Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-28

York, Boston, Providence, Buffalo,
Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, st.
Louis, Baltimore, Washington and
many other great trade and manu-
featuring centers.
Near Old Camp Meade
The local yards are sufficiently
large to insure prompt handling of
shipments in and out and the trans
fer facilities are unexcelled. Good
roads connect the site with all of
I the big industrial centers of the east
and west. 1t is we'll back from the
seashore in case of attack, yet close
| enough to insure prompt handling
of consignments for coast defense or
abroad 1t has an abundance of
water supply, is close to the coal
centers and has the backing of the
great Bethlehem Steel plants at
Steelton in case of stress and de-
mands for hasty deliveries of steel
products. BY strange coincidence it
is located just across the railroad
from the old Camp Meade of Span
ish-American war days.
Nearly as Large as Steclton
1t is a practical certainty that the
plants will be maintained here per-
manently after the war and that the
a big feeder for Harrisburg. A town
as large as Steelton, or nearly so,
seems assured within the coming
year. 1t is understood that plans are
already prepared for the first of the
houses and that schools, store and
office buildings, post office, garages
and churches are contemplated, but
as to this details are lacking.
Railroads All Ready
The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, with Superintendent ]. X.
Johnston and Division Freight
Agent w. J. Rose, in charge of ne
gotiations, has been assisting the
government agents very quietly for
some time and are prepared to run
the necessary lines for the sidings
and railroad facilities that will be
Immediately required.
Just how soon work will be start
ed on the construction of the build
ings is not known, but most likely
within thirty days, the meantime
being occupied with letting the con-
tracts and the assemblying of work.
men, equipment and materials.
The immensely of the development
may he judged from the announce
ment that it is to be the largest of
it's kind in the country. The esti-
mated cost is withheld, but 1T will
run into the millions.
Representatives of the big con-
tracing firm of Mellon-Stewart
Company and the Grace Construc-
ton Company, of Pittsburgh, were
in Harrisburg Saturday looking over
the location.
Engineered by Marshall
The deal was engineered by Robert
Marshall 70
who represented Hord and Company,
who took over the management of
| the reorganized corporation last sum-
| mer. Mr.. Marshall has been in Wash
| ington for some months and the lease
would have been closed much sooner
had it not been for the illness of
Government representative whose
/ signature was required. The papers
finally reached the city early this
morning and the land is now under
Government control.
The story of the development was
brought to this city piecemeal by
men who have seen the plans at
Washington and by engineers in
charge of the work. There is nc
doubt, however, that at least twenty
| five 6-story concrete-and-steel build
! ings will be erected and it may be
that this will be increased to twenty
eight, all of them of the most mod
| ern factory construction, counterparts
| of each other and built for permanent
use. They are to be erected to carry
all manner of heavy machinery and
| big pieces of apparatus. The ma
chine shops will be necessary for the
assembling of the immense quantities
of parts to be made elsewhere, for
the making and repair of tools and
other uses of the kind.
1t is generally understood that
Harrisburg and vicinity are to be the
center of supplies of all kinds and
that the War Department is building
permanently so that 1t may never be
caught mapping again. 1t is said to
be the opinion of Secretary of War
Baker and his advisers that 1t would
| be folly to build anything but the
lures. so that the money expended
will not be lost, but will be of per-
manent value to the nation.
TT seems like a lot of money,
$13. 900" said a well-known Har-
| risburger to-day who has been inter-
ested in bringing the plant to this
city, but I am assured by the vari-
Gus contractors who have been bid
ding on the jab that it will be at
| least that amount and probably $15,-
900, 900. You can scarcely grasp what
this means for this city. Business of
| every kind will be stimulated and the
result will be city almost the whole
way from Rockville to the lower end
of Middletown; the Government lease
and eventual purchase making it as
sured that the now unbuilt stretch
will be covered with houses at no
distant date. 1 understand that a
number of Harrisburg men have
quietly taken options on large acre
ages of land below the city and in
the vicinity of the Government de-
velopment and will proceed to build
II up as fast as there is demand for
houses. think this is the biggest
thing that has happened for Harris
burg since the. Pennsylvania Steel
plants were located here. We will
begin to understand the magnitude
! of the thing only when the con-
struction gets under way and we see
a new little city springing up on the
open fields to the east of US"
Aviation Plant Enlarged
It became known this morning that
the aviation plant on the state fair
tract, which is entirely separate from
the new development is to be greatly
enlarged. 1t Is overcrowded now and
there Is need for at least three times
it's present hoorspace. 1t Is said that
the Mellon-Stewart Company is low
1