The Ogden standard. [volume], October 21, 1916, 4 P.M. CITY EDITION, MAGAZINE SECTION, Image 19

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
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muM 1 1 , ; p4(-:-:iiV built for a recent parade in Peoria,
p---' , y Pfbf tors used by the British army. It is ' 1H
& - - . . 5.k?:fe i'lSSSS supposed to be an exact duolication 1 IhH
if HE 8Clent,flc theory -which
li denies the existence of tho
JU J absolute straight lino, clalm-
t lng that all things nro only
fcl I 1 """ I3lrt C ercat circles and
IV merely appear straight,
F f j. seems nleo to apply to tlmo.
l, S" For tho eternal circle In
if which the world moves has again revolved and
H the old Ib now the now.
K Centuries ago, when the Greeks besieged tho
fjj ancient city of Troy, they resorted to the far
it famed ruso of the wooden horse ns a means of
gaining cntranco to the stubborn city. The
V Homeric legend Is well known; the horso was
admitted to tho city, and, onco within, poured
I- out a host of warriors, who broke down the dc
; fenses and let in the army.
It Is not a horse, but tho horse's modern sub
f stltuto which is now being used. As a gasoline
I' engine has replaced the horso for purpose's of
I drayagc, so the modern "wooden horso" la a
gasoline one.
I
r i O It Is, whllo the latest Invention of de
L structlon which tho war has called forth
L Is deadly and terrifying, It comes to tho sol
I dlers as merely part of the routine. When men
I. have become thoroughly accustomed to being In
L imminent danger of death for months nt a tlmo,
they are not going to be particularly alarmed
if the potential destruction takes somo new
form, They will seek to find a counter do
ll' etructlvo force and apply it on tho enemy's now
I Weapon.
I: But tho latest engine of death to appear Is
I appalling by Its uncanny Invlnclblencss. Show
' lng, as Lloyd George said, that tho enemy has
l' no monopoly on Inventive gonius, tho British
L have put In the field tnc new tank tractors, so-
called, and, as is the caao with most of tho new
1 1: '"-
Hl: .it-. -v.j j..,
t ',--. -t-f. .
Hi' - i'-.i ' iii ' ' o-idvs. 4
HI fcf . f
I ( ) "V
r . if.t-' . ?Sv
Ml f ' y
it ''yGX
Iffnldable machine!,, hnvo olijoyod a luice
.WMnure of success from ItB une.
I t the pcacoful, bucollo occupullon of har
and farm work to the grim business ol
i: a far stop, But the tractor, originally
. S tnod 10 mcl ' of th0 'mcuU rroblomc
ilfJ?0dern Arming, hwvo been turned into vor
t 2 bnttloHl.ipB by the Ingenious Engl b
. 3 V1"" Dtpnrtmont headB, and have shown hlgl
j&fefrsTf yaw?
f ffcctlvcncso in tho rccont Sommo drive.
From quiet Peoria, III,, about 1000 tractors
wcro oont to the British Government for what
purpose the manufacturer did not ask nor caro
to know. Complotod only according to the orig
inal specifications, the tractors boro no arms
or armor whatever. Theso things tho British
added for thcmselvos.
The tractors, of tho "caterpillar" type, havo
been converted Into armored land crulsors.
They hurdle trenches, crawl over shell craters
and walk through forest unbailed by intense
gun fire. With them tho British havo charged
tho trenches of tho Germans and obtained sig
nal advantages of positions, othorwiso unat
tainable. These land cruisers' chlof feature Jles in their
caterpillar tread. Tho tractors run on flvo
small-sized railroad wheels. But these wheels
never .touch tho ground. Instead, thoy run on
infinitely Jointed rails which are inclosed In a
wide, corrugated band. Tho band goes around
tho wheels, and, on account of its width and
lateral strength, forms a road upon which tho
tractor travels. The bands do not slick In mud
and aro not liable to llnd nny obstacle to which
thoy cannot adjust themselves and carry tho
i tractor over.
A weight of 1S.000 poundB und with a strength
of 120 horse-power, the trnolors can bo Htoppcd
f only by a direct hit from shells of considerable
r caliber. And shells of sumolent caliber to
, menace tho machines cannot bo omployod
whoro the conditions nro such ns to warrant tho
uho of tho tractors. Big gun tiro directed upon
i tho tractors would Imperil tho lives of tho sol-
.
,..-J, n. tf'v-? of the war machine. Benjamin Holt
r0''j: ' i&TcV Mh is the tractor's inventor. , inTM
dlers whom It was attacking. Machine gun tiro
Is, of course, useloss against tho ponderous
caterpillars which oiawl with an uncanny, irrc
alatlblc determination into tho trenches and
routs the occupants. m
Whon tho war llrst broke out and tho shrap
nel and machlno gun flro domonstratcfl tho ab
soluto UHolcssnoBa of cavalry, trench fighting or
ppcctaoulnr air lighting became tho only real
means of combat. Trench fighting nrTordod llt
tlo pcraonal contact; It meant, rather, days and
I
days of waiting. The alrmon did havo their
personal oncountora, but not In sulllciont num
bers to bo of nny grout Importance. "With tho
death of tho dashing romanticism of tho cav
by. tho fighting seemed to tako on a moro
grim and sordid aspect.
