Salt Lake Telegram | 1917-12-30 | Page 14 | U. S. Truck Train Reaches Smoky City on Way to Atlantic Coast

iii U. U S. S TRUCK TRAIN REACHES SMOKY Y CITY ON WAY A Y TO ATLANTIC COAST Thirty Army Trucks Win Thrilling Battle With Snow and Rough Roads Road Pa Dec 29 Two Two hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred thousand people in PIttsburg and the tIle towns along the way from Beaver Falls greeted the United States army train ain of ot thirty trucks today Long before the truck arrived in Pittsburg they were literally bedecked with American fl flags gs by thousands of school children and when I the train majestically rolled into the Steel City they the were buried beneath masses of red white and blueThe blue I The short trip of thirty miles mile furnished furnished turI fur tur- I wonderful and convincing evidence that the hearts of the people are behind the boys and the trucks en route to France Reception committees made up Uj of county count and city officials met the train at the county line and escorted It through the streets packed with cheering people into the heart of the city and thence out Baum boulevard to the First Firs field artillery artillery artil artil- lery armory Pittsburg is the end of ot what may be I regarded as the first stage of the trip It Itis Itis is miles from Detroit The train has made some very difficult hills but nothIng nothing noth noth- ing lag to what it must overcome in the re remaining remaining remaining re- re miles to Baltimore The Themen Themen Themen men are more confident than ever th that t the trucks will make the many steep grades despite the terrible punishment they have been subjected to since leavIng leav- leav lag Ing ng Detroit Friday The first stop after leaving caving Pittsburg will probably be Ligonier Ligonier Ligo- Ligo nier and the second night at Bedford Although h the train is behind schedule LigO 1 Captain Bronson and and the men are not a white less bess enthusiastic than when th they Y pUlled Bulled out ont of Detroit one week ago ado Huge snowdrifts unusual for this time of year In Michigan and Ohio were encountered at the outset and five machines were stalled and instead of reaching Toledo the he first night halt the train was forced to o remain in Monroe Mich l leaving for I Toledo Saturday noon The Sunday run I from Toledo to Norwalk was a repetition of the battles with the snow in Michigan hut but ut the troubles the men endured were tempered by the kindness received at the hands lands of patriotic men and women Warm Yarm meals were prepared at Fremont and other places a and nd the townspeople of Norwalk showered the soldiers with ith at at- at These greetings were repeated on a larger scale when the train rolled roBed Into nto Cleveland the following evening Many of the soldier drivers were re recruited recruited recruited re- re from Cleveland and the arrival of ot the train in the Forest City was the signal for a great demonstration by citizens citizens citizens citi citi- zens generally and relatives of the boys I in in khaki The last sixty-five sixty miles were dangerous danger danger- I ous work over hilly country Some of the hills were very steep and slippery There were many sharp turns and much deep snow which had to be shoveled I away Yet with the exception of ot the one truck every everyone one pulled through In the evening the soldiers were the guests of the in the courthouse square where a great singing festival of patriotic airs was held Warren is miles from Detroit giving the train an average of fifty miles a day lay to this point a point a wonderful wonder wonder- ful UI performance under the conditions en en- countered This truck train is the first of its Kind to run on Its own power between Detroit Detroit Detroit De De- De- De troit or any other manufacturing city and the Atlantic coast Officially it is known as division supply train No Truck company No 2 It is in direct charge of Captain Bennett Bronson and Lieutenant C. C A. A Riley The test of the theo pr practicability of forwarding these large trucks to an Eastern port on their own wheels was planned by the quartermaster corps of the United States army in conjunction conjunction conjunction con con- junction with the highway transportation committee All An the truck are three- three and the men driving them are picked from army camps in Texas Texa and Ohio