Evening star., 1944-08-12
Snow Jeep' at Home
On Mountain Ranges;
Il Can Swim, Too
BY the Associated Press.

BUCKLEY FIELD, Colo-Up
where some of the worlds worst
storms are born, on top of 14,000-
foot-high Mount Evans, the Army
has unveiled the M-29 light cargo
carrier.
The background of high altitude
lightning, of torrential rain, snow
and bowling gale is the testing
ground, and the school ground. Here
men train for the search and rescue
of Allied flyers forced down in the
desolate snow lands Of the Arctic.
The M-29 is track-tractor type
of vehicle that will carry 1900
pounds and tow a trailer or SO men
on skis.
It waddles on snow, as does man
on snowshoes. It clanks across and
up granite mountain sides, in the
fashion of bulldozer. 1t swims, in
the style of a duck. Its trailer car
ries sufficient medical equipment to
rescue 10 men in wrecked airplane.
Has. Proven Its Worth.
1t has proved its worth in Colo
RADIO. In MidWinter it fought its way
up II 11,000-foot-high Berthoud Pass,
west of Denver, to rescue almost 80
persons trapped by a blizzard that
blocked highways. 1t also has res
cued crews of planes that have
crashed high in remote corners of
the Rocky Mountains.
Swift Russian advances of last
winter undoubtedly partially were
powered by the MO; the mountain
fighters of Gen. Clark's 5th Army in
Italy probably are well acquainted
with MO-
CT Joes call it That Thing" the
"Snow Buggy" the Weasel" or
the Snow Jeep."
Last winter Maj. c. A. Innes-
Taylor, Arctic explorer of the Byrd
expeditions, and Belmore Browne,
the famed artist-eEplorer, took the
buggy on 500-mile test trip
through the Canadian Rockies
1T demonstrated that machines
will replace colorful dog teams of
the Northland,' says Maj. Innes-
Taylor.
Maj. Innes-Taylor is chief of Arc
tic training; Mr. Browne is civilian
instructor at the school.
Newsmen Taken for Ride.
Giving neWspapermen test of the
snow buggy, Maj. Innes-Taylor sug-
gested some maneuvers on Mount
Evans.
Hop in," he says, invitingly.
At IS miles an hour the snow
buggy whirrs up the oiled road that
leads from Echo Lake, headquarters
of the Arctic training school, to-
ward the top of Mount Evans, Is
miles away.
At 12,600 feet, far above timber
line, the driver turns suddenly from
the highway and through 3-foot-
deep ditch. It's a delayed and not
too painful jolt.
Rain is falling, mixed with snow.
Up at $4,000 feet there is a deep
snow field, even in August. The
party heads for it, miles by high I
way and then mile across granite
boulders.
Driver Bill Ford of Chicasha,
Okla, demonstrating his confidence
In M-29 by driving, at top speed, on
the roads outside edge, to avoid
rockslides and snowbanks. The lit
tie stones kicked up by M-29's tracks
are hurled over the precipice and
land in the boulder fields 1000 feet
below. The snow buggy would do
the same thing, carrying its six oc-
with it. if the outer track
logged inches out of line.
Driven Like a Horse.
At the snow field every one un- .
loads. Driver Ford ties a couple of .
ropes, so feet long, to the controls )
of the snow buggy, as if it were ;
horse, with reins. :
He throws in the clutch. The i
buggy moves slowly ahead Ford
follows. so feet behind, jerking first
one rein and then the other. The
buggy responds, as an intelligent
horse would.
The thing is guided easily this
way" says Maj. Innes-Taylor. The
purpose of such control is to permit :.
the vehicle to break its own trail,
1t may be followed by =
a train of M-29s. The first one may
strike crevasse, covered lightly by
snow, and fall into it.
IF the man is behind, steering =
with reins, he, the other cargo car =
riers and their crews all escape dis
aster." 6
Some day, says the GIs, the MO
will learn to respond to the tradi-
tional commands of the Northland:
>. Gee - "EiaMo and MMuShM