The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-13
MAY CAMP AT AV0NDALE.
SITE FOR SECOND DIVISION ABOUT
DECIDED UPON.

fnnt Question the Officers Had BE
fore Them Nesterday-MOre Than
Two Miles of Sewers VIII Have to
lie Put in-WhoIesaIe Dealers
Looking Cut for C0atracts-If Any
Supplies Are Needed Bids viii BE
Called for-Savannah Way Have n
Permanent Cnmp-PermanentC COM
mfssary Depot Almost Sure 10 BE
Located Here.
From the present outlook the Ayondale
tract viii be the site for the encampment
of the Second Division Of the Seventh
Army Corps.
This was about decided yesterday after
the third or fourth trip 10 that locality
by the officers of Gen. Lees staff who
have been here for several days, looking
over the ground.
The officers at first objected to the Avon
dale tract on account Of the fact that the
water is too close to the surface Of the
ground But they find it the same way
with many Of the other tracts inspected,
and the Avondale tract is now considered
about the most available outside of the
land along Dale avenue, where the First
Division Will be camped.
Beside the Avondale tract the officers
yesterday inspected the land on the Ogee-
chez road near the Georgia Car and Man
ufacturing Companys works, and also the
sand at the old Ten Brock race course,
out on the Central Railroad. Taking every
thing into consideration, however, it APP
pears that the Avondale tract has been
found about the most available, aud though
an absolute conclusion has not been reach
ed, there is little doubt that the Second
Division win be camped there.
The most important question which the
officers had before them yesterday was
that of providing sewerage systems for the
two camps This question was discussed
extensively with Mayor Meldrim and Al
derman w. W. Owens last night al the
De Soto. The desire of the officers and
the city officials is TO see sewers run from
both camps, as The use Of sinks is quite
disadvantage on account Of the near
ness Of the water to the surface Of the
ground.
The plans for sewers agreed upon as be
ing the best are 10 run outlets from both
the Dale avenue camp and the Avondafe
tract 10 the Bilboa canal. a distance from
the first of about a mile and from the sec
ond about a mile and a third. This will
entail considerable expense, but another
Camp Wikof is not wanted. The officers
and the city officials had very little to say
on the subject, but there is no doubt that
their efforts are being bent toward getting
the government to put down these sew
eTs at once. The cost it is said, will be
something like 5000 yet the health of
the men as wen as that of the community
Is at stake, and il is not likely that eX-
pense viii be any hindrance as long as II
remains within reasonable bounds.
In addition to this, 1t is said, it is prob
able that Savannah will be used as a reg
ular camp site as long as the movement
of troops is In progress as the result of
the recent war. 1t Is expected not only
to keep up the sewerage and water con-
nections, but also the commissary and
quartermasters supply depots here for
some time after Gen. Lees corps has de-
parted for Cuba. In the next place it is
likely that Gen. Lees corps will remain
here until the first of December The
officers say now that they expect to get
the entire command away not later than
Nov. y, but there are always many de-
lays in the movement of large bodies of
troops and their presence here after that
time would not be at all surprising.
With regard to the water supply in the
event of the definite selection of the Az
ondale tract, there will no doubt be an
extension of the first water main laid
TO that tract, which will entail less eX-
pense on the city than the laying OF two
mains. One main can be put down to
the Dale avenue tract and then extended |
TO the Avondale tract. The pipe for these
mains, or at least the greater part of it,
is expected here to-day, sixteen carloads
having been shipped from Chattanooga
yesterday. The work Of laying the main
10 the Dale avenue tract win begin at
once on it's arrival
Maj. John Gary Evans, inspector general
of the First Division of the corps, has in
sisted on sewers instead of sinks, for his
division ever since he has been connected
with the army. He has sewers for mis- oil
vision in Jacksonville, and he says The
consequence has been ne has had i'm that
division about one case of typhoid fever
where the other division, using sinks, mas
had nearly ten. The city authorities and
the other officers as well are in favor of
this system, as they think 1t will greatly
conduee 10 the health of the camps and of
the city.
one of the most interesting features of
the visit of the officers has been the fire.
quent visits paid them by representatives !
of the wholesale grain and grocery mer- !
chants of the city 1t is pretty near GER
tain that every firm has made an Effort
TO get a finger in the suspected pie, and
the officers have been we'll looked after
on all sides.
As matter OF tact there IS no uOuDt tHdI
the corps will have to purchase large
quantities of supplies here. At the same
time the government has contracts with
large firms in the North and West TO
furnish the same kind of supplies, name
ly. forage and food for the troops. If
they should be able however, to gel these
supplies here cheaper than under the con-
tracts, il may be that large quantities viii
be bought in Savannah Otherwise the
chances are that the better part of the
supplies viii come from the contractors.
In the case OF Col. Rays and Col. Sar-
geant's regiments. which went TO Santi-
ago some weeks ago, a considerable
amount Of forage was secured, but very
little commissary supplies.
Col. o. Z. Wood chief commissary of
the regiment, was asked about this mat
ter yesterday. He said that the corps
now has a large amount of supplies on
hand i'm Jacksonville. The chances are,
he stated, that a large proportion of the
supplies win be secured from the regular
contractors though there may be q num-
Nrastge taTN