The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-05
A PERMANENT WINTER CAMP.

consider the adVlSahi!ity OF establishing
permanent winter encampment of troops
at Savannah.
Within few days one division of Gen.
Lees corps viii have embarked for Cuba
The understanding is that the division
VIII not carry its tents. but that new
tents viii be supplied by the department.
Thus there will be left vacant an already
established and excellent camp sufficient
for the accommodation of six regiments.
As other troops of the Seventh Corps are
moved to Cuba other equally well estab-
lished and excellent camping grounds will
be left unoccupied.
II is settled that Savannah will remain
the port of embarkation and disembarka-
ton of troops passing between Cuba and
Porto Rico and the United States. This
is so for three of the very best reasons
in the world, all of which have had the at
tention of the government The first is
that Savannah has the best transporta-
ton and terminal facilities in the South
Atlantic section. The second is that Sa-
vannah has % feet of water from the city
to 1.-The sea, making it possible for such
monster transports as the Chester, the
MinEewaska and others to come up to the
wharves and take their cargoes and de
part 1t is not necessary for them to an
Choir at sea, several miles off the bar and
have their freights carried to them on
lighters
The third reason, and a very important
one, is that excepting Savannah there is
no South Atlantic port having anywhere
near an equal depth of channel that has
an adequate fresh water supply. Too
much stress cannot be laid upon this point.
Fresh water, for drinking and culinary
purposes is an absolute necessity for the
port of embarkaUon. Fresh water in
abundance is Indispensable for men and
horses. Not only is it needed in port, but
it is absolutely necessary that a Plentiful
supply shall be taken aboard ship. And
not only do men and horses need fresh
water. but steam boilers need it also, for
reasons which every engineer and steam
boat man perfectly understands. Savan-
nah has a fresh water supply adequate to
all demands which may be made upon il.
Its drinking water, Of which the supply
can be run to upwards of 100000 gallons
a day, comes pure, sparkling and sweet
from deep artesian wells And the steam
er that wants fresh water for its boilers
has only 10 pump it from the river.
The water supply of Charleston, even
if Charleston had terminal facilities and
depth of channel adequate to the needs
of the government for the embarkation
of troops, would be unequal to the de-
mands that would be made upon ii. AS
a matter Of fact, Charleston's water sup
ply is not sufficient for the city's own
needs. Only few weeks ago the Charles
ton Evening Post, a newspaper with the
courage to look an unpleasant fact square
ly in the face, expressed the fear
of water famine during the APP
preaching convention of the Con-
federate veterans The Post has repeatedly
and pointedly called attention to Charles
toms deficiency in fresh water.
But If Charleston's water supply were
five times as large as it is, from the same
source, it would still not do for the pur-
poses of the army. The water
is strongly impregnated with soda.
1t cannot be used in cooking. It
cannot be used in steam boilers. 1t cannot
be stored for future use except in hermet-
ically sealed vessels. The people of
Charleston do not depend upon it to any
great extent for drinking, and not at all
for cooking. They draw their supply for
these purposes from cisterns. The
hat
forced to purchase by the gallon their
drinking and cooking water from harbor
boats which make it a business to peddle
the fluid
The foregoing makes it clear why Sa-
vannah must be the port of departure and
entry for the troops; now to revert to why
it should be made a permanent winter
camp: AS to the excellence of the site and
the grounds, there are 1900 ready and
willing witnesses in Fitzhugh Lees corps.
officers and men, every soldier of the lot
would, we are sure, say word of praise
for the Camp Onward grounds, and for
the city Water mains have been laid TO
all of the camps, the drainage and sani-
tary arrangements have been perfected,
the grounds leveled, and all incidentals at
tended TO. In short, 1t is a model camp.
1t is risking nothing 10 say that it is the
finest ever occupied by any body of United
States troops, without any qualification or
exception whatever.
The salubrity of the climate and the
healthfulness of the situation are attested
by the condition of the men in Camp On
ward. There as less sickness in the corps
now than there has been before since it
became corps The cheeks of the SOL
diers are glowing with health. and the sur
geons come near to enjoying a sinecure.
Considering the facts stated, together
with the further facts that the great army
hospital is being erected here, that the
supply depot machinery has been perfect
ed, that the troops could march from
camp to transport or from transport to
camp in less than an hour, that there