The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-14
OFFICERS SORE ON
BEACH CAMP SITE
First Regiment Glad to Get
Home After Week of Many
Hardships.
WORST EVER, SAYS PRICE
Tremendous Rainstorm Flooded
Everything-Five Privates
Are in Jail.

site Mt Virginia Beach was cmphatical-
~ expressed yesterday by returning
officers OF tho First Battalion. Icirst
virginia Regiment. which reached It's
home station at 2:30 o'clock after no
grounds recently completed at heavy
expense by the state. That fully
nine-tenths OF tho upstate officers
and n number OF those from the Tide
water section will concur with them. is
the opinion Of Major Lawrence r
Prlce. battalion commander
Objections of all sorts were raised
against the grounds, which are said to
DC wholly unsuitcd for cncampmcnts
while conditions at the camp site were
declared to be intolcrable OMcers
say mat the work for the entire week
was practically useless. except for
close order drill, there being insuri-
cicht ground tor nanoeuvrcs and prob
lem work. The close proximity to V!r-
ginia Beach, with It's amusement de-.
Vices, and the irregular car service by
'he Norfolk Southern Railway made
'he matter OF discipline impossible
while the sale of liquor completely de-
noralized the men There Is not even
enough space. they say, for n rifle
range. owing TO the fact that tho car
line is built in the rear OF the butts
y
stationed along the right OF way TO
has trains until tho target practice
can be halted long enough for them to
pass In safety
Call Grounds Unsuitable
Inc grounds themselves are said to
ne wholly ursuitcd for military work
Besides being crampcd for space. tho
site Is just two feet above sea level
and Is too Nat to permit natural drain.
ago, while the soil itself is Of a clay
nature. and Is nonabsorbablc During
storm. and fcr hours after tho water
remains on the ground in n sheet. and
when 1t does disappear n Shiny SUB
sauce remains. This cakes under
the hot sun and makes parchinc
dust
Bathing facilities which were urged
as one of the main attractions of tho
camp site. proved to be "A farce Ar
Ter walk OF more than a mile. the
shore was reached by the men Here
they found no bathnouse. and thos.
VINO failed - provide themselves with
bathing suits were either forced to
stay GU, of the surf or 20 In Win
uniforms on. After taking a bath.
they were dusty and tired by tho
trudge back to camp.
Reports published In Norfolk papers.
and widely copied through the state.
had IN. uu-Statc officers becoming
reconcilcd TO tho place. but this, the
Richmond officers say Is absolutely
false Rather than go back there
again to camp. they are positive they
VII resign. a:,d in this they are TONED
by men from all over Virginia
Never AEnin. Snys Price.
Never said Major Price. have
seen a more Disguised bunch of men
win the absolute determination to re-
sent further 'rninming down the throat
or this Virginia Reach proposition The
place is good for "a rifle range and can
he used for that purpose. the elevated
position used by brigade headquarters
being large enough to accommodate
them in case of bad weather"
The four local companies OF the First
Regiment, together with the regimental
medical corps, arrived home over the
Norfolk and Western Railway at 2:30
O'Clock. The start was made at 10
o'clock, when the first Of the baggage
was loaded The troops entraincd forty
minutes later. thereby gaining the an
prevail OF the brigade officers for the
specdiest work Of the day. Lieutenant
Chalkley. commissary and quartermas-
ter. was highly complimcntcd by Lieu
tenant Ragby. United States Army. for
his quick work in getting the bag
gage and equipment aboard
While the cncampmcnt, from q MILL
tary standpoint, was unsatisfactory, the
men as Il whole had an enjoyable time
OF course they had several UNPLEASANT
experiences. hut there was no sickness,
and with little work to do and plenty
OF amuscmcnts at hand they had a good
time. In closed order formation drills
they became quite proficient. while In
the brigade reviews, they were com
mented favorably on by visiting officers
Heavy Rainstorm.
The camp was visited by heavy
rainstorm Thursday afternoon, which
made drilling impossible for the rest
Of the stay During the night several
tents were blown down, and in the
morning the men found that they were
surrounded by water. In many places
the water was fifteen inches deep. and
two officers had to be carried from
the cots to dry spot
Everything In the place was soaked,
and officers personal equipment to the
amount Of $1,000 was ruined Bridges
had TO be built in the company streets,
and men and officers went for one day
In their bare feet.
Pictures OF the camp closely resemble
those Of tho flooded districts OF Ohio
last spring In one. Major Price and
about thirty officers are to be seen up
TO their knees In water. with hands
above their heads. solemnly vowing
never again" In the foreground OF
each picture men are to be seen clad
in bathing suits. gaily disporting them
selves in the water.
Five Privates In jail.
One of the most disappointing
features of the week was the neceS-
sity for the arrest of five members OF
the Richmond contingent. These men,
Privatcs Hicks, Sweeney. Humphrey,
Perry and G6rring. are now In tho
City Jail, where they VIII be held pend
ing tho disposition OF their cases which
Is in the hands of Governor Mann. the
men having been found guilty, by
court martial. of serious violations OF
the articles of war. Military offenscs
are not bailable, and Major Price last
night stated that, while he had power
to parole the men. he could not do so
In this case as at least two of the
prisoners might skip town.
Sail for London.