Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15
Building of Sixteen Cities
at Total Cost $780,
100000 Is Tremen-
dous Undertaking.

NEW YORK, July 14.-what a huge
task confronts the War Department
in building. by September i. sixteen
| great cantonments for the new ma
tional Cor selective draft) armies is
scarcely appreciated by Americans, al
most all Of whom are unfamiliar with
the intricate details of military life.
To construct these sixteen cities will
cost 100000 to 100000 each. or
ss0.ooo.0o0 in ADJUST twice as much
as it costs to repair and operate the
Panama Canal every year
The running expenses of the camp
will be 100000 a month each. or
Sl20.ooo,ooo in all for the first year.
With the initial outlay of $4,000. 600.
the amount TO be spent on the camps
the first twelvemonth foots up to $780,
900, 900.
Those obstacles that hindered actual
work being started on the camps are
now history. and work is being rushed
to point where many of the canton
ments are giving some indications of
just how complete and complex they
will be-
Besides the actual construction of
the camps. manifold problems affect
ing sanitation, housing and morals
confront those intrusted with the duty
OF providing the places where the
625.000 men called for duty will train
for service.
Remember that each camp will house
10000 men and but $50 cities in the
entire country have larger population.
SIXTEEN CITIES
HAVE CANTor.AIENTs
The sixteen camps are situated near
Aver. Mass: Yaphank. L. l.; Wrights-
town. N. j.; Annapolis Junction, Md.
Petersburg. Va: Columbia, S. c.; At
lanta. Ga; Chillicothe. Ohio: Louisville.
Ky; Battle Creek. Mich: Des Moines.
| Iowa; Fort Riley, Kan; Fort Sam
Houston, Texas; Rockford, Ill; Little
Rock. Ark, and American Lake. Wash.
In each camp there must be 1000
! houses! The buildings being erected
are not the fimsy sort that might he
expected under the circumstances
Every one is roomy. two-story affair,
with perfect ventilation and sanitation
and electric lighting. Every one will
have a kitshen and a mess hall Row
after row of these houses will line the
streets.
Imagine furnishing 1000 houses and
then multiply that by sixteen! That
is one of the Of the task armv
officers had on their hands. 1t means
that $4,000 separate hunks, each with
mattress, for every single one of tho
sixteen cantonments-rough 500. 600
mattresses. Two thousand freight cars
will be required to transport the mat
tresses to tho camps.
Twenty-six million feet of lumber
are necessary for every cantonment.
while the total amount equals about
per cent Of the entire lumber output
OF the country for one year.
Nails to roof the buildings in one
cantonment will fill freight car, while
crushed rock for the roads to be con-
structed In one OF the camps will re-
quire more than 800 cars for transpor-
tation.
EVERYTHING COMPLETE IN
THESE TENTED CITIES
Roads? Certainly. Every city will
be independent except for food, and
that will be supplied from the outside.
| Fire departments are to be established
In every one OF the camps; there will
be railroad yards with complete trana-
portation facilities, complete sewage
and garbage incinerating systems. and
hundreds g othSr, .conveniences neces-