The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-08-17
CONTINUED From Page One.


lodged in it is provided with simple
bed consisting of wire-netting
foundation supported by wooden up
rights. On this the soldier lays his
regulation zundle of straw and, COW
ering himself with his army blanket
and great coat, can sleep with freedom
from anxiety as to any bombardment
in progress outside. The shelters are
provided generally with electric light
or acetylene lamps, sanitary convent
ences, and, in some cases, with COM
plete shower baths.
Shelters Well Protected.
First aid posts and dressing sta
lions with all modern surgical appli-
ances are also to hand, so that the
surgeon attached to the unit may at
tend Immediately to any wounded
men brought in from the nearby
battlefield. So well are the shelters
protected from the view of the enemy
that, although in many instances the
underground lodging covers an area
of 5000 square yards, not once in the
course of the past year has one of
them been destroyed by the enemy's
fire. They have many exits, the plan
being to provide one for each sec
ton or quarter company, so that in
case one exit should be hit and
blocked, the men inside may escape
through another opening.
Soldiers Made Own Shelters.
At the beginning of the war the
soldiers actually in the fighting line
made their own shelters, which were
just holes dug in the ground and
covered with tree-trunks and earth
and affording very little protection,
besides taking up much OF the time
of the. soldiers and costing very much
labor and money for transporting the
necessary timber. 1t was then decided
to utilize the older. classes of the re-
serve of the territorial army who
had been called to the eolors and who,
despite their previous military train
ing, had been found unable to bear
the strain of campaigning. Several
companies of them were formed and
they were first given the task of con-
structing shelters in the lSomme dis
trict and around Verdun. Their Off
GERS were chosen from the engineer
corps and from men who in civil life
were engaged in similar undertakings,
such as builders and miners. Most of
the men were peasants used to dig
ging in the fields and their work was
very satisfactory, but this kind of ex-
cavating work was different and they
suffered considerably from the un-
usual motion of having to throw the
earth upward, or wheeling it in bar
rows up steep inclines.
Using Electric Power.
One of the officers overcome this
trying difficulty by inventing an ap-
paratus for carrying loosened earth
or rock to the surface by use of
electric power By this arrangement
two men can do the work formerly
done by ten. When the earth has
reached the surface it falls into bar
rows and is wheeled away along the
level and distributed about in such a
manner as not to attract the atten-
ton of the enemy's airmen always
flying about the. lines to observe what
is going on in the opposing position.
Special army saw-mills have been
started to provide the props and
planking for the shelters and every
thing is done at minimum cost.
The veterans so employed have sus-
tanned losses when working in ex-
posed positions, but no danger appears
to daunt them and they continue
their job as though they were work
ing in the fields at home. They have
adapted themselves to the use of the
most modern tools, and although the
great majority of them had no previ-
Gus experience. of electric drills and
borers they now use them as well as
practiced miners.