Weekly journal-miner., 1918-05-15
MAJOR C. E. HOLMBERG, COMMANDANT OF POST,
 ARRIVES IN PRESCOTT
IFrom Fridays Daily)

afrOm TrlQdy Ddily)
 Major Carl Edward Holmbcrg,
 conmanding officer who is to super
 wise the work incidental to the re-
 mobilization of Fort Whipple, arrived
 in Prescott yesterday afternoon, com
 ing here from Ft. Bayard, N. NJ. He
 was accompanied by Mrs. Holmberg
 and expects to remain here pcrman-
 cntly.
 While it Is not exactly known just
 when the actual work incident to the
 enlargement of the fort will begin,
 Major Holmbcrg stated last night to
 a Journal-Miner representative that
 within the next 30 or 60 days the old
 barracks should begin to take on signs
 Of life. Accommodations will be pre-
 pared for about 1000 patients, and 1t is estimated that about 1000 other persons, consisting of officers, nurses, hospital attendants, orderlics, etc, will also be stationed at the post
 Many of the men will bring their families with them and it is estimated that considerably more than 2,000 per- sons will be added to the city'S population by the establishment of the big hospital.
 An architect in the employ of the war department arrived here with Major Holmberg yesterday and to- day the latter will begin making the estimates as to just what sort of buildings will be required and how many of them will be needed to fur nash the accommodations for the pa tients and the attendants. The pres cnt group of buildings, said Major Holmbcrg, is approximately about one-fourth of the number needed, the new buildings to be built something on the order of the structures now in use in the large cantonmcnts.
 Major HOlmberg, who for many years has been connected with the medical corps of the army, had lately been stationed at the big sanitarium post at Ft Bayard, N M.. and has had a great deal of experience in this class of work He states that Ft. Bayard is filled to the overilowing, and that the government has directed that the rehabilitation of Whipplc barracks be specded up as much as possible. Since the building of the huge army which Uncle Sam is now maintaining, the number of soldiers who need hospital care on account of incipicnt tuberculosis is increasing at d rapid rate, and the war department has authorized the construction of four other tubcrcular sanitariums be- sides Ft. Bayard, the four new ones being located at Prescott, Arizona, Denver, Colo, Ashvillc, x. C., and | Otisvillc, \. Y. Work is being rushed on all of the posts except Prescott, and now that the war de- pertinent has gotten around to it, the work here should be hurried up with dispatch. Whipplc IS designed 10 be- come perhaps the largest of all of tho Sanitariums, there being no qucs- ton in the minds of the medical corps of the curative powers of the climate in this part of Arizona. It is understood that about 9 physicians will be stationed at the local post, and about 400 hospital attendants. Lieutenant Nacgcr, who came here several weeks ago to take command of the post, will in all probability be stationed here permanently as an aide to Major liolmbcrg, Ycagcr also hay ing had much experience in work of the sort which will be necessary at the sanitarium.
 As the post buildings at the present time are absolutely bare of all furni- turc, fixtures, etc, large shipments of this class of material as well as food supplies, bedding, medicines, etc, will be necessary, and Major I Ilolmberg believes that the shipments will start for Prescott within a few weeks. While the bulk of the sup plies will of necessity have to come from the department supply depots. a large amount of the commodities used out at the post will be pur- chased in Prescott, and the commcr- cial benefits derived from the cstab- lishmcnt of the Saniiarium in this city will be large and varied. Not only will the city'S population be boosted by more than 2,O0O people, but the fame of the local climatic conditions will be hcraldcd far and wide, from Vancouver 10 Vera Cruz, and the good which the city will reap from this sort ol publicity Is something which k not 10 be discounted.
 Major iIolmbcrG and his accom- plishcd wife will be guests at the Congress until such time as the com- luandaut's 's residence at the post is put into suitable shape for their occu- pancy. |