The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1918-07-19
UNITS
BEING TRAINED
To CD ABROAD

formation OF forest into a great
military camp in four months is one
of the achievements of which the
American Corps of Engineers boasts.
Early in February, Camp Allen A
Humphreys, at Belvoir, Va, was Writ
ually unknown. But American engin-
GERS were put on the job and today 1t
is a thriving. pulsating camp, great
city in itself, housing some 1900 men,
and growing day by day until by
August it will accommodate 10000
Camp Humphreys, named for the
first chief of engineers of the United
States army, is some twenty miles
south of Washington, just below the
town of Acotink, Va. Its confines cover
the historic Lord Fairfax tract; to
one side is Mount Vernon, home of
George Washington, and in, the other
dir, elton is Gunsten Hall, plantation
and typical southern home of George
Mason, illustrious Nirginian author
of the Bill of Rights, the famous doc
the cornerstone of the Declaration of
Independence Camp Humphreys is
peculiarly adapted for an engineering
training school. In the hills and val
lcys Americas citiZen-soldiers are tun-
Melting, mining. quarrying. eXcavating,
fitting themselves for work on foreign
battlefields
The camp is the only engineering
replacement camp in the country, and
it is here the vast supply of engineers
is to be kept, upon which General
Pershing will call for men to expand
and replace engineer units working
with the American overseas forces.
Already replacement units have been
sent across. Early in June $500 men
trained in all branches of engineer
ing work were sent to Pershing. The
,,amp can train, equip and dis rlch
rnen to France at the rate of 500
month
Washington newspaper CorrespCnd'
ents recently were guests of the Corps
of Engineers on an inspection trin
to the camp ahd its vicinity. Every
detail of the work was explained to-
them by headq Iarters officers of tn
staff of Lieutenant Colonel Richard
lmk. l.. S. A.. an engineer OF enH'h I
ee,s who has bnrn placed in CHI" "Ge
of the greatest replacement camp.
Seventeen thousand men are at the
camp at present, most OF them drafted
men, and new ones are arriving from
civil life every day. There is a con
tinual ebb and flow OF troops men
heinz sent across the Atlantic as last
rs they can be accommodated III
Ero,rn and new ones arriving to tax"
their places at tn" schools. Eve"
after the war il is the government
intention to make Camp HUMPHREYS
pcrmanent training camp for ehe'-
ne rs. nd all " .rk is being done with
thai scheme in mind.
One Cf tn, most interesting features
Of Camp Humphreys is the llght com
hat railway which has been con
s,rpcted for the ARRIVING OF supplies
through the reservation, az well as
for trimming men in the construction,
opcration ard IN, in'"nance of battle
line railroads. slNtN-ceh'iih''''
naIIow.. auGc re-, lively" miles in
lcn.th, similar e., he French roads,
r,,,I, the camp, and All day trains
OF fiat cars and goudolas run back
and forth With construction material
md ~grnlics. The locomotives are
built especially for foreign service,
and the power ~ furnished by four
cvIinGcr. nity-Eorscpower gasoline mo-
.o.-. s. Wen trained are the Hum
pErcys engineers that the construc'
tion gangs can lay track at the rate
of half mile day.
These railways will be taken to
France with the railroad engineers,
and it will not be long before they Will
be running from the rear lines to the
front. loaded with shot and shell ana
funs for American infantry and artil-
lery. As rapidly as the battle line
changes the combat railway can be
moved to conform with it.
All phases of engineering are
taught at the camp. When the re-
cruit arrives he is put through the
three principal schools-the sapper'
gas.defense and pontoon schools. in
order that he may get the rudiments
OF the engineers work. If he is found
to possess special qualifications or
technical ability he is sent through
one or more OF the following supple
tDh