Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-15
CAMP DIX BOYS
TO Be NUMBERED
Each Soldier Will Also be Known
by His Christian
Name.
CAMP DIX. N. J.. Feb. Is

will be given an identification disc bear
ing the number which corresponds to his
name on the regimental records.
Investigation of the peculiar accident
Wednesday night when an exploding
grenade seriously injured Captain William
O. Hill, of A Company, 3l0th Infantry,
has convinced division officers that the
near-tragedy was not due to faulty con-
struction of the bomb. The explosion
tore off the fingers Of the captains right
hand, in which he held the grenade as
he was instructing class in bomb
throwing. His left hand was mangled,
and a splinter from the bomb entered
his body. How student soldiers who
were gathered around him escaped death
or injury is mystery. Captain Hill is IN
the base hospital, and surgeons say his
wound will unfit him for further army
career.
Officers believe the accident was due
to the fact that Captain Hill held the
bomb second too long before tossing
it into trench. Captain Hills home
is at Medford Park, \. Y. He received
his commission at the Plattsburg train
ing camp last August.
T. orts are being made TO have Cap
tain Richard Haigh keep the tank BRIT
annia" in camp over the coming week
end. Thousands of visitors will come to
Camp Dix Saturday and Sunday, and
efforts are also being made by the New
Jersey Assembly to arrange a visit similar
TO that paid To the cantonment Wodnes-
day by the Senators.
MEN TO BUILD DRAINAGE.
To prevent future flooding of the big
cantonment by storms and at the same
time TO give Camp Dix soldiers their
first practice in drainage work. Gem
eral Scott has ordered the construction
of an elaborate system Of drainage bitches
at points where experience of the last
week has showed them necessary. Melting
SHOWS have turned these sections into u
miniature Venice where the wash from
long grades has backed up against new
roads
Plans for the drainage construction
In each regimental area arc being pre-
pared by Colonel Markham's 303d En-
glneers. The engineers will establish
the location of bitches and oulyerts that
may be needed and will supervise the
construction of work by the various req
ments Aside from the excavation of
bitches the chief construction work viii
be the building of box culverts Of lum-
located is high ard rolling and the sys-
tenn now under construction will b
gravity drain parade grounds, roads and
barrack areas quickly of the downpour
from even a cloudburst
The camp landscape is not to be
marred by billboards and advertising
signs. Division Headquarters today or
dered the removal Of all such posters.
\ billboard concern is said TO have been
ANXIOUS TO decorate the crest of "Marne
Hill above the Notifications with their
glarlng advertisements. The order for
the camp beautiful" chiefly affects the
regImental exchanges exteriors OF which
ambitious advertising agents IN some u
stances had plastered with their signs
until the buildings reminded visitors of
a crossroads country store.
The governments extension OF the
period for taking our war risk insurance
To April u WAS unnecessary as far rs
the 3l1th Infantry was concerned. South
jersey boys in Colonel Stokes regiment
went over the top yesterday, the date
originally set for the closing Of the cam
paign, with every man insured New
York boys In the 309th and 3l0th In
fantries are also 100 per cent insured
and officers In charge of the campaign
will endeavor TO write policy for every
uninsured man In camp during the next
two months
Fire alarm boxes have been installed in
all sections of the cantonment as part
of q system that completes the fire protec-
ton work of the camp fire department of
which Lieutenant John Sweeney is chief
i red light burns above them, indicating
the location of the alarm boxes at night
The remarkable wireless fre-alarm system
has also been installed at the division
freight and stOrehouses.
DELAWARE BOYS RECEIVE VISITORS
The Delaware boys at Camp Dix cele-
brated Sunday as a gala day. The
largest number of visitors Of any Sunday
since the Inauguration of the quarantine,
perfect weather, band concert and the
spread of the news that the quarantine
was to be lifted on the following dav
caused general rejoicing through the
With the arrival of the morning train
from Philadelphia the influx of visitors
began. A crowd of 500 or more of the
Delaware boys was on hand to meet the
visitors. The station resembled one at
the heighth of the summer season. The
visitors filed through long lane Of sol
diers that stretched away from the station
gate and qs the mothers, sisters and
sweethearts found their soldier boys they
wended their way into the big camp
The y ". c. A. Hostess House claimed
its share of visitors Larger numbers.
however, visited the barracks to see Just
how the boys spend q Sunday In the
afternoon a band concert was given under
the direction Of J. Norris Robinson, band
leader. A feature of the concert was the
splendid singing of Miss lola Sheehey of
Philadelphia and Private Bert Faivrc
Of Headquarters Co. Miss Sheehev
sung "Joan of Arc" and Private Faivre.
The Sunshine of Your Smile" Both
responded TO encores.
Lieutenant Howard Davis, regimcntal
chaplain, is in charge of the entertain
ment program for the boys Recently he
received a splendid motion picture ma
chine, the gift of the Brotherhood of
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of
Wilmington and an organ from the Y |
w. c. T. L. Of Delaware. Concerts will |
be given in the different barracks through |
the week
Among the visitors Sunday were: Miss |
Pauline Clav, Miss Margaret Devine.
Mrs. Ruth Holm, Mrs Joseph L. Brad |
ey, DIR. Charles NJ. Almond, Mr.. and
Mrs. w. Stewart Almond, Jr, Miss
Virginia Baker, Miss Amy Smith, Miss /
trace Cunningham, Miss Margaret Pierce |
Mrs. Margaret McKewen, Mrs. Beulah
:. Robinson, Mrs Martha G. Hosfeld, |
Ir. and Mrs. Thomas Smith, Mr. and /
Irs. William Eddy, George Thompson
nd Miss Lillian Thompson.