The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-12

washington, Sept. s.--Colonel I. w.
IAttell In charge Of the cantoment
construction for the United States gov
srnmenh authorizes the following:
With the arrival Of the first contin-
gent Of the new national army at the
cantonments today the status of con-
struction mt the various cantonments
will undoubtedly be OF public interest
Altogether sixteen military cities have
been built by the government to
house the $4,000 citizen soldiers Sc
lected for service by the draft. or
these clties, seven were ready today
10 receive their entire quota Of officers
and sulisted men. These seven includ-
ed Camp Taylor at Louisville, KY,
Camp Travis at Fort Sam Houston
Texas, Camp Lee at Petersburg. Va.
Camp Lewis at American Lake. Wash
instoh, Camp sherman at Chillicothe.
Ohio, Camp Devens at Aver. Mass.
and Camp Grant at Rockford. III.
Seven other cantonments were ready
this morning to receive all the officers
and two-thirds or more OF their en-
tire quota Of enlisted men. These
comprise Camp Dodge at Des Moines,
Iowa Camp Funston at Ft. Riley,
Kansas. Camp Custer at Battle Creek,
Michigan. Camp Pike at Little Rock,
Arkansas. Camp Dix at wrightstown.
New Jersey. Camp Jackson at Column
bia, South Carolina. Camp Gordon at
Atlanta. Georgia.
Tho two remaining national army
cantonments. Camp Upton Mt Yap-
hank, Long Island. New York, and
Camp Meade ut Admiral. Maryland,
have already received and are taking
care OF moro than their full quota of
oinccrs and are ready to receive the
number Of enlisted men originally or
dered there on September 5th.
An army Of approximately $4,000
men was employed In the construction
Of the sixteen national army canton
ments up to tho first Of September.
Since that date the force has been
gradually reduced. There are certain
units In connection with each OF the
cantonments which were added after
the original scheme was under way
and which are In some cases not COM
plete. These are general hospitals in
addition to the rcgimental hospitals.
and remount stations to take care of
some $4,000 horses each. The COM
pletlon Of these buildings will not
however. interfere with the reception
at the citizen soldiers on the dates
they have been ordered to report at
the respective cantonments.
A TYPICAL layout such as Is required
Tor accommodating the officers and
men at q cantonment comprises In
round numbers $500 separate build.
inss requiring approximately ao,-
100000 feet of lumber. Each can
tonment requires a complete system
OF water supply and sewage disposal,
the piping alone for which amounts
to more than fifty miles. Ten general
warehouses with necessary trackage
have also been provided where the IA
cilities are not available In nearby
cities. Complete refrigerating and
laundry plants have been built at each
cantonmtnt.
Up to September 1st Il has been
necessary to complete on an average
OF one building pr hour, or for all
tho environments. an average Of ore
building every four minutes. In the
construction OF the environments to
date over nifty thousand carloads of
material have been transported to
and delivered at the sitos-an cnor-
nous tar upon the already overbur-
dened railroad facilities Of the coun-
Try. The railroads. however. have
given splendid service. All govern
ment orders have been given prece-
dence AMI the lumber and other sup
plios neetled have been rushed to the
cantonments In record time.
Tho cantonments In the east have
becn Handicapped by the fact that II
has been impossible to secure sites
without going away from the railroad
lines and labor markets.
Every national army cantonmen,
has required the building and install
iation OF a transmission line for cleo
tricai current. At Camp Upton II has
been necessary to take electrical pow
er from Eorthport. on the north shore
OF Long Island. a distance Of nearly
thirty milos. In addition to this the
transmission line has been strength