Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-09
CAMP LEE IS ALREADY
s. PER CENT COMPLETE
Will Be Ready for New Draft Army
When Men Are Called
Out.
1000 woRKMEN ARE on JOB
Immense Job Is Inspected by Rich
mond Party, Including Mayor Aims
lie, City Engineer Boiling and
Others as Guests Of Major Savillc.

ANJoh
Camp Lee, where AS, 600 men of the
new draft army. embracing the quotas
from Virginia. Maryland. District of
Columbia. New Jersey and Delaware.
will be housed and trained for service
abroad. will be ready for the admission
OF the troops on September /. This
assurance was given a party of promi-
ncnt Richmond officials and citizens by
Major e. *. Coe, United States Army
reserve, instructinG quartcrmaster in
charge of the big cantonmcnt. when
they visited the camp yesterday after
noon.
Members of the party who visited
Camp Lee were the guests of Major
Charles O.. Savillc. clerk of the Chan
Gerry Court; Allen J. Saville and II. y.
Claiborne, OF Saville & Claiborne,
Richmond engineers who arc in charge
OF the work at the camp for the War
Department. The party included Mayor
George Ainslie. City Engineer Charles
Il. Boiling. Judge ID. c. Richardson.
Judge William y. Moncure, Judge
Daniel Grinnan. Louis Aylett. Brockcn-
brough Lamb. T.. Il. Thomson. Stuart
Bowc, T.. NJ. Rowellc, William +.
Knowles. ]. j. Blake. Robert l.. Sa-
willie and John r. Saville.
FIND 1000 wORKMEN
RUSHING CONSTR
The trip from Richmond to the camp
was made by automobile and the Wis
itors arrived to find 1900 men at
work, pushing with all possible speed
work on the barracks and other build
ings. which will, when completed, see
the construction of Il city to house
nearly $4,000 men within Il period of
little more than two months.
In the form of a huge. irregular
horseshoe the barracks of tandardized
type. are being built. each designed 10
accommodate one company of infan-
try or one battery of artillery. Many
OF the buildings have been finished and
are now ready for but no
troops will be sent there for train
ing until the entire camp has been fin
iShed. There Is now one OF
army engineers. recently sent from
New Jersey. on duty at the camp.
Engineers said that the work was
ABOUT TO per cent complete and that
there was no indication thnt there
would be any delay in having every
Getaii hnlshed for the reception of the
dratt army on scheduled time. install
lation of water and sewerage systems
Is nearly finished. while electric lights
are already in place. Thc'camp will
not have its own electric plant, but
VIII receive current from Petersburg.
three and one-half miles away. Cars Of
the Petersburg and Appomattox Rail
way pass within walking distance OF
the camp, but Il new line from Pc
tersburg. directly to the government
reservation. is now in the course of
construction and. IT is expected, will
be In operation when the cantonment
Is completed. or shortly thereafter.
SEVEN MILES OF TRACK
IN CAMP RESERVE
Within the camp there are now seven
miles OF t~rackage, which is constant
~ being added to by the Norfolk and
western Railway in order to handle
the enormous quantities of building
materials which are daily arriving.
Midway between Petersburg and
Hopewell. the camp occupies IL site
on Il high elevation. Much of il has
already been cleared to make way for
the buildings. and that portion now
covered with woods and underbrush
VIII be cleared when the soldiers take
possession.
Within the circle formed by the
barracks Will be formed a huge drill
ground. which will be ample for The
work OF the artillery and infantry.
work on a rcmount station 10 he IN
Gated here will not be started until
'he camp proper has been completed.
AMAZED AT ENORMOUS
SCALE OF CANTONMENT
The Richmond visitors we're amazed
at the enormous scale upon which
everything at the camp is being car
.leu out. From al observation tower
In the center of the camp a fine birds
eye view of the grounds and buildings
was obtained. Almost as far as the
eye could reach. the quickly-built frame
structures could be seen on either side
OF the huge semi-circle.
City Engineer Boiling was much i'm
pressed with the work and the great
number of men employed. The land
scape in all directions was dotted with
carpenters. mechanics and hosts of
unskilled laborcrs in charge of cngi-
neers. Mr.. Boiling displayed a keen
interest In the installation of the sew
eraEe system. the work of which has
been greatly facilitated by the use Of
the most improved trench-digging ma
chimes. which carve out the way for
the laying of tho pipes and big mains.
The visitors remained at the camp
Tor more than four hours, but in that
time were able actually TO visit only
a small area. They returned to Rich
mona more impressed than ever that
uncle sam means business and that
ne intends to give his soldiers the best
living conditions possible while he
trains them to carry out his order 10
make the world safe for democracy.