But tho advent of tho tractor marks tho re
turn of a cavalry-llko forco. Certainly not so
swift In action as tho horses, tho machines nro
yet more sccuro and far moro destructive. A
dozen great machines crawling slowly (hardly
, ."V
faster thnn a man can walk) over tho fields,
uprooting trocs as It goes, sliding down Into
shell craters and climbing out, bridging trbnohca
and always firing, firing at the soldiers has Ut
ile moro romanco to it.
During tho gonorai orcenslve on tho western
front, tho British, yard by yard, had taken thi
German tronohes, gory with the blood of cnomj
and friend alike. In a Boctlon about six mile!
In length, tho allies had successfully olosed h
upon tho Hanks and had pushed back the lino!
along two mllcB on eacb sldo of the center. Bui
tho center, becauso It occupied Just a sllgh'
olovatlon, proved a stubborn opposition to th
Tommies.
Cars Accompany Infantry.
put them to absolute and torrlfled fright. j H
One thousand yards apart the machines Bj 1 H
moved on until they gradually reached the limit H hMMb
of their desires und tho needs of tho army for I BBl
safety. But, Just as the tractors wero about B BAbb
to "turn and como back, tho ono next adjoining H BAVJ
that of Capt. Houseman shivered and stopped lj HBVJ
In Its tracks llko a stricken animal. H BHHJ
Although It wob practically Impossible to uso H jBHH
ago Inst the tractors guns of sufficient caliber to H
stop them or work any havoc at all on them, ffi hMwJ
an iudlscroot and lucky shot, fired probably
against orders, had pierced tho hide of one of HI HHHJ
Houseman's craft. "WTiat it had done to tho H
machlno, whether It bad killed the crow, and j
if moro wore to follow, Housoman did not know! H lf
But within, thrco men lay dead and two serl- H lf
ously wounded, a gun had been shattered and If HHH
tho transmission and stcoring gear of the motor nj HHH
had been demolished. j HH
Approach Appalling Sure. II I
WITHOUT a moment's Indecision, Houseman llj
turned his machlno broadsldo before the 111 HHH
opposing guns and started over the intervening Hi BHh
000 yards for tho crippled member' of hit HI HBHH
charge. At wltat seemed to him a snail's pace, W "HBHH
ho crossed tho Ilrc-rldden Hold slowly, but Hi ( HBHH
with the appalling surety of the tractor "tank." '
Tho approaching flro of the batteries mounted H ' IHHrJ
on Houseman's car drovo back tho Germans Hi HBHH
who wore about to swarm on to tho stricken Hi
tractor. And ns Houseman blazed his way up HI IHlllH
to tho silent machine, tho Germans retired to ' H
eafety from the gun flro of his crew. Jaj
Amidst tho din of battlo ho could got into no Jh Hlllfl
communication with the unharmed men of the MB) ! Hllll
other tractor. How badly thoy had beon bit HJ jH
ani what their condition was ho could not an- ijfBj , jH
certain, but a plan for rescuing them and the jttrl
machine very quickly occurred to HoiiEoman. Ml
Ho sto.rtod his machine around tho comrade ijlj sftyjfJ
"tank" In ns narrow a olrcle as It could ncgo- 'HI HBHH
tlnto AVIth tie guns blazing forth at the Ger- jnjj
1 mane, and with their machlno guns and rifles IH1 HlllJ
antwerlng haughtily but fruitlessly, Houseman's Hi
command crossed in front of the other car and IHj IHlllJ
Atcppcd for a baro momont, forming a sort of T. R
In thnt second, Housoman had raised the ar- H
mrrod trap and slipped out bf his car and j tk
3 nrcund to tho roar of the other. He carried a IHJ HHH
sturdy grappling chain, which, with utter dls- '' HHJ
regard for tho bullets cutting the air about him, !
1 ho meant to fasten to tho wounded tractor. H
1 Meanwhile his own machine trundled around V
t until It reached tho spot whoro Housoman was HMbJ
working. He had fastened the chain on the Hj HH
1 hind ond of tho "dead" tractor and was Just B JhHh
ready whon tho machlno relumed to him. , Hj 'fjfj
Back to tho British lines Capt. Houseman 'If j
turt.cd, trailing the saved machine In his wake. J HB j
X CHIuLi morning mini, preceuing a auy 01 nm iun-i iu ni """i IM
A bright sunnhino, concealed tho actual at- camo quite discouraged and loft tho tractor, I 'jlHJ
tack. With tho Infantry wont tho new armored which they had crippled but not captured, to 'I'hlH
cars, led by Housoman in what ho termed his lt owners. ""HH
flagship. Boiling noross tho fields In tholr un- Cheered by tho men and thanked profusely j j( IHH
canny, nlnioBt ludicrous caterpillar gait, tho by hln superior omcers, Housoman only smiled IB
oars wormed through shell orator, bowled ovor and disclaimed any heroism for his act, saylntf pH
stumps, and mado straight for tho foe's strong- that the two tractors nfforded him auch) a bar? U , MHH
hold on tho hill. Tho barbed wire was.no moro rl?, that he had boen In no dangor. But bul- W; BB
obstacle than string. Up and up tho tractors let spattering against tho door through which , M , -ifHJ
mounted and plowed Into tho tronches on the ho had but a second boforo returned to his ma- D VHI
hill where they left a wako of dead Gormans or ohlne. denied tho safety of his position. - , ( rt B