The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1917-11-02
Army ENGINEERS
FACE GREAT TASK
Have Big Part to Play in Ham
ding United States Army
in France.
BUILD ROADS and BRIDGES
Uncle Sans Experts Must Provide
Adequate Terminal and Trans
portation Facilities for
Our Forces.

our FORCES.
Engineers Of the United States army
face a gigantic task In making prepa-
rations for the handling of Uncle Sans
great new armies on foreign soil.
The value Of railroad materials and
rolling stock alone, now being pur-
chased to provide in advance for the
needs Of the American army, is about
five times that Of all purchases made
annually in this country for the Pan
ANA canal during the last four or FIVE
years, according to a statement from
the office Of the chief of engineers Of
the army.
American engineers must undertake.
large operations in the construction
and repair Of bridges in France. They
must repair and maintain the roads
and highways over which our supplies
will be brought up to the battle line.
much Of the latter work will be done
within range Of the enemy's guns. To
accomplish this work the same kind
of street and road equipment as Is used
in our leading American cities will
have to be shipped to the front.
Our engineers will equip the wharves
and piers in France utilized by Ameri-
can forces, with the terminal facilities
required by our armies. The lumber
for this work will be cut from Euro;
pean forests by regiments of American
foresters. This method will save bur-,
dening our ships with lumber from the
United States. One regiment Of forest
ers is being organized and several more
Twill be raised. They will carry with
them complete lumbermen's outfits, In
Guiding sawmill equipment.
Experts will install electric plants.
which will furnish lights to the
trenches, dugouts, storehOuses, etc. The
power houses will be dug in" In such
q way as to protect them from shell
fire.
VIII Furnish Water Supply.
It is the duty of the corps Of en-,
gineers to furnish an adequate water
supply for the large bodies Of men sud-
denly placed in localities where the en-
tire water supply is already needed for
the small civilian population. Experts
are already in France studying this
problem. Well-driving apparatus, pipe.
and all necessary supplies will be sent
over. Settlements in which troops will
stay will be piped as is done under an
American city system. Material for ex-
tensive standard-gauge and narrow
gauge railroads will be sent to Eu-
rope, to enable the engineers to carry
out their task. The lines to be built
} will both transport troops to the front
, and handle all transportation behind
the firing line. The lines running up
to the front will remove wounded and
salvage gathered from the field. Lines
Of this type are broad-gauge, feeding
numerous narrow-gauge spurs which
radiate from the main line and accom-
, modate supply trains, often hauled by
gasoline engines.
: The Engineer corps will carry its
own rolling stock to the theater OF
war. This in itself will be gigan-
tic operation.
Special mining companies will be
formed for the purpose Of carrying
on the intricate operations involved In
modern trench warfare. For this work
, expert miners will be chosen.
The engineers will 60 into the study
of battle map making on large scale.
They will study this work under the
expert British and French instructors.
who have made a speciality Of the fields
Of battle map-making on large scale
> present war has brought into being a
vast number Of appliances hitherto I'M
known. Battlefield illumination with
. searchlights, trench lights. flares,
star bombs, and rife grenades will be
: handled by the engineers. Appliances
| for this work will be of American man.
ufacture.
/ VIII Apply camoufiage.
Camouflage, the modern war art OF
reducing the visibility of objects, must
be applied for the protection OF
troops, artillery, etc., in France, and
the engineers are making this subject
their special study. Well-known art.
3 lists and experts in color effects will
e precede the engineers and study out
' the problem Of obscuring operations
! from the enemy. The actual work will
be done by sign painters and soldiers
trained In the craft.
The engineers will attend to the con-
struction Of all buildings for the hous-
ing of troops. They will build hos
3 pitfalls. refrigerating plants, machine
!. shops, and other structures incident to
the care and supply Of the army In
3 France.
+ The purchasing and supply depart
= ment Of the Engineer corps faces the
3 task of buying the equipment that
2 must be shipped to the front. The Item
: of intrenching tools is in itself con-
siderable one as the destruction In
this one particular has been very large
, In the French and British armies
: Wrecking cars and all the parapher'
! MALTA which goes with them must be
y supplied.
S The engineers must construct al
: harbors in the United States wharves
D piers, and storehouses of sufficient ca