The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-07-17
MOSQUITO PEST
DELAYS WORKON
YAPHANK CAMP
LabOrers Flee From Long
Island Cantonment Site
to Escape 1t.
WORST PLAGUE IN YEARS
Fate Of Soldiers Now on Guard
Augurs Ill for Comfort
of Conscripts.

The contractors who are constructing
Camp Upton, the military cantonment
which is being built at Yaphank. L. L.
to house the quota which New York city
will contribute to the new national army,
are finding that their work is being de-
layed and the health Of their employees
as we'll as the health Of the several
companies of soldiers which are guard
ing the property, Is being seriously
threatened by the worst plague Of mos
quitoes which has afflicted the eastern
end Of Long Island within recent years.
Reports from the camp last night in
dicated that the contractors are having
great difficulty in inducing the men to
stay and continue the work. although
they are paying higher wages than are
usually paid the class Of labor en-
ployed, and higher than the Yaphank
section of Long Island has ever known
Common laborers are getting S3.75 and
more a day, and skilled workers, such
as carpenters and mechanics, are get
ting IS and better.
Despite this fact every train takes
workmen back to the city. with theii
faces and bodies swollen from mosquito
bites. Several Of the contractors have
become so alarmed over the situation
that they have practically ceased I'm
porting workmen from New York anC
the Jersey cities. and are trying to In
duce natives OF Yapnank and the sur
rounding territory to accept Jobs, be
lieving that they will be better able tC
withstand the mosquitoes.
Camp site on Flat Lands.
The new military cantonment, which
is to house from 10000 to $4,000 mer
while they are in training. is TO be 10
Gated on fiat lands in close proximity Il
innumerable natural breeding places fo
mosquitoes. Every summer Yaphank Il
afflicted with swarms of the pests, q fac
which the War Department does not ap
pear to have taken into consideration
when II made plans for the new camp
This year mosquitoes are present all owe
Long Island in larger numbers than II
many years. in part because Of the cool
rainy weather.
So far the military authorities and tn
contractors have found nothing that will
check the swarms OF mosquitoes that at
tack the camp day and night Oils hav
been spread thickly on ali the ponds ant
creeks of the neighborhood. but they d.
not seem TO have diminished the numbe
of the insects that have congregate
near the military reservation.
Soldiers Suffer Severely.
The soldiers who are guarding tn
site, a company of a New York regimen
and Company NJ from a Maryland regi
ment, are suffering greatly from tn
pests. The guardsmen do their wor
| with mosquito netting over their face
and sleep on net enclosed cots, but tn
netting affords no protection to thei
bodies and the legs and arms of most o
them are virtually masses of stinss an
bites. Soldiers on duty yesterday sal
the mosquitoes were getting worse rathe
than better in spite of the preventiv
methods that have been applied. and tn
outlook for the conscripts who will b
forced to occupy the camp during tn
hot days OF early September is not pleas
ant to contemplate.
Except for the presence OF the mos
auitoes, which has delayed the wor
considerably by driving out workme
who are unable to stand the biting Of tn
pests, the construction ~ the amp
proceeding according to War DeI'ar'
ment plans. Some 500 men are at wor
there now, and within the next week q
ten days this number. II is expected, wi
| be increased to 5000.