The Tomahawk., 1916-08-31
Complain Of Drinking Water.

plaint in the national guard camp here
| concerning the quality Of the drinking
water but this problem is being soly-
ed by the boiling of the water and the
use of large water bags which act not
only as filters but cool the water as
we'll. When the Third, the first of the
Minnesota regiments to arrive here,
went into camp there was scarcely
any water at hand. An hour or so
after the troops detrained a Mexican
teamster brought tank of water in a
tank wagon which apparently had been
used for oil.
Taste Oil and AIkaIi.
In addition to the natural alkan
taste of the water it also tasted or
oil. 1t was warm and the men could
not drink enough of it to satisfy their
thirst.
Barrels were used at first as the
receptacles for the drinking water.
They were for the most part open and
exposed to dust and mosquitoes. Ice
in sufficient quantities to cool the wa
ter for the entire regiment was not
Forthcoming for several days, and it
was during this period that many men
of the Third were i'll of bowel trou-
ble
Analysis Shows Larvae.
It was about week after the Third
arrived before water could be drawn
from the taps, the officials in charge
having rushed the troops in here with
out adequate provision for supplying
them with water.
After about two weeks in camp 1t
finally dawned on the military authori-
ties that it might be we'll to analyze
the water. An analysis was made and
the report shows that the water as
drawn from the open canals contained
mosquito larvae.
It was then that an order was is.
sued to boil the water for twenty min
utes before permitting the soldiers to
drink it.
ReccptacIes Too Small.
This was a safe and sane order, but
the receptacles for boiling the water
were small and the companies were
provided with an insufficient number
of receptacles to supply enough water
for the men, who were then engaged
to large extent in fatigue duty.
If there had been plenty of ice to
cool the boiled water rapidly the sys-
tenn might have been successful, but
there was a scarcity of ice for several
days, and l saw scores of men drink
ing from the taps before the water
was boiled.
These water bags hold about fifty
gallons of water. They are hung
above the ground, where the breeze
will strike them, thus cooling the con-
tents. Each bag has four taps, oper-
ated by the pressure of the finger.
Bags Solve Problem.
There is no contamination of the
water by the dipping in of greasy cups.
These taps also arc used in the fill
ing Of canteens.
It is possible to boil the water now
and keep these bags filled with plen-
tiful supply of cool water.
When every company is equipped
with one of these water bags-and
most of the companies have requis1-
toned them-there should be no fur
ther complaint regarding the quality
or quantity Of drinking water in this
camp.
Guards Back for Recruits.
Twenty-seven Of the Minnesota boys
in khaki, brown of skin, hard of mus
Gle and with the CLEAN of two months
of out-of-doors in their eyes, jumped
out OF tourist car at the St. Paul
union station and joined in rush to
the telephones to call up home or
friends. The men are from all three
regiments and have come back to get
500 recruits to bring the regiments
up to war strength.
Here are the Minneapolis boys:
Lieutenant Henry r. Prescott, Ser
geants Sidney Hayes, Reynolds BARN
cross and John G. Gates, Corporals
Harry S. Shoultz and Richard Cullum
and Privates James G. Nye and Loring
l.. Williams. The boys from st. Paul
are Lieut.. Milo A. Price, Sergeant
Frank Fogle and Private John c. Par
sons.
From All Parts Of State.
The others are from all over the
state. They are:
Capt. A. o. Stubested, commanding
the recruit detail and hafling from
Winona; Lieut.. Donald F. Mackenzie,
Second regiment; Lieutenants William
A. Brown and Edward B. Coulter,
Third; Sergeants Alvin H. Schultz and
r. 5ert w. Craig, Second; Serseants
Peter Romanski and George Steven
son, Third; Corporals Rudolph D. Ro-
beck and William Gerrity, Second;
Corporals John L. Carmody and Jo-
seph D. Nelson, Third; Privates Stew
art Griswold and Russell Barneck
Second, and Privates Ernest Eckheln
and Clinton C. Welborn, Third.
For Indefinite Stay.
The men bought breakfast in res
taurant near the union depot in st.
Do,,1 ,,5 ,,{tbo,,t waiting IN pO home