The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-08-01
ENGINEERS CAMP IS
MOST UNUSUAL PLACE
Uncle Sam Transforms Forest,
Into Busy Community Hous-
ing Men In Training.

of-Aaforest into,a great military camp
IN four Iaonths is one of the achieve
menfs OF which the American corps q
engineers boasts.
Early In February, Camp Allen. A.
Humphreys. at Belvoir, Va. was vir-
tually unknown. But American en-
gineers We're put on the job and today
1t is a thriving, %pulsating camp, q
great city in itself. housing some II, 900
men, n growing day by day Until by
August 1t will accommodate 10000.
camp Humphreys, named for the
FIRST chief OF engineers of the United
States army. Is some 20 miles south Of
washington, just below the town OF
Acotink, Va. It's confines cover the his
toric Lord Fairfax tract; to one side
is Mount Vernon, home OF. George
washington, and in the other direction
IS Funston Hall. plantation and typical
oId southern home of George Mason, IL
lustrious Virgfntan, author Of the bin
OF tights" the famous document which
Ihomas Jefferson made the corner
stone of the American Declaration Of
independence. Camp Humphreys Is
peculiarly adapted for an~ engineer
training school. In the hills and val
ieys Americas citizen-soldiers are
runnelllns mining, ~quarrying, exca-
waiting, fitting themselves for work ON
foreign battlefields.
Inc camp is the only engineer res
Placement camp In. the country, and
4 IS pere b vast supply of engineers
IS 10 be kept. upon which General Per-
replace engineer units working with
the american overseas army. Already
replacement units have been sent
across. Early in June, $500 men
trained in all branches Of engineerina
work We're sent to Pershing. The camp
can frQjnZ 1nyYfna - - EE TX
to France at HI rate Of 5000 a month,
and by the first Of the year the ca
pacity will be raised to 5000 a month
Tho Work Explained.
washington newspaper correspon-
dents recently were guests of the corDs
OF on an inspection trip to
. camp and Its vicinity. Every de-
by headquarters officers Of the starr Of
Lieut.. Col. Richard Park, u. 8. A. an
engineer Of engineers, who has been
placed in charge OF the greatest re-
placement camp.
Seventeen thousand men are at tho
camp at present. most OF them drafted
men, and new ones are arriving from
civil lie every day. There Is a. con-
;tlnual ebb and flow of troopsFmen be-
ing sent across the Atlantic as fast az
eney can oe accommodated in France,
ana new ones arriving to take their
places at the schools. Even after the
war It Is the governments intention
TO rake Camp Humphreys a perma-
nent training caInp for engineers. and
In mind.
One OF h most interesting features,
Humphreys is the light. com.
bat railway which has been construct.
Tor the carrying Of supplies through
the reservation. as we'll as for train
ing men IN the constipation, operation
ROADS. a 60-centimeter. narrow gauge
q IL miles In length. similar to the
french roads, covers the camp. and All
trains of flat cars and gondola..
run PACK and forth with construction
material and supplies. The locomo-
ttves are built especially for foreipn
service, n h wera is furnished bv
I~our-cylinder. 50-horsepcwer motors.
so we'll trained are the Humphrevss
that h construction gangs
an Jay track at the rate OF half q
mile q day.
These railways will be taken to
france with h railroad engineers,and
Il VIII not be long before ahey will n
running from the rear lines to he
lront' loaded with shot ana shell ana
tillerys AS rapidly as the battle n
The combat railway car ha
moved to conform with 1t.
AL masses OF engineering are taught
at the camp: When the recruit arrives
s4satsput through the three principal
schools-the sssappers-gas defense ana
schools, In order that he may.
get the rudiments OF the
work II he is found to possess special
qu~altfications or technical ability he ID
tnrougn n or more OF the fol-
lowing supplementary courses: High
and trench construction, raiIsuad
construction and operation, water sun
Ply work. forestry, animal t~ranspor-
tation. camouflage. surveying, mar
produe.ion, electric wiring. reclama-
Ing quarring. bridge building. trestls
work and others.
On he correspondence inspection
trip three regiments of half strength
We're marched In review-approximate-
~ 1000 soldiers filing past the CONF
1nandant, his staff and his guests. with
healthy stride and lpilitary bearing.
marching to lively music OF the can1n
band. In the outfit vas one reRfrnent
whose drilling was especially sttrac-
tive With snap and precision, the
Of this regiment marched across
the parade ground, heads high, eyes
who eight days before were
engaged In civil pursuits. They were
9 latest arrivals, and eight days at
ter they had answered the nationse
call for men. these young Americana
were, to the william eye. a trained
outfit OF American engineers. anpar-
emily ready to face the foe, Ia do or
Ole Tor h freedom Of the world. Me-
gro troopS Ok tho service battalion also
commanded attention OF the specta-
tors.
When = man has been Eradua.ea
from Camp Humphreys and il sant
abroad. ne IL an engineer ia the strict
ess sense q p word He Is more
perth hi9sffnessssthe besr engineer m.
officers can make him, and His nF11S