The Washington times., 1917-11-23
MEADE SAPPERs
WORK 2H0URsN
GAs1FlLLEDCAYE

CAMP MEADE. Nd, Nov. h.
Twenty members OF the Twenty
seventh Euginse-s Regiment. who
have been busy sor several days Dig
ging q mine such ~ will be used 10
blow up German trenches, went down
into that mine To-Day and turned on
gas and smoke. The men had on
the novel brea@hing machines. and
they left behind other members Of
the unit to seal over the entrance OF
the cave or mine. In this under
ground passage Eiey worked with
picks and shoysls TO- two hours, ex-
eFting themselves vigorously to prove
that the machine was equal to the
extra demands made upon Il By the
heavy BREATHING fha. accompanies
heavy work. whne In there the men
were completely cut off from outside,
practically in another world They
were facing \ coalition that might
surround them in France while in
the midst Of some big underground
offensive.
The underground work az Meade
has gone forward very secretly. All
the time men have passed within
ten feet OF the ps>cs where the big
experiments are carried on : without
the least susDicivn that there was
any activity there At all sThs art
OF camoufiage wa employed 70 fool /
any busybody. who might be lurking
around. The daadly carbon monoxide,
smoke and other gases were used, all
without any effec. upon the men. Men !
who are going through this course
have now faced fumes far more harm
full than any TIE Kaiser,s men could
possibly concentrate At any one place.
Keen For Real Service.
They are keen for a chance to en-
ploy in battle THAR ability as miners.
A fner bunch Of men never came to
Meade or assembled anywhere else
under the nag. They are big. healthy
fellows used to the life OF the West
ern plains, and most Of them are
used to all kinds Of Injuries In the
hours when they are not at work.
One is Dan McCuish. whose brother
was killed At vimy Ridge. E. 4 |
Rockhold, who was for four years a
deputy sheriff at Spokane. left i'm
portant interests behind TO serve in
this unit T. D. Fegan. OF Cripple
Creek. gave up gold mining to have
an underground ding at the HunA
Charles s. c. Murphy. was q foreman ,
In tunnel construction In Cleveland.
Ohio. but decided that tunnels, are I
needed worse in No Mans Land than
anywhere else.
David F. Alexander, who has just |
been In the rescue work In Butte in /
connection with q mining disaster.
saw 100 men who died In copper
mines and Is eager to get on the
other side for rescue work or for Of
fensive II there Is a good place for
the Kaisers men. william
P. Circkel, one who Is taking the gas
course, was with Pershing In Mexico
and hopes to be with him again soon. II
I. r. McCay left behind a gold mine
In Lorraine, Cal, with his father in
There is one Johns Hopkins man in
this group, James Ffnan.. who took
the course IN the engineering school.
w. c. Hauser, a general contractor.
sold out his business In Chicago to
take up what he regarded as the big
gest business of the day. R. n. Nc
Bride and o. II. Lindbloom. are min
Ing engineers. graduates OF the Upi-
yersity OF California /. W. Ferrand.
who gave up his gold mine in Call
fornia, Is q graduate OF the UniveT-
sity Of Wisconsin.
Butte Best ReDrssented.
Butte has more men than any other
town. among them being s. d. Cam
erOn. C. 8. utter. T. D. Pagan. James
z. Rogers, and Robert sumptsr' who
has figured In important rescues In
mining disasters. Robert Mcclure 10
rom Alaska. Charles Heyne left be-
hind important interests In Goldfieid
Ind elsewhere.
The unit includes many mining en-
yineers,. electrical engineers, and ex-
perts OF other kindI