The Washington herald., 1917-07-19
Engineers Face Gigantic Job
In Building Maryland Camp
Maj. Proctor Has Six Weeks to Destroy Wood
land Stretches and Install Equipment
Before Conscripts Come.

II
One road leads of to the right and
following this. IT is possible to travel
three miles without encountering any
thing in the nature of construction
work, though this is all part Of the
Camp Meade.
Then appears a newly erected shed
bearing the sign Of the John B. Kelly
Construction Company, OF Philadel-
phia. which is doing some OF the
clearing work. and OF to the right is
gathered the camp of the Motor Truck
Company No. 36, Of the Quartermas-
ter's Reserve Corps from Philadelphia
with thirty Peerless trcucks ready for
action. But no construction work has
been attempted in this sector, to use
the military expression. Bearing
away to the left In a southerly direc-
ton is another road that skirts the
confines of the camp and a trip of a
mile and a half leads to the encamp-
ment of Company B. Engineers, of
PHILADELPHIA. upon the high mound,
the loftiest spot in the camp.
There is a military air about this
cluster OF tents under command of
Capt. ]. S. Bradford. but here also
there is an utter lack of Improvement
work. II merely appears to be the
regular company encampment.
You can travel another two miles in
swing to the east before the first
real construction work and progress
appears.
Hundreds OF colored laborers are
busy cutting down a stretch OF woods
measuring about a mile square. The
trees are of various kinds. but not
Of any great age. for they average
about eight inches in diameter.
Huge Piles of Wood.
As fast as the trees are feIled the
wood is cut and piled into huge heaps.
which the motor trucks, appearing
here for the first time in action, are
carrying away. The ground here is
being burned over to remove the un-
derbrush. No effort Is made to pull
the stUmps. 1t is not thought they
Will interfere with the throwing up
of the barracks and other buildings.
At this point. which lies close to
the northern dividing line of the camp,
the electric railroad tracks. the CAMP
is being put into some sort OF con-
dition. The roads up to this point
are merely narrow country lanes, or
the type that are soft and yielding
in dry weather and mushy mass in
wet. Not a single road has been
gravel-cOvered or surfaced, though
this work is to be done shortly.
All of this road construction work
must be started within the next few
days. and will be absolutely essen
tial before the great forces of motor
trucks can be hustled over them cease
lessly with their heavy burdens.
Now the motor trucks tug and toll
over the soft spots and up what are
slight inclines. At one spot where
the woods are being cleared a stream
ten feet wide and several feet deep
rushes through, somewhat flooded by
recent rains. There is no bridge, and
the trucks and motor cars must ford
the stream, as in the days OF the
pioneers. At this point many of the
trucks have become mired and the
dragging them out was a real task.
Passing this spot and lying in a line
parallel to the railroads and carrying
up to a point close to Mai. Proctor's
headquarters is encountered the first
real stretch under an advanced state
Of preparation.
Nine barracks buildings, OF one
story each, have been completed, these
being destined eventually for Offices.
They are the first of long string
to stretch a mile in a double row and
accommodate several thousand Of
ficers. Just now eight are being oc-
cupied by the working forces, the
carpenters and others, while the other
Is used as hospital
This was the first building COM
pleted, Mai. Proctor being of the be-
lief that to insure a perfectly healthy
camp during the stay of the soldiers,
no disease must creep in during the
constructive period.
Accordingly a staff Of physicians,
civilians as yet, are in charge and
every laboring man on the premises
is being inoculated against typhoid
fever in the same manner as the regu-
lar soldiers. To date there has
scarcely been any use for this i'm
prOvised field hospital, which speaks
well for the general conditions sur
rounding the camps site.
These barracks have an inner lining
OF pine boards and are covered upon
the outside with waterproof paper.
Contrary to the method employed
at the officers training camps all of
the doors and windows at this camp
have been religiously screened. so
that the men will not be bothered with
flies, which are rather plentiful, the
mosquitoes being q negligible factor.
The drafted men are to have greater
convenience in the sleeping and eat
ing line than has ever been offered to
soldiers. Instead of the light wooden
cot formerly employed, with canvas
stretched upon frame, three men are
to sleep upon steel spring cots with
mattresses under them and with fine
soft pillows under head. These are
arriving in great quantities. They are
piled high awaiting the completion of
the barracks into which they are
moved as soon as the carpenters drive
the last nail. According to officers
of the encampment there Is no lack
of equipment. The lumber, however,
il a bit slow in arriving, this being
due, 1t Is explained. to the tremendous
number of cars required and the con-
gestion of freight from the South.
Most of the construction force Is
concentrated at this point, the total
number of men being in excess OF
1,500. This force Is being added to
every day and hundreds Of negroes
are fiocking in to obtain work in cut
ting trees. clearing underbrush and
making the grounds ready for the
building operations.
Specialists are engaged upon such
work as road building. electrical in
stallation, plumbing. sewer laying,
drainage and other similar tasks. This
work Is under the direct handling of
Morris Knowles. as experimenting en-
gineer. Pittsburgher, skilled in this
work. He In the man who recer,tfy