The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-13
WILL PLAY At WAR
Thousands Of U. S. Troops
Are at Des M0Ines.
FOR SIX DAY TOURNAMENT.
From september 20 to IS They win
Give Daily War Time Demonstrs
tions on State Fair Grounds

Des Moines, Sept. One hundred
and thirty-five acres OF land on and
adjoining the Iowa state fair grounds
at Des Moines will be utilized for the
great camp of the United States army
to be assembled for the national mill
tary tournament in this city, Sept. 20
to %. inclusive. Over 5000 soldiers.
or practically all of the troops that
can be spared from garrison duty IN
the states Of Wyoming, Colorado,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, MIS-
souri,, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin
and Iowa, will participate in this tour
nament. There will he cavalry, tnfar-
try, engineers, signal corps, wireless
telegraph outfits, heliograph detach-
ments, field bakery equipments. spar
bridge trains, a pontoon bridge train.
dozen batteries of field and shors6
artillery. rapid fire platoons attached
to both cavalry and infantry, mouns
tain batteries, captive balloon crew.
dirigible balloon and crew, heaviers
thanair flying machine and crew, hos
pital details, etc. In short, 1t Will be
an army as fully and completely
equipped as though in the field against
al enemy. And the week OF ever
changing programs will be continual
revelation OF the conduct OF an army
in an active campaign. Every detail
of warfare will be demonstrated inside
the racetrack arena and in plain view
OF the grand stand and other accom-
modations for the seating OF 20.00t
people.
The aircraft will make daily flights.
! circling above imaginary camps and
4 improvised fortifcations, reporting
their strength by signal and by wire
less telegraph, and upon command
will swoop down upon them and drop
high explosives to demonstrate the
fare. The artillery batteries will en-.
gage in daily drills and offensive and
defensive operations against hostile
/ enemy, With them will be cavalry
and infantry doing their part. exem-
plification OF the use of field batteries.
Of the field hospital work, etc. There
will be imaginary streams to cross
and at signal bridge trains will dash
into the arena and throw either spar
or pontoon bridges across the streams
to permit Of the crossing of the troops.
Sappers will follow, who will destroy
the bridges to prevent pursuit In the
great camp will be field bakeries in
operation and baking the bread used
by this army. great portable kitchens
preparing the rations for the troops,
etc.
The program will open Monday
morning, Sept. 90, with the greatest
review of troops the country has wit
, messed in time of peace. There will
be so per cent more troops In line
than have ever participated in an In
j augural, and these, with the sever
great military bands, with regimenta
1 and company standards, the gayly dec
Grated streets, will, as they pass ths
great reviewing stand at the south o
the state capitol, from which Presi
dent Taft, General Bell and the rep
resentatives of the armies of dozei
e countries will review the troops, vii
u form picture long to be remembered
It This great parade, with wagon trains
etc, will be over three miles lon.
and will take fully an hour in passin
the stand. The parade will be dali
feature and on each afternoon will b
the opening number on the program