RAILWAY MIRACLES.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 February 1918, Page 4

RAILWAY MIRACLES.

ARMY THAT “ GETS A MOVE ON.”

(From George A. B. Dewar.)

France, Nov 30

The Army gets things done Within my own experience of public work—limited no doubt, but still experience covering a good many 3 r ears now—there is no business organisation on a huge national scale which gets them done smarter. When time is the essence of the contract it does know how to “ get a move on”—to use the familiar phrase one hears in the form of a sharp imperative when the quagmire roads up to the front are congested and somebody is wild to pass.

The Army can almost he said to make a railway while you wait. This fact was impressed on me this morning when I passed up into the battle area over a line which four days ago was in process of repair and prolongation, and to a point in the road where four days ago another line was being arranged for. To-day I found a nice, neat levelcrossing over the first and labour dispensed with; while reaching presently the second point I looked for the new road on which the line was to be laid and, behold, the whole thing complete ! f I walked over a ridge into tile hollow beyond, walked the best part of a mile, curious to .learn what length of line had actually been finished off in the absurdly short space of time, but I gave up walking as I saw the new line curving on and o:i through the war wastes; There were probably some miles of it beyond where I stood. I think that this is no extraordinary case; it is probably quite an unsensational example of how the British Army in France to-da3 r gets»things through. GREAT DAY FOR AIRMEN.

In this area I covered to-da3 7 things . were quieter than) I have found them at any time since the offensive started nine da3 T s ago. I do not think I have ever been for several hours at a stretch in a quieter sector than this. It was positively pacific in the sunshine this jnorning within a quite eas5 r walk, a mild constitutional, ,to the front line; but it was a little too quiet to deceive one. The sole activity to speak of was in the air. * A large number of aeroplanes were out again this morning flying once again at their usual height, and the Archie guns were talking to them. vSome of the groups of aeroplanes moved unconcerned among the bursting shrapnel, the enemy being specially loquacious. An enemy machine passed over my head—l know, of course, that an aeroplane ahvaj's does pass,over one’s head exactly or over one’s garden if it is at all in the neighbourhood—but this one really did pass over. It was talked to by a number of guns, and rifles, too, offered some observations, but after all it always is and it always must be a rare event for an aeroplane at a considerable height to come down at the order of a gun to the ground. It is the same, of course, on both sides. It is so with all armies, airmen and gunners. There is so much of an aeroplane to hit which is not vital.

THE END OF A “ SAUSAGE.”

While watching at another place the work ot the fleets around and sometimes overhead I saw for the first time in my experience of war. the end of a sausage-balloon attacked by an aeroplane. The sausage naturally hastens to descend before the approaching enemy has time to get within range. This sausage was about half way to earth when the aeroplane got within range and fired its machine gun. The whole thing was scarcely a matter of two minutes. The shot struck home, the envelope ignited, and one of the observers leaped. I saw him most distinctly dropout of the basket. He dropped clear. There was a moment or two of susspeuse for the watchers, then the parachute opened. He was clear of the flaming mass, and si owl}', beautifully, he was wafted away at an angle of 45deg. or threabouts. towards a grassy expanse a little way off. Next, the second observer, free of the wires, now launched (himself. Another second and he might have been too late. But he was out, and he too was clear of the flames and following his companion. The sight was faery—two tiny toy-like figures, quaintly reminiscent somehow of the Blondin tightrope and aerial performances of long ago, softly and, as it seemed, very very slowly came to earth.

A thick column, ol pitch-black cloud marked the descent straight down now of the sausage. The flame fell away info a minute spark. This too went out after a few seconds. The column of pitch was twirled and wreathed into a few fantastic long thin wisps rather like the forms taken by a flock of dunlins or of starlings during one of their mysterious “ charms ” before roosting time. It was all over. The insubstantial pageant had dissolved. It left not a rack behind.