194 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR
the wounded would then be loaded and unloaded regularly for weeks
at a time. In spite of the fact that the transport of the sick and
wounded demanded strenuous labor, almost without sleep from the
beginning to the end of a trip, the staff worked with a will, and long
lelays and inactivity would sometimes produce grumbling and
weariness, and at times even cause sickness among them. They
showed their eagerness for action in every way, and when they found
themselves at the terminal railroad stations at the front, were anx-
lous to penetrate even farther into the danger zone, so as to be able
to establish dressing and feeding stations for the wounded men be-
fore they reached the railway terminal. They also organized special
expeditions to collect the wounded at the front and transport them
to the nearest railway line that was in working order. The trains,
or at least several cars detached from such trains, manned by mem-
bers of the staff, would cautiously proceed into the zone of actual
ighting at the risk of being fired on or falling into the hands of the
enemy. This is how the “flying train-squads” originated which saved
the lives and eased the sufferings of large numbers of wounded.
These squads were formed and again disbanded as circumstances re-
quired. In eastern Prussia, in the sector of Graevo-Lika, railroad
carriages taken from the Germans were put together as a permanent
narrow-gauge hospital train, which operated during the whole time
-hat the Russian troops remained on enemy territory. In the area of
he Mazurian Lakes a horse tramcar service equipped by the Zem-
stvo Union was used for the transport of the wounded.
The conditions under which zemstvo trains were sometimes com-
gelled to work may be illustrated from a report submitted by the
officer commanding Train No. 173. We quote the following passage
from this report:
On February 2, 1915, the train left the station of Belostok at 3 a.m.
for the station of Augustovo. At 8 the train was switched on to the
Suwalki branch line, over which the last trains from Suwalki and
Augustovo were already departing. Only towards evening was it at last
possible to approach the station of Augustovo, situated in a spruce
forest. At a distance two to three miles before the station the train
passed through the Russian line of skirmishers, who had taken up their
position on both sides of the track. At this time the enemy was ad-
rancing on Augustovo from the opposite side, confining himself to rifle
fre. . . . I ordered the superintendent to climb on to the locomotive,
