Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-24
UNDERGROUND CITY CLUB
FOR AMERICAN OFFICERS
Dugout Provides Sleeping Quarters ns
we'll as Baths and Place to
Eat.

WITH THE AMERICAN TROOPS IN
FRANCE. November 25.-An amaz:n..
underground shelter or dugout equipped
with many luxuries is the home OF the
STAR OF one American army CORPS
Mhieh took prominent par; in the st.
"Aihiel night. 1t is little less than an
Underground city club, with Offices
Sieeping quarters, baths. restaurants
,NIiShens. electric lights, telephone anu
and messengers ana m3nv o,hnr !, Is rs
purtenantes OF hotel life.
i.S occupation has permitted the staff
W -. ms corps to operate in close touch
' WIN the fighting troops much more
closeiS behind the lines than such !,
corps ordinarily ventures
from the outside the place VIA; so
ffnreonspicuous standing about 200 yards
i ,n9 inc road. than ninety out OF
,Uy IN, motorists would have driven by
wnnt1 1 seeing II al att. The Tooth
Would nave seen merely Il slight clstu-
non. I'm the muddy plain with W. or
r ,piSS, dark holes in the ground that
anything else
;r In reality the mud and grass cover
Of a thirty foot Ceiling" of re"cn i"i
concrete. the black holes well camou-
m nag s. {. lending down a slipping
iricaliE lighted interior. So stoutiy
was the whole. constructed that an
OF the top, and no ;iator's bomb
could ever. even hitting directly. do
inside. parallel with the road and
reversing the length of the dugomt
us !, wlde corridor-thc main street"
o" OF, ne institution In which the CON
me orderi!cs and messengers as thrv
Went from office to Office. OF this main
the rear and being used for economy
of space. as sleeping rooms for INC
einaisted men at night. Artificial Ven
fication of the whole dugout. AMI tho
smell throughout was clean and sweet
On the small streets: and off the hjr
likewise for economy of space, E,orh
was about ten feet wide and quite deem.
With marrow table cunning :hc length
OF the room at which sat tna Officers
and their assistants. working work
ing all the time, answering the tele-
phone every moment or so giving in
Strucuons and receiving reports
Instead of having the operations do
partment in one building. the intelli-
gene" In another. and others scattered
In as many moro. all were here to.cth-
er. ~ offices with walls as nearly as
sound proof as possible. under "a ceal-
ing Just nigh enough to enable u tall
man TO walk or stand without stoop-
!AS 50 close together that a monen
ccoulI pun one In touch with the other
i necessary. We, vastly far apart rs
far as any mutual or one sided dis
turhnncc was concerned.
AZ the. end ot the big corridor was
the kitchen, compact TO tho roin, of
being kitchene;to. when the cooks
finished each meal the side streets
could suddenly be transformed into
wooden benches. In less time than |.
little. cosy dining rooms. each with
its long, wooden table and narrow
takes TO ;ell the generals mess was
ready. the superior OH cer's mess and
all the others.
No sound could penetrate the great
eoncFe,e roof. and ihe grea; lombard
msnt that opened the 81. Mihiel "show"
could not he heard, as an Associated
Pr"ss correspondent. who was there
can attest. Yet outside the building
the cannon Were going great guns"
and the whole night was laundering
with the nniSn -