The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25
Unique Idea OF an Indianapolis Man
for Providing Portable shelter for
Troops During a Campaigns.
HOUSES BUILT WITHOUT NAILS
INTENDED FOR HOSPITALS AND
OFFICERS QUARTERS.
wood Is Treated I'm such Manner
that Insects I'm the Philippines
Cannot Destroy 1t.
stan Correspondence Of the Journal.

heart of Washington-in the midst of
aristocratic Northumberland Is
mystery. An Indianapolis man is the pro-
moter Of IT, and the fact that he refuses
TO be frank with his neighbors is very ex-
asperating TO them. The mystery is in the
form OF a row of pretty little frame build
ings that resemble toy houses as much as
anything else. The fact that these wooden
structures occupy a 100000 lot and stand
opposite one of the handsomest homes in
Washington make their presence all the
more curious to the people in that neigh
borhood. The lot is at the corner Of Six
teenth and s streets. No one In the local.
ity, until a few days ago. knew why the
houses were put there. and to the women
of the nelghborhood the buildings yet have
a sort OF mystery about them.
Two weeks ago this Indianapolis man,
who does not care to have his name used
at present, came with his men and his tim
bers and lumber and took possession Of the
lot The lumber soon assumed attractive
form and shape, and almost in a night the
picturesque row of little houses that are
the wonder OF that part of the city sprang
up. The houses were built without the
use OF a nail. Bolts took the place of
nails and screws. They can be taken
apart and carted off as easily and as rapid
ly as they were put there. The cards of
the owner read, 1.-The Portable" The aver
age person glancing at the card would take
it that Washington has a new fat or apart
ment house, but THE Portable has not
come to stay. 1t consists of a set of army
officers quarters. dispensary. hospital and
mems barracks, and they are designed for
use by an army in temporary quarters.
WOMEN ARE PUZZLED.
While the buildings were being put to-
gether the people of the neighborhood
labored under a severe mental strain, so
great was their curiosity to know what
was going on. The men employed in the
work were apparently ignorant OF the
character of the buildings except the fore
man, End he was discreetly silent. The
women would stand at their windows and
watch With interest what was going on
across the street. People who passed
that way would look curiously at the lit
tie buildings and wonder what they were
to be. The women discussed them at
afternoon teas, and the awful sugges-
ton was made at one of these gatherings
that perhaps the structures were intended
for "darky dance halls" A pretty Boston
girl who is visiting across the street in
sisted she knew the buildings were to be
used for dog hospital" In a few days
now the curiosity of the neighborhood
will be satisfied, for the owner will in
vite his neighbors to inspect his place
There has long been a demand for
just this sort Of an arrangement" said
the proprietor of 1.-The Portable the other
evening to the Journal correspondent.
.Over in the Philippines the army has
great trouble IN getting quarters. There
is no building lumber in that country al
though it is a wooded country. The timber
Is all hardwood and is too valuable to be
used in the building OF houses, as IT can
be shipped to this country to be made into
furniture and sold at big price. The
country has very few mechanics. and car
penters are as scarce as hens teeth. Be
sides. there Is white ant that burrows
through any kind OF wood giving IT the
appearance of a sponge. In construct
ing the sections of these houses of mine
the lumber Is treated with a poisonous
substance and then soaked in creosote
which makes it impervious to any insect. .
The proprietor of THE Portable" got his
idea in New York of a firm that has manu-
featured portable houses He conceived
the plan of putting up these billings in
Washington so that the War Department
might have opportunity of investigating
the scheme with a possible view of taking
countries with these portable dwellings
and hospitals.
The houses are made In sections, each
section being nine and a half feet long by
two feet and nine inches wide so they can
be placed In the bed OF an army wagon. The
weatnsTpoaTdlng Is made OF seyen.elghts
clinker boat The houses are constructed
In this way so that in case of necessity the
sections can be used either as a pontoon
bridge or fiatboat. For instance and num-
Der of these sections that are needed
can be so arranged as to make a fiatboat
for the transportation of troops or army
SUPPLIES. Between the ship-lapped weather
boarding and the inner lining there is a
quarter of an inch thickness of felt, so the
houses are warm and absolutely dry either
in a cold country or where there is a great
deal of moisture. The floors are made in
sections the same as the side walls of the
house and are double one-inch timber with
two heavy sheets of tar paper between
them. Being so constructed they are warm
and moisture proof. The roofs are also In
sections. being made of one-inch timber
with two-eights thickness of asbestos, then
two thicknesses of tar paper with another
coating of asbestos and two coats OF
mineral paint. Being so constructed they
are practically fire-proof.
CAN BE MOVED ABOUT
These houses being built in sections and
each section OF the same size they can be
used in many different ways. For in
stance" said the owner and designer, Il
a summer cottage or a railroad station
without the use OF a hammer or saw
Furthermore after your house is con-
structed and you desire to change a door
section for window section. or a window
section for a blank section you can do sc
without interfering with any other part OF
your building. Also If you wish to add
rooms or TO make your building smaller
this can be done by merely taking away
or adding new sections. sections from
any other building. The roof sections car
be used for constructing piazzas'
The officers quarters or cottage which is
creating such a sensation In the neighbour
hood OF Sixteenth and streets consists
OF a dainty little living room a dining
room. two bedrooms. bathroom kitchen
and servants room. Within the last few
days the owner Of this novel scheme has
furnished his cottage In the most attra ctive
style with furniture made from prairie
grass and known as crex. The rugs are
woven OF this grass in the handsomest de-
signs and coiors. The insdes of the sec.
tons which are the interior walls OF tbs
house are covered with very pretty designs
in burlap. The windows draped with
figured white swiss. One of the attrac.
tive features Of the living room is a cheerS
portable fireplace which burns kerosene
and Sas no chimney. There are two
prettily furnished bed chambers, one OF
which the owner Occupies. and a guest
chamber. The coy di.iing room is twelve
by fourteen with its sideboard and other
uD-to-date appointments. The kitchen /.
III III.