The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-22
SAVANNAH AS A CAMP SITE.
GEN. SCHWAN AND HIS BOARD IN
SPECIFIED SEVERAL LOCALITIES.

AyondaIe Considered the Most Eli
EfbIe Site for an Army Campfire
Water supply Thoroughly Inspect
ed-The Members of the Board
VIII Give No Intimatfon of Their
Report-Eleven Cities Have Al
ready Been Visited and as Many
More on Their List.
The board of army officers commission
ed to look up favorable camp sites in this
section arrived in Savannah shortly after
noon yesterday, and the afternoon was
spent in investigating the advantages Of
fered by two or three tracts that have
been suggested as suitable for camping
purposes.
The board is travelling in a private car
of the Southern Railway. 1t Is expected
that the officers will leave tonight, but
for what point they have not decided.
Brigadier General Theodore Schwan is
president of the board. His aide is Lieut..
G. 7. Summerlin of the Eighth Cavalry.
The other members of the board are
Col. O'Reilly, chief surgeon of the Fourth
Army Corps, with headquarters at Hunts
vile; Lieut.. Col. F. G. Hodgson of the
quartermaster's department at Washing
ton; Capt. w. E. Craighill of the Engi-
neering Corps, who is chief of the gov
eminent works at Wilmington, and Capt
Dodds of the Ninth Infantry, who Is act
ing judge advocate of the department of
the Gulf, and also, by reason of his being
the junior member, recorder of the board
n a he fro VIII
came in over the Plant System, by Mayor
Meldr.m, Alderman Guckenheimer and AL
derman Owens. both of the Council COM
mittee on military matters. They were at
once taken in charge by the municipal off
Gals and were driven out to Avondale
The tract of elevated and admirably suited
land at that place was carefully inspect
ed. The board also visited two other To-
calities. after which they returned to the
oits.
The city officials assured the officers of
the abundance and excellent quality of
Savannahs water supply, and to show
them the plant and convince them of the
supply being adequate to every need, they
were driven to the water works. An in
spection was all that was necessary to sat
isfy the officers upon the score of fine
drinking water in plentiful quantity. In
the event of troops being encamped any
where near the city, pipes viii be run out
to the location chosen.
After the water works had been inspect
ed the officers ended their labors for the
afternoon, some going to the De Soto,
where the board is registered, and others
remaining with the city officials and visit
ing the wharves
Savannah is by no means the only place
the board will report upon to the war de-
partment. 1t is the eleventh already that
has been visited, and it is said there are
as many yet to be inspected.
When it is considered that only
three or four camps are to be
established, ii may readily be seen that
Savannah's chance of getting troops
| camped here are by no means certain.
| The war department. did not order the
! board to visit the city. 1t was decided by
the board that Savannah should be in
/ cluded in it's itinerary, but il is said this
| viii have no effect with the war depart
ment when it comes to making a selection,
| as the board was given full discretion to
| visit any places at might see fit to visit
! in addition 10 those prescribed in orders
received from the department.
The camp board began its work at
!
! the officers assembled. One day was spent
| there in looking over sites in the vicinity
! From Huntsville the officers went TO An
niston. Then the following cities were
| taken In in the order named: Atlanta
! Opelika, Columbus, Warm Springs, Amer
icus, Albany, Thomasville and Waycross
| But short stays were made in each place
so Savannah will probably have the honor
of being the city at which the board will
make its longest stop. The officers will
| leave tonight to-day being spent here to
! give them a rest.
one of the officers spoke very favorably
| last night of their visit to Avondale The
property, he said, is well adapted to camp
purposes 1t Is of sufficient extent to al
| low no question of size to figure. The
officer says it is large enough to accom-
modate a division.
Special reports are furnished by the
board of every town visited These re-
ports go in to the war department where
the selection of those places at which the
camps will be established will be made
AS will be noticed, the personnel of the
board is of officers of more than one
branch. A surgeon is among them who
| has it as his duty to see that no site is
reported upon favorably that has anything
about its location or surroundings to make
it likely 10 prove unhealthful. A Judge
advocate is also a member, as It is neces-
sary that knowledge of the law be had
in making the deals in land that are found
! necessary
Gen. Schwan, the president of the board.
is one of the generals of the army who
saw service in the war with Spain. He
was in command of the last expedition
that left Port Tampa for Porto Rico. His
command was engaged in two fights
Col. Hodgson is a Georgian He Is n
West Pointer who was appointed from
Athens. where many OF his relatives are
now living. Co. Hodgson was with the
party that visited Savannah some weeks
ago looking up camp sites