Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
At THE RIVER FORTS
National Guard to Participate
in Mimic Warfare. +
NIGHT ATTACKS PROBABLE
"Chigs" Are the Only Foes Yet En-.
countered.
TROOPS MADE COMFORTABLE
Unexpected Flavor of the Pleasures OF
Home-But Strenuous
Times Ahead

Special From a stan Correspondent.
STAR DISPATCH BOAT. FORT WASH
1NGToN Md. July 2o-After a trip from
Harpers Ferry that included travel by
train afoot and by boat the members OF
the I'd Regiment. National Guard OF the
District of Columbia and of Company c OF
the LIST Regiment are enjoying the peace of
weli-pitched camps. with shower baths.
kitchens and dining tables already made for
| them. and an unexpected flavor OF ali the
comforts of home.
Tomorrow will be day OF peace, with
everybody given chance to famiarize
himself with his surroundings and those
surroundings at Fort Washington are vast.
one may walk for more than u mile and see
| camp after camp, the little set lements OF
tents cropping up most surprisingly in the
most unexpected places. The companies
are camped scattering-two here, one there
and again two where there is a battery to
be served or land suitable for pitching the
tents.
When the steamer Jane Moseley reached
Fort Washington this afternoon shortly
before o'clock. 1t put in first at what 10
known as the artillery dock, where all bag
gage was unioaded. and then deposited its
/ human freight at another pier to the south.
| The steamer subsequently crossed the river
and landed the five companies OF Mai. An
! ton Stephans' battalion at the long pier
that leads to Fort Hunt.
To take freight up to the high plateau on
which Fort Washington is situated there Is
a steeply inclined railway, upon which cars
are pulled by Il wire cable, drawn about a
! drum by n stationary engine. Sometimes
| the cable breaks and the car shoots the
chutes with vigor and dispatch, but it did
not so happen today, ali the dunnage OF
| the militia landed safely.
Narrow-Gauge Railway.
There is also narrow gauge railway
| here, running from headquarters to the
| farther battery. straight through the
| woods. The car that stands ready for use
| is labeled Geological Gardens" and is i'm
ported straight from eth street. II is drawn
| by little locomotive, such for
merly used on the New York elevated
| roads. The engine is a busy little worker,
| and has a whistle like a first-class battle
| ship. Its shrek rends the air.
Both District officers and men speak en-
| Enthusiastically of the manner in which they
have been treated by the officers here. Col.
| Coffin received Col. Urel and his staff on
| their arrival with the greatest cordiality,
and ever since the militia came to the
| forts the regulars have been working like
beavers to make them comfortable.
Electric Lights at Headquarters.
| Regimental headquarters tent were
pitched and wired for electric lights By 6
O'Clock, and the first officers mess dinner
was served at o'clock in a large building
|
room and kitchen. The men were at mess
| earlier. rations being seryel out between
| 3 and o'clock at the quartermaster s de-
partment, where the District commssarat
| is installed in all the grandeur of a brick
| building with natural wood finish.
We pity those chaps who stayed be-
hind at Harpers Ferry" said Chaplain
Dudley tonight This certainly beats
Mount Gretna. It's like going home
Col. Coffin says an alarm was sounded
last night shortly after midnight, and
suppos ititious battleship was hypothetical
| ly sunk in less than twelve minutes. One
| battery was manned in less than three min
utes after the alarm was sounded.
The first jigger tor you may call IL CHG
| ger') was reported about4 O'Clock, and since
| that time the officers and men camped near
| the batteries have been complaining Of bites.
and the arm of one man looks as II he had
smallpox. Ammonia treatment. followed
| by talcum powder to allay Inflammation, Is
| the prevailing fashion. Naselne as pre-
ventivc remains the standard.
Night attacks will be sprung upon the
| guardsmen to test their aptness. One of the
| officers says the only thing one is supposed
| to take off at night here Is ones hat. 1t Is
| a few degrees more strenuous than being
| fireman.
| Chaplain Perry of the artillery. Chaplain
Dudley of the ID Regiment and Mr. Jessops
| of the Y. NJ. c. A will hold services to-
morrow morning at all the company camps
| In the evening a union service Will be held
| in the recreation hall at the post exchange
| Chaplain Perry runs a bakery, the post ex-
| change, the athletic sports, and, II Is de-
| clared will soon have laundry on his list.
Tentative Plans Only.
| The program for the week is not ar
| ranged, except Professionally, but IT will in
| clude night and day attacks, by land and
sea. There will probably be a land attack
| on Tuesday
| The troops will return to Washington
! next Sunday. The tents used here by the
guardsmen are old ones. the new ones be-
| ing left at Harpers Ferry, because they
| were too damp to be packed on the morning
| of departure The tents used here were
| sent down from Washington before the
! troops arrived
Many of the officers are tonight guests at
an informal hop. given at the Bachelors
| Club to which they were hidden this after
| noon c. Il. T.