Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-02
ONE or IS TRAINING CAMPS
Building a Great Military City
on Long Island.
At Least 5000 More Men Required
on Job-Contractors Have Hound
Themselves 70 Complete Il
By September q.


proach to Riverhead and Just before the
island breaks into the two lobster claws
that form its eastern end-the govern.
ment has under way the construction of
one Of the 16 huge camps where Uncle
Sam is to train 100000 American youths
Of the selective draft into At fighting men
to join our European allies In the smash.
ing Of the Hun.
One thousand laborers and skilled
workmen, under the direction Of mill
tary and civilian engineers and other ex-
perts. have already begun the big and
interesting task. and a dragnet is now ut
work In all eastern labor centers for the
assembling of an army Of workmen, OF
at least 1000 1t Is figured. II the Long
Island camp is to 60 into full operation
on September 9. the date set.
Counting from the date the work first
began with handful Of carpenters and
laborers on the task, which was in the
last week In June, the time allowed for
the completion Of the camp is only 10
weeks.
Ten weeks for the building Of an en-.
tire city! 1t seems a mighty short shrift.
Yet the task is nothing short of that-of
building in 10 weeks soldier city to
rank in population and dimensions with
cities that hold high rank in many States.
DESIGNED FOR 10000 MEN.
The Long Island camp is designed to
accommodate 10000 men and 5000 ami
mals-the prancing cavalry horses, the
sturdy artillery and transport wagon
nags. and the good old faithful mules.
1t is really more than the building of a
city, with all that implies of constructions
for housing and administration purposes
establishment of water supply. lighting,
heating and sewage systems, laying out Of
streets, avenues and public squares. In
the army city there are a score of other
roblems-extraordinary sanitary and
hospital arrangements. assembling and
distribution Of an enormous food supply
for instance. One weeks rations for the
| Long Island camp will demand q daily
delivery Of 1,7s0 gallons of milk. weekly
deliveries of 100000 pounds of fresh beef,
| $4,000 pounds of fresh pork. $4,000 pounds
| OF mutton or goat meat, more than 1900
pounds Of butter, 1900 pounds of dressed
chicken, 12000 dozens of eggs!
The camp has been designated by the
government "Yaphank," though the New
York World reporter who went to visit
the site and see the machinery Of the
big project start, discovered that II isn't
anywhere near the town Of Yaphank, for
which. presumably. 1t was named. Nor
is it near anywhere else. for that matter
1t is at least seven miles outside Of zap.
hank, and is nearer Manorville. in fact
A sCRUB-OAK WASTE.
The site is covered with scrub-oak-1l
square miles Of scrub-oak. Not bosky
dell. not purling river. nor a singing
brook; not a hill-nothing but tough
twisted. gnarled expanse Of scrub-oak
The tents and other temporary buildings
as yet erected hardly make a mark or
the green stretches Of miles and miles o,
scrub-oak. 1t would take nightly vivit
Imagination to picture the camp as 1t will
be in the autumn, with all it's building.
and its teeming life, its thousands Of end
lessly drilling young Americans, the vas
! army kitchens, the countless other &C
tivities.
With the advent Of the first 200 la
borers, carpenters, electricians and sur
veyors came company Of nationa
guardsmen to do the police work. The.
are a springy and In the main Cheerful
set Of youngsters, who did their bit OF
the Mexican border without a whimper
But the Yaphank camp, all that drear.
waste of scrub-oak, is on their nerves
The shock was especially hard.
A DISCoURAGER OF VISITORS.
{ In truth, isolation Of the camp. the ex
pense Of railroad journey there. tn
, two passenger trains that pass there Il
, a day (but stopping at the camp only o.
official signaD would appear to have fig
ured in choosing the site as discouragin
fond mammas and adoring sweetheart
and other visitors from mobilizing to dis
tract the autumn rockies from their bus
ness Of learning soldering. From pres
ent information the separation is to b
C,,p late hot
: land. New York and New Jersey recruit
are to be sent to the southern camp
and the southern legions of the draft ar
to be sent to the camps Of the North.
I Now the Thompson-Starrett compan,
e which has the contract for the construt
e tion of the camp and must attract fore
{ Of 1000 workmen to the place of goo
Q | wages, recognizes that good wages alor
Z will not always hold them there. an
: the company will therefore furnish
r few social attractions to keep them in
Z contented frame Of mind.
s When the construction work Is in ~
0 operation. there will be moving p
ture shows, vaudeville. pool ar
g billiard parlors. a reading room and bar
o concerts. For Yaphank's white Way
8 consists Of a general store. with oil
Q brand Of cigarettes and not many mo-
VI cigars, anu grape juice dS tHo hcai Z
y thing to jag water. And Manorville
y just about as devilish. Riverhead mu
o perforce be the Paris, the Riviera, Il
J. Atlantic City and the Coney Island
= the camp constructionists.
IS Yaphank has for generations been Il
n target of the gay and humorous.
s. honest Indian name has been distort
% into a comedy appellation. Yet Yaphal
II did do a little in a social way recent
l. 1t held a public dance. and a regime
8. commander allowed many Of his boys
attend. Many Of the young engineers
the Thohpson-Starrett company al
fiocked to the hall. Yaphank. with sor
reinforcements of girl fiotillas from RI
e erhead. Flanders and even Good Grou
and Quogue. tried to meet the emergenG