Newark post., 1917-08-29

told. first, to provide military IN
struction for men purposing to
enter the service and second, to |
furnish instruction in surveying
as part of the regular course in
Civil Engineering at the Institute.
The work in these two lines is
correlated in such way as to give
every man in attendance some
work of each type.
Professor Short and | were
fortunate enough to have a draw
ing room assigned for our use on
the special train which left Bos-
ton on the 23rd of July. Leaving
Boston at ten in the evening we
arrived at East Machias at about
the same hour the next morning,
where we detrained and marched
to the shore of the lake nearest
the village. Here we were met by
the camp motor boat, towing
scow, and finished our journey by
water.
BY nightfall our baggage had
arrived, the quartermaster had
furnished US with blankets, pom
cho, and bed linen and we felt
quite at home.
The next morning the regular
work of the camp began. The first
call comes at $50, and, if by
chance the bugle does not have the
desired effect, the cannon shot
when the colors go up seldom fails
to do the work. Then come twenty
minutes of vigorous setting-up ex-
ercises following by plunge in
the lake, and breakfast at $50.
From Ills to 800 there is drill for
all the students. At nine the en-
gineers begin their class work
which extends with an hours in
termission until $50 P. M. At
615 retreat is sounded with sup
per at $50. By the time taps
sounds at $50 most of us are
ready to sleep. Saturday is not so
strenuous, all work being suspend
ed at noon, and Sunday, of course,
is a rest day, the men attending
church in East Machias.
At present Professor Short is
doing railroad work while am on
+ the photography. AS we take
lunches in the field all our day is
spent away from camp in the
woods, but with games around the
fireplace at night the social side
is not altogether neglected,
The military work is of very
! interesting nature. We have just
finished demolishing miniature
Belgian village with a seige gun of
wood mounting % calibre rifle
all by indirect pointing. The work
at present is in the trenches. We
have 600 feet of firing trench with
communicating trenches, machine
gun emplacements, complete
buzzer system of intercommunica-
ton. The men are even sleeping
in the dugouts at night.
Captain Bland of the Canadian
Artillery has charge of this
branch of the work and is a splen-
did fellow just back from the
other side. A week ago he enter
tanned us with his experiences in
| France. The Captain is to have
charge of the instruction of the
Yale Battery next year and hope
to persuade him to come to New
ark to talk to the Engineers during
the winter. Both Professor Short
and | are strongly in hope that
Delaware College can institute a
camp of this kind next summer.
The results which are appearing
already amply justify the idea.
| do not want to leave you with
the impression that it is all work
here and no play. Last Saturday
three of us went fishing and
brought back fish for the 130 men
in camp. They were bass with a
few pickerel, the bass up here in
the cold water are great sport and
as these ran about two pounds
, apiece you can imagine the kind OF
sport | mean. Short seems to be
the star fisherman but | think that
; last week he had all the fishing he
cared for
Perhaps the best way to enc
this rather disconnected letter is
, to say that there have been very
, few nights in the last month wher
. fire was not welcome. With
kindest regards, | am
Most sincerely,