The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-20
TRAINING
STATION A
BUSY PLACE
Several Thousand Rockies
Being Trained to Man.
Ships Of Navy.
CBy Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press.)
Lake Bluff, ILL.,, April 20.-Several
thousand embryonic bIuejackets are
being prepared at the Great Lakes
Naval Training station here to man
the ships of the, American battle fleet
the nations first line OF defense--in
the war with Germany. Since Presi-
dent Wilson proclaimed a state of
war, the station. with barrack-room
Tor about 1.400 men, has been caring
Tor between 5000 and 1000 recruits,
and the number 10 increasing daily
Heretofore 1t has taken about four
months for sailor to complete his
training in the naval preparatory
school. And the atmosphere about the
station was not unlike that in the av-
erage middle -western college. Sur
rounding the quadrangle parade
ground, as college. buildings surround
campus, are the barracks and exc
cuttVe offices. But the wartime re-
cruits have brought with them a more
serious demeanor than those Of peace.
Then too. the influx of recruits and
the demand for men in the fleet has
been such that the training period has
been reduced to from ten to twenty
one days. contingents being sent
somewhere in the east" as rapidly as
they can be prepared. Each Of the
days. spent at the station is, filled with
what the officers describe as "inten-
slve preparation for sea duty" Each
day bugles are blowing, awkward
squads drilling, patriotic pulses beat
ing and the air is filed with the thrill
or preparation for war;
Tent City 10 Rising.
With mushroom like rapidity a sand
colored tent city Is rising above the
greening grass Of the reservation, that
the overflow of men from the bar
racks may be cared for. Capt. w. A.
Moffett, commandant, has obtained
the temporary use of 157 acres 'front.'
ing on Lake, Michigan and adjoining
the reservation.
Plans have been made and orders
issued looking toward the construc-
ton of the largest inland community
OF Its kind In the world. Five thousand
tents. to house almost 10000 men, are
to be pitched on the ground. A sewage
and water system is being estab-
l1shed; Kitchens are being built and
streets laid out. Preparations also are
under way for the erection OF a wire
less station which will give the Great
Lakes department direct communica-1
ton with the navy department in |
Washington.
Against background Of wooded |
bluffs which sweep majestically down |
to Lake Michigan, dimpling in the |
streaming sunlight. hundreds of trim
young fellows in blue may be seen /
daily learning the trudiments of drill.
Little, round, white hats are jammed
down on heads, cheeks glow and bay
onets swing from cartridge belts as
they march back and forth in the land
#s.
The recruits. for the most part virile
young fellows from the factories,
farms, colleges and offices, work will
lingly and apparently readily learning
to execute the commands with accur-
acy and precision. 14s EE9 =
Get Thorough Schooling.
=, Under the intense training system
the recruits are given a thorough
schooling in the land formations,
which are not unlike the infantry
naneuvers of the United States army,
but boat drill nowadays is given the
men after they. reach the seaboard,
formerly it was a part of the
station training
Since April 1. more than 1000 men
have been received here from recruit
ng stations in the central naval dis
:fict comprising the states between
Louisiana and North Dakota and
Western New York and Colorado.
More than 400 arrived in single day
asst week. AS the great iron gates /,
swung open for them. the sentry on
luty, tow-haired boy from ST. Paul,
With a cow-lick caressing his left
emple, remarked with all the assur-
lnce of a veteran of six days:
Here comes another bunch OF rook-
es. But then. 1t won't take long to
make sailors out of EN-
Out Of step, but making q brave eff
ort to simulate q military bearing,
he four hundred trudged to the build
ng where the making Of q man-o'-
yarsman begins. Each man stripped
or q bath and the form fitting raj
nent of the collegian was piled with
he grimy overalls OF the mechanic,
alter to be sent home or, given to char
table institutions, depending upon the
election of the recruit. After the bath
anne the barbershop. where little
,arber, so rushed that he had been
Unable to attend to the stubble COW
ring his own face, cut the hair and
haved the whiskers of the recruits.
Medical examination was next. This
PASSED successfully the future sailor
vas vaccinated and then given two
Uniforms, shoes. socks, a Jersey, blan-
tets, mattresses and brushes. The new
informs donned. the four hundred
we're ready to be shown the torpedoes,
he rapid-fire gums. the S-pounders,
he barracks. the billiard rooms, the
owing alleys and the gymnasium.
The following day they began to
s by the right fiankl hol" by pla-
nd today after only few days of
lily ready to take their places in the
1