Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-06
HARRISBURG MEN
HELP BUILD BIG
US. ARMY DEPOT
Major Gray Is Chief Construc-
ton Engineer at Della
ware Plant

The remarkable manner in which
! the Government has been speeding
up the building of its bombing plant
at Rockwell Park, Delaware, since
| the work of construction was taken
over by Major William b. Gray and
staff in September, and the stupen-
dous size of this work was revealed
to-day in an interview with Yelling
ton G. Jones, of this city, and now
chief clerk of the police and fire de-
partments of the Rockwell Park
plant.
The new bomb loading plant. for
which an authorized expenditure of
$4,000, 600 has been made, is located
on the Delaware river twenty-five
miles south of Wilmington and near
the Delaware Breakwater; fifteen
square miles have been taken over;
all temporary buildings have been
completed and construction is being
pushed on the permanent buildings.
a large dyke and pier for loading
and unloading have also been con-
structed, and fully two thousand per-
sons are now employed at the plant.
Major Gray, the constructing
quartermaster at the recently-com-
pleted Middletown Ordnance Plant,
has nearly his entire staff with him
on this work which he had on the
Middletown project. Among these
are a great number of Harrisburgers.
Although the Rockwell Park plant
was to have been completed by the
first of the year, the undertaking. has
been on such a grand scale that II
is o considered impossible to fin
ish the work by that time.
Feed 1000 at One Time
Among the things that have been
done and that are yet to be done at
Rockwell Park are n number of in
teresting projects which will make
;or the comfort of employees. At
present the comissary department
is able to feed 1000 persons at one
time. There are dormitories for
clerks and office people. These Con-
tain shower baths and recreation
rooms. n new dormitory is under
construction for girls and is expect
ed TO be completed in the near flu
ture.
In addition to the original tract
taken over at Rockwell Park, the
Government has purchase Angus
tine Beach entire, a one-time famous
summer resort, located about a mile
and a half from the bomb-loading
plant. Here lighthouses have been
erected for the pleasure of employees,
and present facilities will furnish ac-
Commodations for the housing of 200
or more clerks.
But this is not all! Five miles
from the camp the Housing COM
mission has had the Charles r.
Ward Engineering Company, of
Washington, constructing houses,
which, when all are completed, will
accommodate fully seven thousand
people. The Government has taken
over all roads in Delaware and is
making Improvements on these that
the work at the new bombing plant
may be speeded up to the full extent.
Five Railway Lines
Five railroad lines are now run
ming into the camp, connecting with
the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and
INV - NANAAAts ANsANtNo NAAEF Allt
Government has purchased Angus
barge for transporting matrials and
supplies, which plies between the
camp and Philadelphia and Will
mington.
Major Gray has nearly his entire
staff with him which he had al Mid
dletown, including one hundred po-
lice and seventy-tive firemen, mostly
1 o.. .VsrIsNV.rAr nH-vsA-- .--
these is &. A. Garverich, former fire
chief in this city. Wellington G..
Jones, another Harrisburger, and
formerly sporting editor of the Tele-
graph, is chief clerk of the fire de-
partment. There are three firehouses
at the plant and the police depart
mcnt has ~commodioTs rugr:trS, all
in charge of Mr.. JoGCs.
Among the well-known Harris
burgers on Major Gray's staff are
the following: Captain Harrie A..
Douglas, assistant quartermaster;
Captain George Durham, who has
charge of concrete, brick and cement
work; Captain Louis Il. Moore, in
charge of property; Captain Ellwood
Avery, in charge of water supply
and sanitation, and Lieutenant j. T..
Guerber, now residing at Whining
ton.
The work on the Rockwell Park
plant was begun in August, 1918,
Major Gray and his staff taking
charge in September. Owing TO
changed conditions in the val situ-
alton, the Government may make
some changes in their plans for the
plant, it is said. After cessation OF
hostilities. the buildings would be
used for Government storehouses.