The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-07-26
SIXTEEN MILITARY CITIES TO Be *
BUILT IN REC0RDBREAKING Time
Homes to Accommodate 100000 Soldiers Of the National Army
Must Be Ready by September Each Cantonment s TO
Have 900 Houses With Population Of 10000
Men-Food Needed for Army

the contracting engineer, who holds Q
MAJORS commission, and under whose
supervision the city is now being built.
An Idea Of the size Of this Job may
be gained at q glance. at the material
estimate for typical cantonment.
Lumber is the big item, some 10000
700 feet or 1925 carloads being the re-
quirement. Roofing nails alone will all
one modern freight car. Crushed stone
for the roads will make S12 carloads.
Here are some Of the other items:
2S,OOO squares Of roofing, 90 cars; 20
carloads Of nails and hardware; 20
carloads plumbing; 1872 carloads Of
tanks, heaters, stoves, ranges, piping,
electrical materials, refrigerators, and
the like; railroad materials for FIVE
miles Of track, divided into 30 car
loads OF ties and other timber, 20 car
loads Of spikes, rails, fishplates, ETC.,
and ia carloads Of ballast; 10 car
loads Of electric light poles, wires, in
sulators, etc. Materials for 1900 cubic
yards Of concrete will make 20 car
loads Of cement, $50 carloads Of stone
and 175 carloads of sand.
The men Of the environments will
sleep In double-deck hunks. This
means there will be $1,000 separate
hunks, each with Its mattress. To
transport the mattresses 1875 cars will
be required, and the hunks will take
62 more. Water and sewer lines will
make 65 carloads each, and $50 car
loads Of hospital equipment will be
necessary. Three carloads of screens
are also included in the estimate, as
are 20 carloads of construction tools.
Where water cannot be obtained
from already utilized sources wells
must be driven or reservoirs construct
ed. The problem of sewage disposal
will be met by connecting cantonment
sewage mains to already existing sew
age systems where possible, or by
building reduction stations where nee
essary.
Provide Rifle Ranges.
Areas Of the environments will vary
with the topography the minimum be-
ing from 1900 to 1000 acres. Ip add.
ton to the city itself, parade grounds
maneuvering spaces and rifle ranges
must be provided.
Each cantonment will contain close
to 1000 buildings, the typical company
barracks being two-story structure
built of wooden frame, covered with
matched boards. Roofs will be well COW
cred with prepared roofing. They will
be well ventilated with flues, lighted by
electricity, heated in the North by
steam and in the South by stoves
Each will have kitchen and mess
hall.
Col. I. w. Littell of the quartermas
ter's department Of the army, who Is
In charge Of the work of building the
environments, made public the fee sys
TEN of the cantonment contracts. The
fees vary from 10 per cent on small
contracts of 100000 or less 10 pei
cent on contracts Of more than $500,
600, with final upset limit Of $3.50,
600. The fees in all cases cover botf
profit and overhead expense. They
were fixed upon by the department
acting with the assistance Of the emer
gency construction committee of the
general munitions board and othei
civilian advisers.
"In deciding on the cantonment con
tracts we have had to consider three
main points Of practically equal i'm
IOrtance," Colonel Littell said. "Tht
, first has been the absolute necessity
Of speed, the second, proper construc
ton, including sanitation and commu
nication and transportation facilities
the third, economy. Taking all three
into consideration and also the fac
that time will not permit the compile
ton of drawings and specification
which would be necessary in order Il
ask for. competitive bids before thu
work must be started, the Quartsrmas
ter's corps, acting In conjunction will
the emergency construction committee
decided to make contracts on the per
centage or cost plus basis, at thu
same time using all possible safeguard
In the shape Of guarantees from thu
contractors as to their capacity and in
tegrity.
"The profit system has been decided
on only after weeks Of study to find {
basis for the fees which would assure
the country Of the highest grade o.
work from the contractors and at thu
same time prevent extravaganza
through the payment Of excessive prof
Its. II is pleasure 10 pass tribute t
the loyalty and patriotism of the grea
majority Of contractors who have come
here TO discuss the question with us
With a few exceptions, they have &C
guessed willingly in our contention
that the profits must be kept down Il
the lowest level consistent with high
grade work. Some firms have Offered
to do the work on cost basis, but w
have considered this an unwise polio!
both economically and nationally. TIL,
utmost speed and efficiency must b.
developed In these and future build
| ing jobs for the government, and thu
acceptance Of offers of free servic,
might easily disrupt the high-grad'
l "A n 4