The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-02-21
TRUCK CLIMBS
OVER bitches
Army Officers Try Out Tractor
Type Vehicle That Performs
Like War Tanks.
NEW DEPARTURE IN TRACTORS
Giides on Asphalt Pavement Without
Leaving Scratch, Then Goes Over
bitches, Up Hills and Over
RoadIess Territory

| Washingt0n.-A truck capable of
bitches, up hills and through roadIess
| territory, just as did the tanks of
World war days, has been demon
strated to high army officers and mem
bers Of the house and senate military
committees here, with view to hav-
ing the type adopted as standard for
the army.
With Assistant Secretary of War
Wainwright, General Pershing, officers
of the general staff and the ordnance
and supply departments of the army
and congressman looking on, the 49,
000-pound tractor-truck went through
its PAGES, first demonstrating its speed
and practicability on the asphalt pave
ment and net leaving a scratch on the
roads smooth surface
Then came the tests for war uses
Down the side of the emhankment into
Rock Creek park ii went, carrying
among its passengers Mai Gen WI
liam H. Hart, quartermaster general of
the army. In this untraveled territory
the truck crossed successfully a net
work Of bitches in the deep ravine be
low bridge Only once in the series
of tests to which the army man had
the machine put did it falter. Straight
up the side of ditch, at an angle of
about 40 degrees, it started Half way
up the frozen ground gave the rear
tractors no purchase. and for mo-
ment the truck hung there. With a
twist of the steering wheel the trac-
tors bit the ground and up went the
big truck.
New Departure in Tractors.
This "roadless truck" is a new de-
parture in tractors. Instead Of the
usual leaf or coil spring that takes the
load Of the great truck in crossing OBJ
Structions it IS equipped with sus-
pension cable that spreads the weight
of the truck over the entire chassis,
giving the huge bulk a pressure Of
only 1917 pounds a square inch on
hard roadway and 9h pounds where
the steel shoes come in contact with
the ground on softer surfaces. A
SNAKE track" having radius about
which the machine will turn, gives the
truck almost as much fiexibility as an
ordinary automobile and prevents the
scuff1ng Of the road so common In
tractors. A demonstration Of how the
weight is spread out by the suspension
cable was given by running the 10000
pound truck over a series Of pine
10ox wiz, or.rc
without Earring the occupants. AS a
final demonstration of the ease with
which it can be manipulated Mrs. VIII
liam H. Coburn of Chestnut Hill,
Mass took the drivers seat and put
the big machine through all the tests
again.
The construction of the truck IS a
distinct departure from all previous
types and 1t is the first one built In |
this country. Built on the general prin- |
ciple Of a suspension bridge, the road
less truck was designed especially for
use in oil fields and other virgin ter
ritory where no roads exist SO per-
fectly does this cable function, 1t Is
said, the machine could pass over a
mans leg without seriously injuring It,
the weight not applying in one spot
as in other types. Army experts be-
lieve this type will help to solve the
problem of carrying heavy loads over
light roads without the resulting dam
age that has led to so much protest
against the use Of heavy cars on
Doulevards and other smooth roads.
New fabrication Scheme.
One phase of peculiar interest to
he technical men present was the
scheme of interior fabrication, which,
hey believe, Overcomes one Of the
principal difficulties to which tractors
AVE been subject. Heretofore in
through sand there has been
much trouble over the mixing Of sand
nd OIL which quickly cuts the bear
ngs. This new invention forces the
ii out, the pressure being sufficient to
eep the sand from working its way
nto the bearings.
The truck made the trip down to
Washington from New York at an
verage speed slightly In excess Of
inc miles an hour. The rubber tread
18th which the front wheels and rear
FACTORS are equipped showed little
ign Of wear.