The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-10-05
WAR ON ,MosoupoEs
National Mosquito Fighting Army Has
Been Created.

0CCU OECdtCus
Washington, Sept. 2S More than
one ally of the German emperor whd
has attempted to Interfere with tho
| shipbuilding program has come to-
defeat The latest is the mosquito.
Most of the new shipyartls have ris-
en- from marshlands bordering rivers.
lakes, bays and inlets. These marshy
places are the favorite breeding plac-
es of the mosquito and millions fed so
avariciously on the men hammering
out ships that, at times, they were
forced to leave the ways and produc-
ton was retarded. But now a great,
national notwithstanding army has
been created and this force is conduct
ing continuous offensive against the
Insect hosts.
The staff of this army is composed
of mosquito fighting experts, who have
fought and battered down mosquito
offensives not only In this country but
also in the fever-infected tropical zone
where the pests have been ut their
worst. Among these is 1t. Col Philip
Schuyler Doane, member OF the
staff of Surgeon-General Gorgas. who
eliminated the pest from the Panama
Canal zone. He is director of the de-
partment OF health and sanitation OF
the United States Shipping Board and
is organizing the war against the mos.
quito in all parts of the country.
The cooperation, municipal and pri-
vate corporate interests has been en-
listed in this war Miles OF trenches
have boen dug in lowlands about ship
building plants so that the marshes
may be drained and the breeding
places destroyed Where It is .impos.
sible to drain of the stagnant water,
oiliRg is resorted to. -.
| AT the Hog Island plant near Phil.
adelphia the work is being carried on
with the cooperation of the state of
Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia,
| the Westinghouse corporation, the At
antic Oil Refining company and other
nrivatc interests fund of $3.50, 600
has been contributed and in addition
The Atlantic Oil Refining company con
tributes all the oil used 9,100 acre
tract Of marsh land had to be treated
by sprinkling pools, cutting down tall
trees. dredging apd draining and with
in three months after work started.
the water area had been reduced 80
per cent. Several big dumping sta
tons have been erected and employed
In this work and more are planned.
Three thousand or more acres OF
the land thus reclaimed, II is esti-
mated, will be suitable for agricultur-
al purposes and it has been suggested
that this land be turned over to >the
Boy Scouts OF Philadelphia for war
gardens, as the land is within six
miles OF the central section OF Phil
adelpnia.
The state OF New Jersey Is cooper
ating with Camden and Gloucester
counties and the Shipping Board in
work about the shipyards on the New
Jersey side of the Delaware river II
is planned to spend $4,000 in this
district this year.
Chester, Pa, an important center
for all kinds Of war work. has com
mittee that is working with the state
and the Shipping Board and the state
has agreed TO appropriate $4,000 II
100000 can be obtained from other
sources Other places at which work
is being carried on along this line, are
Wilmington. N. c., which has raised
100000: Alexandria and Hampton, Va,
Los Angeles. Calf; and about the
yards on the Gulf of Mexico.