Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-24
How Drafted Men Live

trench for sewer pipes. 1t had not
been filed in on the day that the camp
was pronounced ready by its builders
for the first troops.
1t was also evident that the officers
were not convinced that the delay in
having things ready was entirely ac-
counted for by the labor difficulties
and other troubles of the contractors,
a" great as they had been.
To show the progress or lack of pro-
gress by figures is difficult, and the 50
per cent of construction credited to
Yaphank on the eve of the opening
day sounded better even than the place
looked when the first men of the Ma
tlcnal Army moved in. A barracks
yma be so per cent finished, for ex-
ample, but it is of little use for
housing troops if the roof is not on.
Streets may be rated as so many per
cent completed but they are not ideal
thoroughfares for the marching of men
OF the sewer and water pipe trenches
are still wide open and the tree /,
stumps still sticking out of the ground.
Something less than forty buildings
all told were ready or sufficiently ready
to be used for army purposes on the
opening day. When complete, the can
tcnment will have 8 thousand of these
structures.
No beginning had been made on the
housing of brigade and regimental
headquarters, and none of the quarters
had been erected for company officers.
Captains and Lientenants, who should
have their own quarters, were obliged
t. move into the barracks with their
men and sleep in company staterooms.
4 day or two before opening, twelve
Colonies and two Brigadier Generals
were housed together in makeshlft
quarters in one company barracks.
They were later squeezed into other
temporary living places, sharing the
rooms that had been completed for the
members of the Division Staff.
Many of the latrines, for which there
was immediate needs for the first ar
rivals, were not completed. The per-
manent water supply of the canton
ment had not been turned on, because
o. delays in that part of the work.
However, there was sufficient water
from the temporary sytem installed for
the supply of the contractors labor
ers. Sewer mains were all in place
for the part of the camp first to be
used, but the sewage permanent dis
posal plant was not ready.
Ground had been partly cleared for
the divisions base hospital, but not
stick of timeber for this structure ha
been put in place. All of the medical
officers of the camp were philosophical,
however. and seemed to think that
they could keep the camp healthy in
spite of difficulties, thanks partly to thei
approach of cool weather.
When Major Myers, the construction
Quartermaster, was asked if he was
having his troubles, he replied that
there was no trouble. He seemed
cheerful as to the outlook and rather
satisfied than not with what had been
accomplished, in spite of the handlcaps
which he enumerated
1--WE are not supposed to have this
cantonment complete before the mid
die of October" said Major Myers.
I'VE were all ready for the first 1 per
cent on September 5 and the date
was not postponed to the 10th because
of construction work, but accommo-
date the railroad Our water supply
is ready. and we are repairing leaks
TODAY in the piping. In the meantime,
there is plenty of water for all the
men who have come in, and the sewer
system is I'D to the present require I
ments We have not built the hospital {
vet because we were authorized to goi
ahead with that only two weeks ago Y
nv the Quartermaster Generals de-