The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-12
Fort Riley Maneuvers will Be
Big Affair.
To Cost 100000, but Uncle
Sam Thinks It Will Pay.
CAMP OF 1000 TROOPS
Has Taken $4,000 Feet of
Water Pipe for the Grounds.
The Fighting Will Be Done
Every Alternate Day.

Fort Riley, Kan, Oct. 12.-Uncle Sam
will spend about s500,O0O on the fall
n1aneuvers to be held here from October
Is to 81. This is a big lump of money,
but the war department believes it will
be squandered in a good cause. The
maneuvers are for the purpose of i'm
proving the fighting machine of the
United States, on the theory that the
more efficient the army becomes the less
likelihood there is of a real war A half
million or so spent on maneuvers, there
fore, may save the expense of a real war
later on. That's why the maneuvers
are held and why Uncle Sam doesn't
kick at The cost.
Camp Sanger is in readiness for the
troops. It has been located on Pawnee
flats. east of the post, where it was last
year The war department at first de-
cided to hold the maneuvers on the Re
publican fats, southwest of the post.
but the medical department of the army
vetoed this plan. The Republican fats
are dotted here and there with stag
nant pools of green. scummed water,
making it unhealthful for a camp. 1t
is not the intention of the war depart
mept to kill off any soldiers with bullets
IN the play war, and the medical de-
partment counseled against killing them
surely come if the camp were establish
ed on the Republican flats. So the loca-
ton of last year was selected again.
1t is no easy task to put into shape q
camp big enough to accommodate 1000
crops. Every inch of space has to be
figured on. The grounds are laid out
with even more precision than a city is
plated. The work is more like that Of
an architect making plans for a building
where just so many rooms must be
crowded into a certain space. The en-
gineer corps has staSed the camp Off
and the commander in charge has a
map showing where each regiment bat
talon, company or troop will be station
ed. AS they arrive the troops VIII be
directed to their places with clOcklize
regularity.
supply the grounds The pipe has all
been laid and hydrants established
everywhere. The telephone lines have
also been nut I'D and are ready to be
connected uD with instruments as soon
as the tents are erected.
One of the chief features of the camp,
and one which takes the nnaneuvers
out of the real army life class. is the
ground, supplied with hot and cold
water. This may lead to the Abortion
of movable bath houses by the war de-
paI'trlanf
the ground and couple of others will
arrive with the troops from Fort Sill
and Fort Niobrara. All the available
army horses from surrounding army
posts will also be brought in. Over
CIV saddle horses have been leased
from the farmers of this section for the
use of foreign army representatives and
National Guard officers from states
which viii have no troops in the field
Where a state sends it's National Guard
its officers must supply their own
horses.
The cOmmissarv department has re-
al he
troops and has them stacked away in
the post storehouse ready for distribu-
ton
The signal corps has been at work
searchlight ready for the maneuvers.
A test is to be made with the search
light for the purpose of ascertaining
If ii can be of any practical use in the
maneuvering of land forces at night
There are only two of these porta BILE
Searchlights in the army's possession
and the one at Fort Riley is the only
one With which experiments have al
ready been made. 1t has been operated
several times at the post, once last
wear during the maneuvers: bur owing
to the rainy weather a thorough test
Of it could not be made. The search
light outfit consists of four portable
pieces. There is a boiler on -heels.
which looks very much like a traction
engine. The next piece is an engine of
the marine type and a dynamo mount
ed on trucks The engine of this Niece.
when set up for opera ton is connected
with the portable boiler by means of
an armored rubber hose, which con-
ducts the steam from the boiler to the
engine. The searchlight, which is of
the largest type, is on a truck itself,
and its connection with the DYNAMO is
made by means of heavy insulated
Wire The fourth piece of the outfit is
steam winch. which is used to move
the searchlight back and forth over a
path 500 feet in length so that when
the light is being used in actual war
fare, gunners cannot get the range on
II. 1t a distance of mile or more
not noticeable.
Fighting will only be done every alter
nate day unless new orders to the con-
trary are received. Steady fighting, day
after day, is too hard work for the sol
der in playing war, so the programme
will be interspersed with athletic con-
tests The war problems will be kept a
secret until the daN for their snlntinn