The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-27
BIG BUILDINGS
OVERSEAS
FOR ARMY use
Ten Buildings for Medical
Supplies
OVER 10000 MEN
IN ESTABLISHMENTS
One Thousand German
Prisoners Work With
the Rest

Paris, Sept. 26-Medical supplies
require ten entire buildings for cots,
litters, mattresses, oxygen tanks and
the great stocks of hospital and med
ical supplies.
The signal service has two large
buildings and much open storage,
with huge stocks of telegraph and
telephone wire for the army COM
munication system which now
spreads all over France.
The warehouses for food, clothing,
and all quartermaster's supplies ex-
tend along a frontage OF several
miles, all the buildings uniform, 500
by so feet. Uniforms, clothing, flour
and what are called sack goods are
kept under cover in the warehouses,
but much of the stock in crates,
boxes and barrels is stacked along
the depot streets for miles.
The one item jof gasoline is huge
thing owing to the part motor trac-
ton takes in warfare. In one month
our army uses five million gallons, or
an average of five gallons man for
an army of a million men. This
means a steady movement Of 10000
barrels month.
To step into the army refriger-
ator on hot midsummer day is
rather novel experience. The ther-
mometer was about 80 as we went
through the yards, but as the Col
onel opened door of the big refrlg-
Grating plant we were struck with
an Arctic chill of 5 below ZerO-a
drop of 95 degrees as we crossed the
threshold Inside, the worlkmen were
huddled in fur coats wrapped about
their ears. The floors were slippery
with frost and the long ammonia
pipes above dripped frosted icicles
like stalactites in cave. Frost an
inch deep covered the burlap cover
ings of the big sides and quarters of
beef, and the beef itself was frozen
as solid as stone.
Many Of the workers in this place
are from the big packing houses OF
Chicago. Besides more than a mil
lion pounds of frozen meat always
on hand there is oleomargarine, but
ter, lard and all kind of fats. 1t is
arranged like a ship with water-tight
compartments, except that these are
cold compartments, SO that the freez
ing is carried only to those compart
ments required. No ice is used as tht
freezing process is carried out b!
forcing of ammonia through pipes a
high pressure.
The German prisoners stockadc
was not far beyond. Here some
1000 Germans are housed and fec
while they take part in the construc
ton and warehouse work. ArounC
the stockade runs a wire netting 1!
feet high, with a number of armet
guards.
The prisoners show no desire t.
get away, and when an exchange o
prisoners was being carried out no
long ago two of them actually brok
down in tears at the thought of go
ing back to their native land. The,
sleep on cots and their rations ar
about The same as those furnishe'
the labor troops. The German officer
have their own barracks inside tn
stockade, wear their uniforms an
medals and have rather comfortabl
equipment with spring cots.
Altogether it takes some 1900 Ia
Dor troops, besides 1900 Chinese
1000 German prisoners, and con
siderable number of French Anna
mites, to run this mammoth arm
establishment and keep the stream
of supplies moving steadily to tn
fighting front.