Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-20
DEBARkING AN ARMY.
Astonishing Achievements Of Ameri-
can Transport Matters.

Ewestern France American port. pack
ed the streets from curb to curb and
stretched away for miles. II was four
miles and uphill most OF the way
through the city, suburbs and country
lanes, from the sea-front to the great
| reception camp located outside the
town. one OF the largest camps in the
world and capable of caring for the
population Of a metropolitan city
| Hour after hour. from six o'clock In
the morning until late In the after
noon the steady tramp of marching
thousands had been going on. for this
steady stream is the army of $4,000
that has just arrived on thirteen
American transports. making the re-
cord debarkment from ship TO camp
within twelve hours.
With Major Y, the engineer officer
of the camp. we si;irted alongside this
moving stream, from the landing TO
their camp, and had an opportunity OF
seeing each stage in the huge move
mcnt up to the time the tired march
ers pitched their shelter tents on the
soaked grounds and crawled inside to
sleep. Stirring as it was to see these
men come to swell the 100000 men In
the American ranks, yet there was n
grimness and grayness to the scene
suggesting the stern reality Of war.
Their First Glimpse of War.
a steady downpour swept across the
ranks. and the men were dripping as
they trudged through the rain soaked
mud. They were at route step. with
out the regularity of parading troops.
and each man carried, beside his rifle.
all his belongings on his back. seventy
pounds of tent blankets, clothing.
shoes, and all the miscellaneous equip
ment of soldier headed for the front.
Their last camp was in the we'll
equipped cantonments in the United
States, where they slept on cots and
had semblance Of modern comfort
Now they were on the war-swept soil
of France. and had seen the last of
cots and comforts. II was their first
glimpse of real war conditions, and
anyone who says it's cheerful shuts
his eyes TO the grimness of war.
There are more troops arriving"
said the major as he led the way,
than the total strength of the United
States army a short time ago. And
with such an influx we have to provide
very elastic camp of immediate ex-
pansion from a thousand up to hum
dred thousand men,"
The major was well qualified to ex-
plain the magnitude of the work, for
he had been chief constructing engi-
neer of the New York subway system,
had planned and built a good part of
the system and had made the popula-
tion figures on which subway con-
struction was based.
"To get an idea OF the camp" he
said, compare II with Central Park.
We have $500 acres here: Central Park
has 500 acres. Why, the entire area OF
New York city on Manhattan island is
only $1,000 acres"
Miles and Miles Of Tents.
On both sides of the road, for mile
after mile as we sped along In an army
car, q city of tents was rising, and
there was a hum and bustlS Of camp
activity on a vast SCALE khe morn
ing all the ground had been a stub
bile field from the newly cut wheat and
barley. But now every available foot
was being laid Off by the army engi-
necrs. working with tripods and instru-
ments like a party OF surveyors. Tent
cd streets and avenues. headquarters
tents, mess. kitchen and hospital tents
and vast parks for supplies and artil-
lery and horses, were rising in the
fields and spreading for forty square
miles over this huge enclosure.
I'VE never take field OF growing
grain." said the major "but as fast as
the grain is cut we take over the fields
and with harvest time well advanced
this entire farming section will soon
be turned into an American camp"
In one of the fields where we stop
ped to see the men. two battalions OF
800 men each, just marched in and
were preparing to pitch their tents
The great stretch of ploughed ground
just cleared Of grain. was rain soaked
and the storm had set in for the night
The men stood ready, each with halt
of n shelter tent. to drive the stakes
and lash it against the elements, and
then crawl in. II seemed an endless
wait for all the formalities OF laying
out the camp with engineering exact
ness, yet all of this was essential to
the smooth running of such a large
concern.
At last the stakes were driven and
soon the great field was dotted with
thousands Of khaki mounds, about as
high as n mans waist, called pup
tents. probably because they looked
like dog houses. Under the tent there
is just room for. two lying down, and
if the ground is soaked, as it is to-
night. the rubber poncho keeps out
some of the water and kindly nature
and the iron of youth must do the rest
Filtered Water for the Men.
This was only one typical camp OF
the hundreds lining the roads for miles
in this vast reception camp. Field
kitchens and water carts were wheel
ing up to all the camps as the tents
went up. Filtered water Is brought in
hogsheads. and each command has its
apportioned lot Of hogshcads. Later
on there will be a splendid system OF
water mains for the whole camp.
But here are the men, and a water
system Is not installed in a day. So
instead Of waiting for twelve inch
mains, the primitive hogshead is filling
the gap. Each man carries his emer-
gency ration for three days. Some OF
them were nibbling 1t before climbing
into their pup tents, but most Of them
waited for the smoking field kitchen
to pat into ocfior NTH -, ooot,o ear,y