Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-12
CAMP LEE WILL Be READY
FOR TROOPS SEPTEMBER |
More Than 1000 Workmen Are
Building Giant Cantonment Just
Outside OF Petersburg.
COVERS TWENTY-FIVE FARMS
Workmen Use 100 Carloads of Lum-
Der Each Day In Construction.
Recreationai Facilities to BE Pro-
vided for Draft Army.

OF the huge cantonment three and one
half miles east CT Petersburg. where
the quotas from Virginia. District of
Columbia. Maryland. New Jersey and
Delaware In the new draft army will
be trained for service abroad
The precise manner in which every
detail of the work connected with the
gigantic task of building a military
city to house $4,000 men In period
OF little more than two months is also
indicated In Major Goes reply. Every
step in the progress of construction
has been carefully worked out in ad
vance. which means that not spade OF
earth Is turned. not nail driven ex-
cept in full accordance with the set
program. This schedule has been pre-.
pared with such caution that Major Coe
does not hesitate to give the exact
date on which the cantonment will be
ready to care for the troops, who will
be whipped into shape by intensive
training to help make the world safe
for democracy.
RICHMOND MEN IN CHARGE
Of BUILDING OPERATIONS
Richmond has an interest In the
camp other than that 1t is to be the
military home of her sons 1t is ac-
tually being created by Richmond men.
Allen j. Saville and H. A. Claiborne.
forming Richmond engineering firm,
are in charge of all building opera
tons for the War Department. Two
other Richmond men. II. p. Bayly and
Travers Wood. are assisting them. Mr..
Bayly Is in charge of sewer construc-
ton work. while Mr.. Wood has charge
OF the wood construction. These men
have been supervising the work sine,
it began on June 20.
AS index of the enormous scale
on which the work is being carried out,
the following facts will prove interest
ing:
There are to-day 1900 workmen,
700 teams and thrty-seven three-ton
motor trucks engaged in actual con-
struction work.
When completed, Camp Lee Will have
$500 barracks, which do not include
hospital buildings. The hospital unit
Will consist OF forty buildings. In ALL
the camp will have 1000 buildings
Among these will be seven Young
Mems Christian Association buildings.
and one building for recreation pur-
| poses by the knights of Columbus. The
laundry Is a structure 2O0x2o0 feet
Thirty million feet of lumber have
already been u ed.
FIFTY-TWo MILES OF
PIPE TRENCHES DUG
| Fifty-two miles of bitches for water
and sewerage systems have been dug
Fourteen miles OF ten and twelve-inch
mains have been laid.
There will be exactly 400 acres OF
roofs within the camp
A double car line runs through the
camp.
Seven miles of side tracks. and daily
increasing, have been installed by the
| Norfolk and Western Railway.
| One hundred carloads Of lumber are
being used each day.
| Three million square feet of building
| board for inferior finishing, have been
| used.
Twenty carloads of nails have been
used.
Ten warehouses. sOx17O feet. have
been built and will be used for storage
purposes.
a complete water works system has
been installed. the pumphouse having
five units capable OF furnishing 5000
gallons of water minute. tank of
100000 gallons capacity Is now being
erected in the center OF the canton
ment.
Three thousand shower baths will
tighten the soldiers burdens.
The camp will have civic center"
where will he located the post office, n
bank. telegraph office and a telephone
exchange.
Nine miles of gravel roadways have
been laid.
WORK Is NEARLY
10 PER CENT COMPLETED
These were some of the things about
the camp which the engineers had at
their fingers tips. but they called them
off so rapidly that the interviewer was
unable TO make a note OF all. How
ever they will give something OF an
idea OF the size Of Camp Lee. which Is
but one of sixteen cantonmeats now
being hurried to completion In various
sections of the country. Work here
is said to be further advanced than at
any of the other future training camps.
The work is nearly 20 per cent finished.
Camp Lee lies upon high elevation
about halfway between Petersburg
ana Hopewell and may be reached by
the new concrete road linking these
two cities. The Petersburg and Apo
mattoX Railway passes near by, but
n new trolley line, directly to the camp
from Petersburg. is being built and
will be. 1t is expected. in operation
shortly after the camp is finished.
Army engineers pronounce Camp
Lee to have the most desirable sits
of any cantonment. Upon high ground,
with an abundant and pure water
supply, 1t BODIES well for the health
of the soldiers. It is sufficiently near
tho James River to permit the camp
sewage to empty into that stream be-
low City Point. II is easily access-
bio by railroad. trolley and automo-
bile.
The $500 acres now covered by the
government reservation was. until re.
Gently, occupied by twenty-five farms
Much OF 1t was woodland, now cleared
and in Its place rests hundreds of clus-