The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-02

. Washington, July Army engi-
neers who have been given the task
of building sixteen huge canton
ments in which Uncle Sans big
conscript army is to be trained
have already discovered that their
| job is of giant proportions.
Between now and this fall there
must be barracks reared for 10000
| troops at each camp, and the total
number of buildings will probably
/ exceed 1000.
Forty thousand men cannot be
huddled into shacks; there must be
| so much air space for every man If
the health of the soldiers is assured.
| There must be accommodations for
| bathing, sanitary arrangements,
cooking establishments, mess halls
and places for recreation. And then
| there must be numerous storehouses,
not to mention stores, magazines
built especially for stowage OF NUM-
tons, sheds for the housing of
/ animal Drawn vehicles, garages for
motor trucks and stables for the
thousands OF horses that will be
needed.
Must Be Like Modern City.
Further, there must be administra-
| tive buildings. hospital and quar-
ters for the officers, and finally there
must be widespread lighting sys-
tenn, a thoroughly satisfactory water
system reaching to every part OF the
town, both for fire and other pur-
drainage and sewerage, and an am
pie and up to date equipment cap
able of dealing promptly with all
camp waste.
No wonder, then, that variety of
| experts have been called upon to aid
the war department. Each canton
ment site introduces its distinctive
problems, and each in some vital es-
sentials must be planned and ar
ranged agreeably to the local physi-
cal conditions.
While several of the environments
camps-notably the one at Quantico,
| Va.-are we'll under way, some of
these places have been so recently
| selected that it has not been possible
| to make the needful surveys, and
until the notes of the field parties
are received in Washington little can
be done to further construction, In
| some cases spur lines will have to be
run from the nearest trunk railway,
and it is equally evident that first
class roads will have to be built with
in the encampments as well as out
side Of them in order to accommo-
date the heavy traffic of hundreds
and hundreds of laden motor trucks.
| Heavy Tax On Railways.
There will be miles Of camp streets
within each military reservation,
and there must be suitable parade
grounds, drill grounds and target
ranges. While the military person.
mel will number 10000 and more,
there win be many hundreds OF
| civilian employees and the like. In
short, IL is safe to say that each or
these environments will contain a
] population of fully $4,000 non-pro-
| ducers and this means good sized
CITY which must be fed, clothed ana
| otherwise supplied entirely from
without. This will involve a heavy
| tax upon the railways, already bat
| Ting with car shortage.
The cantonmentg camp now nearest
completion is located at Quantico,
va. on the Potomac river. 1t covers
an area practically two miles square.
The assembly halls, mess houses
kitchens, sleeping quarters and all
other buildings are built along the
| same general lines, the materials be-
| ing weather boarding and tarred
roofing, About twenty-five feet sep
arafe the rows, this space being a
company street in each case. Con
struction of these buildings is being
rushed to the limit by private con-
| tracing firm. All the work Is being
done by civilian labor.