The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-11
AMERICAN CITY IN FRANCE.
Gigantic Construction Camp Which
Will Turn Out 20 locomotives a
Day Built in a Year.

Day Built in a Year.
American Port, Western France
Aug. 20 Correspondence Of The AS
sociated Press)-There is the crasl
and bang of great cannonade, like {
battery of trench nortars- in action
But. this is not the cannonade Of the
battle front one hears here, but an
other kind Of cannonade, almost as
fierce and ear-splitting, Of trip-ham,
mers, giant sledges and electric rlvet-
tiers in the gigantic American con
struction camp which has suddenly
sprung into existence here.
Standing in the vast workshops
in Washington, with the throb of a
great work. going on inside and miles
of activity stretching away outside in
railway yards, warehouses, docks and
camps, one feels this is after all quite
as. essential a part in the winning OF
the, war as the struggle going on fur
ther forward, for here is the very
foundation head of material for win
ming the war. There are great $40
rnillimetre cannon like the 12-lnch
monsters on American battlesh1ps-
with al their ponderous mountings
and trucks, huge cotton locomotives
which are turned out with the incred-
ible speed of six to ten a day, exceed
ing the output Of the great establish
ments in America, and fiat cars,
freight cars, box cars, tank cars, and
ali the other forms Of railway trans
pottation turned out by scores and
hundreds daily asa baker turns out
cakes from his ovens.
What has been most astonishing to
the European observer is that all this
vast storehouse of American energy
and production could be created in a
few months out of practically moth
ing.> Last fall the site of this pres
ent plant was vast marsh with the
sea water over it at high tide. It was
necessary first to raise the level OF the
ground Eve to nine feet This was
huge engineering undertaking in
itself. When it was done, instead or
marsh. with theesea tapping it, the
fastonished townspeople saw high
and. level plane adjacent to the city,
with big ocean piers beginning to
stretch out seaward for the incoming
migration Of American men and ma
terials. Soon thereafter rose like
magic the huge buildings to carry on
the. infinite diversity of activities OF
this hive of war industry.
Under the escort Of Baron Dornes,
one OF the chief French officials con-
nected with the institution, the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent had an
oppdrtunity today to see the huge en-
terprise in full swing. It was like go
ing through the Bethlehem Or Car
negie works, with the same roar OF
production on giant scale, with fur-
naces glowing, hammers and rlveters
beating. and armies Of workmen-en-
listed American soldiers in their blue
jeans and overalls-7-jn their many
branches of work. Inside tbe main
binding was like being inside the
PennsyHanIa railway station in New
sYcr enlarged several times over
There are 400 men at work
here, explained the Baron, AL OF
them skilled American mechanics en-
listed as soldiers, wo1 king in three
shifts continuously for "a hours"
10 the. left Gig trench mortars
weighing hundred tons each were
being picked up by the giant fingers
of a. derrick and landed on their tram
of trucks ready to be moved forward
to the front. To the right another
huge crane was bodily picking up
locomotive and passing it around to
its proper place. These locomotives
come from the United States in parts
packed in crates Looking at the long
rows of these giant crates. they seem
ed to be streets of cottages or shacks:
and ono wondered how they could ev-
er be brought across the ocean with
all the shifts and storing between
docks.
We watched one Of these locomo-
tiyes as twas taken from it's seven
giant boxes, and gradually grew. into
a. massive engine. Soon therea1ter
this locomotive was moving through
the yards on its own steam, and soon
after that it vas on its way to reequlp
the State Railway Of France, which Is
one of the vital. links Of the war game.
First of all the American double track
road up to. the front was equipped
and then the French State Railway
took it's turn. for they are all part
OF the net work of feeders for the Al
lied war service.
eve. turn out six to ten complete
locomotives a day. said the Baron
and by September it will be 20 day,
the largest construction of the kind
in the world.
Now the Baron led the way to some
of the detailed processes Of the huge
plant. Here was the boiler-testlng
plant. steam was. up and the big
boilers were being tested after their
voyage across the ocean to see II the
sea water had opened any joints or
1oosened rivets It was surprising,
said the Baron, how we'll they stood
the voyage with no loosening OF parts
ard practically perfect when they ar
rived.
Besides the industry Of such huge
concern. there is besides, the equip
naent Of living, quarters for the army
% x,o,l,,r,oo soldiers Thus q good