The diamond drill., 1917-09-08

naturedly and without many mishaps
Then, as / view the building operations and
saw the 1900 carpenters swarming the
buildings, the lack OF such organization one
sees about the big manufacturing plants became
more apparent II seemed to add to and make
confusion more confounded.
/ soon found out that there was little use oi
asking any questions, for no seemed to know
anything The average workmen knew that he
employed on building and that was about
all. The foremen knew what buildings he had
charge of and but little more. The time-keepers
essayed to know everything, but found out that
about all they knew was the art OF exaggeraton
AS sample, one young man who told me he had
the time of 200 to attend to- informed me
that II took five mntes' time to erect one of the
hospital units, and invited to stop and wit
ness the erection of one within that time. did
not stop for at the rate that l saw some gangs
working my figures were very much greater than
those OF the young man IN question.
Then there was the newnes5 OF the thing. The
necessity OF getting the buildings up in a hurry
compelled the operators to go ahead irrespective
of street or other improvements Big motor
trucks plowing through fields with great loads OF
lumber and supplies had churned the soil into a
fine dust, in some places two feet thick The
wind was blowing and the clouds OF dust that
overwhelmed the workmen on the roofs of the
buildings was something fierce. / tried TO mag
inc what the condition would be should days
rain set in, but II was beyond me. 1t seems that
Providence has tempered the wind TO the shorn
lamb" at Camp Grant for there has been long
continued drouth there that has obyiated the nee
essity for the contractor worrying about mud.
l don't wish TO be understood as saying that
there Is no organization at Camp Grant, for there
is and when one considers the newness Of the
undertaking and the necessity for haste, one Won
ders that there is not more confusion 1t is the
military air rather than the lack of real organiz-
ed effort that magnihes this lack of order. AS !
said, no one konws Of anything other than the
immediate task in which he Is engaged. II man
3 put at handing up a board to the carpenter on
the roof all he knows is the movement necessary
to get the board up with the least exertion and
without breaking the record for speed lie is
not supposed to know the quality of the board
nor what il covers.
So all over the camp, none Of the subalterns
know anything Headquarters was the only foun-
tain of information and that fountain flows only
when it is absolutely necessary. and is about as
inaccessible as can be imagined
10 Build for Some Time Yet.
There air OF semi -permanence about the
building operations that struck me- The govern
ment is figuring more than temporary shelf
er at these cantonments.
In the first place the sanitary conditions are
looked after and planned for with the greatest
minuteness All OF the tract will be severed and
a thorough water system will be installed before
tie work at the camp will be over. Sewers had
been placed where IL necessary To connect
up the buildings under construction and sewers
were being laid in other places as fast az possi
BILE. The work OF installing the water system
was not far advanced but II coming, So.
here we have tract as large as many OF our
smaller cities thoroughly served with the latest
coRveniences and all within few months time
That was the first evidence of permanence, al
though the health OF the soldiers to be quartered
there would necesstate much OF the work that
was being done in this line.
Then, in the buildings themselves there was
apparent an effort TO make them comparatively
lasting warm and comfortable. Almost all OF the
buildings are erected upon posts which is the
temporary item in their construction, but the me-
cessty for speed necesstates some such founda-
ton.
All buildings are sheeted covered with compos-
ition paper and sided with drop siding making
them comparatively warm and comfortable The
roofs constructed of a composition roofing
and great truck loads OF this stuff put up IN rolls
was carted about the place
So, it is quite apparent that the govornm, mt
figures that the camp will be occupied for some
time perhaps for all time and that II Is not 10
be given 20 the wrecker In few months after its
service in this immediate emergency Is over with
Types of Buildings Seer.
There is much similarity In the buildings: that
OF course Is necessary. The barracks are all az
ter the same plan or plans; the hospital units
are after tie same plans, the warehouses are OF
the same type. The entire camp has been stand
ardized which brings TO II sameness that Is
quite striking
The barracks are S6xi2. two-story with eithet
one or two kntchens as ean-to's Common re-
port is that each barracks is supposed 10 house
that tbpre arp A.0 ~ thay. b,,Fttt,,.,.