The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-14

Ito prevent further effort at drill, the
idea of attempting any military man
oueyers of importance WAS gwen up
! Discipline, ii was said was teiHxed.
and The h troeps became aemoEaltyed,
! the fnafts gpesadfng most n8 theArsstanie
at the casino.
with the continued rains the ground
| hecame SO saturated that there was
/ no drainage, and the water stood.
Men were set to work to dig down to
THE drain tiles. and In this, way some
relief was afforded. But the htnos-
phere was 30 humid and the weather
was so hot on Wednesday and Thurs
day that all the life and ginger were
taken out of the men. Many of them
donned bathing suits. and Colonel
Leedy. Majors Martin. King and Price
and other officers walked about the
grounds in their bare feet. There was
no discipline at headquarters. 1t was
said and the men became democrat
lied.
Officers Want Other Site.
It was generally agreed among both
officers and men, Ii Is stated. that as
a camp site Virginia Beach Is hope
less and not to be considered. The Of
ficers promised themselves to agitate
the matter after they had returned
home and to try to induce the State
(
1t is charged that the facilities af
forded by the Norfolk and Southern
railway could hardly be worse. From
a station called Lake there is only
single track to the camp site. five
miles distant. and while one section
was being taken to. the camp the 9TH
ers had to wait until the train came
back and took up another. The rail
road company had built no spur tracks
and sidings, and totally unnecessary
delay, ii is said was encountered. The
terminal station is. hree-quarters OF
mile from the camp.
The site is divided into three dtill
grounds. only one of which could he
used at a time. While the rifle range
was in use work in the other drill
grounds had to be discontinued as the
/ firing passed over them. The railroad
cars passed behind the rife range, and
a sentinel had to he posted on the
railroad track to flag approaching
trains and to telephone to headquar-
/ ters on the firing line whin the way
/ was clear one woman whose house
was almost in the line of the target
shooting had to he informed when
ever practice was to commence so
that she could leave her home and be
out of harms way
! Men Are Dissatisfied.
/ II was said that the site could have
been made filter for military work
had the $4,000 spent on it been ex
pended more wisely and the drill
grounds arranged differently. As it is,
however, the site ia declared To he
hopeless, and nine-tenths of the men
are said to have declared that they
would never. go TO the camp at Viz
ginia Beach again.
A dinner was given to the officers
Saturday night by Harry NJ Dick
son. of Norfolk, at which. IL is said
an effort was made to cast oil on the
Z troubled waters and to soothe the dis
eruntled officers. But ii is said that
only the Norfolk contingent of the
Virginia military still favors the
present Site, 1t is admitted that it
may serve usefully as rifle range,
but never as site for an enca'mp-
I ment.
Camp Is Broken.
Camp was broken early yesterday
morning. the soldiers turning out
long before reveille tn have their
blanket rolls and knapsacks ready for
inspection. To all except the Norfolk
and Portsmouth companies rations
for day were issued. Before the
trains pulled out each car was in
spected by Colonel 10. Lane Stern,
who saw that they We're plentifully
supplied with ice and water
The First Battalion arrived in Rich
mond at 2:45 o'clock yesterday after
noon over the Norfolk and Western
railroad. Major Price said that, In
spite of the handicaps. his men had
behaved very we'll. and that the First
Battalion still holds the lead as a
military body as it has done for the
last three years. He regretted the
untowarJ incidents which had nc
Cured and that he was forced to take
prompt action against the five men
brought back as prisoners. Three of
them are charged with military Of
lenses only, while the other two are
charged with both military and civil
offenSes. Whether civil action against
them will also be taken remains to he
, seen, though ii is thought the matter
will end with the findings of the mill
tary court.