | in the fact that the government was | able to transform the engines from wood or coal to oil burners. Cana l dian tank cars are now bringing suf- ficient fuel from the oil fields of Baku."
 The utter Restitution of the coun- | try affects the railroads in many small as we'll as large ways For ex- ample, cotton waste for cleaning pur- poses is unobtainab1e, and workers | have to content themselves with the ticker tape used for Russian tele- grams Paint, of course, is now an 1 "But the Russian railroad officials l are as keen as ever" the colonel 1 stated. ''The government fortunate | ly for us retained most of the old
 experts. and we have to thank their
 energy and efficiency for the fact that 1 our stocks got moved. These men have been cut off for years from the | outside world.
 | Asked for Literature They all begged me to send them
 literature, particularly on American
 meth ods of signaling
 In considering the movement of American Relief Administration sup
 plies during the spring, Colonel Gas | kill said 1t must be remembered that they were the only freight, outside
 of the Soviet seed cargoes, moving 1 over the roads.
 "It is ridiculous to say that any more material could have got in than only by almost superhuman efforts '' The recent improvement in the | transportation situation he ascribes to the opening of the rivers. The sup | ply Of barges is better than cars. and the American Administration. feeding | in Saratov, established excellent rela-
 tfons with the River Transport De- partment.
 1 Before leaving Russia Colonel Cas-
 kill spent some months as supervisor | of the American Relief Administra- 1 tion, feeding in Sartov. where Ameri-
 can food is keeping 1,1S3,0 900 people alive.
 You can feel the results of our
 feeding in the very atmosphere" he | declared. We've given those pea | sants new lease on life, and I SUD- pose one would have to be saved from | starvation himself to realize the in | tensity of their gratitude" 1 Colonel Gaskf1I is now returning tc l America after an absence of five
 years, during which time he served
 with the Engineers in France unde, General Atterbury. later beconine technical adviser to the Polish gov.
 ernment. He has been eight months I RnSSIn yx-it AVooA | Administration. His home is ir | Moorestown, N J.