Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-09
MENACE OF THE HEAT
IN ORDINANCE DEPOT
At U. S. Army Base---Song and
Story Tell Of Man Behind
the Gun.
THE MAN in KHAKI.
Fifty-Seven Varieties of Heat On Mex.
ican Border---Methods Of Evapor-
alton to Cool Things Off.
Especial to The Capital by Jean Caben
O'Neill, Columbus, N. NJ. June
June 2nd. 1861

| Nopecldl 10 Inc Capltal' Dy Jean CaDell
| O'Neill, Columbus, N. NJ. June
June End. 1850
Every case is lifted at least an inch
ON blocks of wood. so the air passes
above and beneath the individual case,
and the orderly stacks are arranged a
| foot apart each way, none reaching
anywhere near the top of the shack.
| thermometers are hung in every pos
| sible corner and are displayed as free
| ly as if it were sanatarium instead of
! nursery of shot and she'll
Everywhere vessel of water can be
| placed, one is to be found. This helps
evaporation' but it means lots of work
| also. In case a small blaze should
start, the water will help out the chem
ical engines. All the country over at
army posts the extreme temperature of
| safety is 80 degrees for ammunition of
any sort. Your correspondent thought
the storage chamber of these danger
Gus cases the most delightful place she
had encountered in blazing day.
When asked what the temperature was
the guess was so, but the Captain
gravely informed her it was 105, "and
We can do nothing" he said, but pray
that nothing will go OFF,"
Fifteen degrees above the extreme
limit of safety is not pleasant, espe-
cially as one has done all that mortal
could do, to lower the record. These
things make the watching of the ther-
mometers the same straining service
that doctor feels as the fever pa
tents score on the thermometer runs
higher and higher, only in that case
one life is at stake; here hundreds of
us would probably perish, and the pu-
nitive expedition for which most of us
only live and work, would be awfully
crippled for long time to come.
There are other things to be watch
ed by the vigilant officers and men of
this department during the continue
tion of the hot days-that is leather
hides. There are probably thousands
of these and very expensive they are
also-probably an astonishing number
of dollars worth of them, if it was
proper to give out figures There is a
regular sewing room and machine for
this part of the work, presided over by
civilian tailor who makes the many
things for which leather is used in the
army. There are rife cases of leather
to strap on the motor truck-crops,
saddles and saddle bags, despatch bags
for the aero-sq1adron, thongs and lac
ings, and intricate articles too numer-
Gus to mention.
The leather must be soft, else it can
not be worked to advantage, loses life
and value in this alkaline air There
fore the precious hides must be rubbed
down with mutton tallow and meats
foot oil Men stripped to the buff, their
arms and hands smeared with the
rather awful mixture of animal fats,
rub and pound the hides-a rub a dub
dub sort of drill to put back into the
skins the natural oil the air takes
from them. Surely one-half the world
does not know how the other half lives
where the part of the submerged half
is the United States Army, toiling way
on the border to keep the punitive ex-
| pedition alive and equipped on it's
long battle front.
"A few of the duties of small force
| OF the ordnance department here, ex-
elusive of Captain Walsh. who seems
| to be sort of high class Poo Bah. in
responsibility and Accomplishment and.
| in addition to all that he has to do. to
see to and to plan for, he has the
entire financial responsibility on his
L GhOlIi6QTC nf h fv,or
| from screws to cannon, would come
out of his pocket if il cannot be ac-
counted for. Some of the requirements
of the force under Captain Walsh may
be noted from the following official
list, which was right up to the minute.
This list of assignments was issued on
May 81 ito duties with the operation of
the Ordnance Department, Columbus,
n. NJ, which was issued by Captain
Walsh for those under him.
Duties of Ordnance Sergeant James
| Title, in general charge of office. re-
pair shop and store houses-In inn
mediate charge of sales to officers; is
sues to advance bases, organizations
and casuals; .equisitions incoming;
%~4AoAeAOhAo Oh o. oC1iaA6s tAAuE ICLOIuS
of civilians; requests for transportation
Duties of Ordnance Sergeant Rob-
ert Sigmund-In charge of storehous-
es' magazines and grounds; in char re
OF stock book; in charge of bills of
lading for motor trucks.
Duties of Odnance Sergeant Roscoe
Clayton-In charge of correspondence
and records; clerk to Assistant De-
partment Odnauce Officer; in charge
of military affairs.
Duties of Ordnance Sergeant George
Sayer-In charge of the memorandum
property, accounts of Ordnance Off
Ger Colonia DuDlan, Namiquipa, Mex
leo; in charge of invoices and receipts
Duties of Ordnance Sergeant James
McIvers-In charge of property re-
turns of Ordnance Department.