346 THE AMERICAN FOREST ENGINEERS IN FRANCE 



former for short-distance skidding, up to 300 yards; the latter for hauls, 

 up to 6 or 8 miles. Big wheels were used successfully on several jobs 

 for skidding distances intermediate between those adapted to the spool 

 skidders and hauls requiring a log wagon. They were employed in 

 moving out piUng at a number of operations. Drays, or "go-devils," 

 were constructed for short-distance work in mud or snow or on rough 

 ground at many operations; and in several instances the old-fashioned 

 bob-sled — for long hauls on snow roads — came into its own. 



Value of French Highways. — Much of the log transportation was 

 facilitated greatly by the splendid system of French forest roads and sur- 

 faced highways. The maintenance of this wonderful network of rural 

 communication all over France is a phase not only of preparedness for 

 war but of national efficiency at all times which the United States would 

 do well to emulate. Logs could often be handled by motor truck to a 

 central mill site from several small forests within a radius of 10 or 12 

 miles. Enormous quantities of poles, piles, hewn ties, lumber, and fuel 

 wood were moved to rail by the same means. Much normal railway 

 traffic was, under the exigencies of the general transport situation, 

 handled by fleets of motor trucks and trailers. 



Motor Trucks and Caterpillars. — With the motor trucks and iron- 

 tired tractors, which were used both in the woods and on hard roads, it 

 was found necessary to have two types of trailers, each of about 5-ton 

 capacity. The first was a high-speed trailer, with rubber tires and roller 

 bearings, adapted to fast work on good roads. The second was a slow- 

 speed trailer, with high wheels and 6-inch iron tires. This machine was 

 designed for work in the woods primarily, although it was often ad- 

 vantageous to send a string of trailers from the landings through to the 

 mill or railroad, without rehandling their loads but perhaps changing the 

 type of power when hard roads were reached. One of the most difficult 

 transportation jobs required in France was the moving of 90 and 100 foot 

 piling out of the Vosges Mountains. This was done with gas tractors 

 and iron-tired trailers, the latter fitted with special built-up bunks for 

 the purpose. 



Caterpillar tractors did wonderful work in hauling trailers or log 

 wagons over ground which was impassable to horses and to any other 

 type of motor equipment. These powerful machines with 8-wheeled log 

 wagons were the last resort in keeping logs moving through sodden clay 

 mud when everything else had failed. 



Logging Railways. — The forestry operations in France had to resort to 

 logging railroads or horse trams in many cases because of lack of horses, 

 the lack of suitable motor traction, difficulties arising from mud, swamps, 

 or loose sand, and in several cases because of the large quantities of 

 timber to be moved over distances of 2 to 6 miles. In many operations, 



