WITH THE SECOND LINE TROOPS IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 39, 9 November 1917, Page 5

WITH THE SECOND LINE TROOPS IN FRANCE

■: THE ARMY'S "POOR RELATIONS" CLEANING UP IN THE WAKE OF THE ADVANCE While the eoldiors of the active Army are engaged all along the front attacking tho Gormans or defending tho French positions against the frequent assaults of speoially selected German shock ■ troops (say* the French correspondent of tho American Associated Press), their "poor relations," composing the troops of tho second lino, are kept busy removing traces of the destruction'which marked the retreat of tho Germans in March bofore the advancing French and British. Dozens of bridges over rivers and canals as well as many locks which hold back the waters of tho canals were blown .up by the Germans as they hurriedly re j tired. In many instances the reaches of tho canals' have run dry, while the courses o£\the rivers have been blocked by large masses of steel, reinforced concrete, and stone, which, if not removed, would cause tho whole surrounding country to bo flooded in rainy woathor or in case of frost, thus rendering impossible the digging of trenches or tho occupation of important positions. ■, In order to avert any' such disaster special companies of engineers were formed immediately after the battle of tho Marno from amon'g tho old soldiers of the second, or territorial reserve, whose duty it was to follow in the rear of tho advancing Allies and to clear all r.bBtrnctions from' river and canal beds. They were called companies of waterway sappers, and the men composing (hem wero selected because of their training in various trades-smiths, riveters, electricians, boatmen, divers, miners, and others accustomed to tho handling of explosives. Tho Marne Freed of Obstructions. ' Following the battlo of the Marno these companies of "poor relations" did most excellent service in clearing the Marne and the lower Oise of obstructions. Then for a long period they wero engaged on other services, but after the German retreat of this spring they were set to work on tho old task of opening up rivers and canals and freeing them from obstruction. They have in the course of the past two months done marvels in this direction. On the Aisne they have cleared away from the bed of the river the debris of no fewer than jiineteen bridges, and on the Upper Oise five, soma of them 'quite Bolid constructions, which when they were blown :np, fell in a mass right across 'tho ' stream. ■ . ' The correspondent was present at the .Temoval of one of flw brokon bridges. .It had fallen' in one piece of steel and concrete twenty yards in length and six • in breadth,: weighing eighty tons, and 'it lay athwart tho Btrcam. almost from ono bank to the other. The company of. engineers which was ordered to do the work had to content itself with very primitive tools, as no modern apparatus was- available, all being employed in the munition factories. Tho most powerful crane at their disposal' could lift only twenty tons, and blocks, pulleys, and winches wpre of even smaller strength. It was therefore necessary to cut the srreat block lying under, water into smaller fragments. This was done by laying a oharge of dynamite pnd melinite ■ along its entire length in the centre. ■ A diver plunged and weighted the oharge, which was attached to a rope, with heavy stones at intervale. # Then a copper wire connected with,a tiny portable electrio battery, was attached to the end of the charge. • Tho few men-on--1 gaged then withdrew to a safe distance, the current was switched on, and in a second a waterspout fifty yards in height told that the work of splitting the de-. stroyed bridge had been accomplished, The visit of a diver 'showed that the block had been split accurately in two pieces and that the concussion had sep- : arated all the concrete, so that each nor- .' tion weighed only twenty tons, just within tho capacity of the apparatus at hand. In a few hours the whole mass was lying ion the .side of the river and the current had a free course. On some occasions these men have to do their work under-fire of the enemy's "guns,.but they carry-out their arduous labour as though there was no danger. They havo to.be content with the knowledge that their work is helping toward victory, while the more brilliant deeds of their comrades in tho actual fighting line not far away are rewarded by tho granting of decorations. However, there is no jealousy .among them. They aro doing their best for France and civilisation, and they do it woll. ,