The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-27
N PROCURING
ARTILLERY RANGE
No Progress Made With Owners OF
Fsrrars fsIsnd for Two Months.
u IL Reported.
RIFLE RANGE IN sRArE
Precautions VIII ne
Taken to prevent Accidents, Al
though TresPsssing ON Range Is Pre-
hiottex.
by star Correspondent


Camp Lee. Va. NOV. 26.--"Arrause-
ments relative to the selection of an
artillery range near the confines of
Camp Ire fer the use ~ the soldiers of
the Eishueth division have not pro-
crossed beyond the stage reached two
months ago" said Lieutenant S. w.
Church yesterday. Lieutenant Church.
who is lawyer OF repute and expert
cnee. has had placed in his hands the
arrangements OF the legal details OF the
requirement OF such lands near Camp
Lee as the government hnds II neces-
sary frort time 10 time to control by
lesss or purchase.
'HFarrar's island in James river
continued Lieutenant Church. consist
ing OF betSeen 700 and SEQ acres to-
gether with an area contiguous to the
island of perhaps 1000 acres more was
tentatively selected by the war der
partment IN September the choice be-
Ing based on favorable report OF the
site rendered by Major General Cronk-
hite. General Cronkhite had previous
north of Camp Lee which had been un-
der consideration. Its disadvantage be-
ing thai a large number OF buildings
were situated on Il,
The entire acreage OF Fsrrar's is
land Is owned by Sam A. Purdue and
the land Ia worked by tenants, The
part Of the area for the artillery range
which lies outside the island Is rough
~ triangular in shape and touches at
Its southern point Ochre mine. on tho
Appom attoc river. At its western sx-
tremity. IL approaches within mile of
Bermuda Hundred on the JaGes, and
is traversed by the old Farmville and
ppwhatan railroad as IL Ia now
Appomattox river. A. it's western ex-
asmuch az this railroad has sold all
it's equipment including tracks, bridges,
etc. which win be torn up it's pres
ence will not constitute an obstacle to
the establishment of the range"
No Agreement Reached.
Upon being asked when final steps
would be taken to acquire the land
and At 1t UP as q practice ground in
artillery workmanship. Lieutenant
Church said that an agreement re-
ed between the government and the
owners or lAssees.
The land leased by the government
for rifle range which lies at some
distance from the proposed artillery
range is being rapidly put in shape uu-
der the supervision of Colonel A. w.
Foreman. Notices and warnings are
beinE poHts0 at intervals around tne
limits OF the grounds to guard against
the possibility of passersby being
wounded by stray bullets. and as an
additional precaution. Colonel Fore
man announces that guards on motor
cycles will ride around the tract while
firing Is gazing on---Got- all the owners
of this land have as yet signed leases
giving the government control, but
some are signing every day at the
rooms of the chamber of commerce in
Petersburg, this BODY acting as inter
mediary between the war department
and the landowners
TO wider Roadway.
OF much interest to all who have &C.
casion to travel between Camp Lee
and Petersburg Is the announcement
that the government and the board Of
supervisors of Prince George county
nave agreed to corporate in adding
two feet additional to the width of
the concrete roadway joining the camp
and the city. The road lie now only
fourteen feet wide and this combined
with the speed with which motor We
hicles travel constitutes a continual
wanace to life and limb. Not week
passes without several accidents being
recorded. and. several days ago, fine
horse was killed by a speeding auto
mobile.