The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-11-22
WARM DWELLINGS
FOR WORKERS ON
AT DAYTON.
Men Laboring to Protect
War Industries Will Be
Made Comfortable.


works near Dayton, Ohio. and for the
1900 more who will soon be needed
are being prepared with redoubled en-
ergy since the decision late in Septem-
Der that this project is a necessary
war industry and that men essential
to Its progress may have deferred clas-
sification in the draft.
Warm Dwellings.
The bunkhouses or dormit0rieS at
the FIVE construction camps are being
made tight and warm for the winter.
Fitted with shower baths with hot and
( cold water, modern inside toilets, cleo
tric lights and warm lounging rooms
Ia addition to the private bedrooms,
they furnish unusually comfortable
quarters for the winter months. The
Miami Valley, in a line with northern
Virginia, usually has very mild win
tiers. as compared with the northern
states, and flowers are in bloom out of
doors until the middle Of November
or later. Last winter was the coolest
for 40 years, but usually snow. stays
on the ground for only a week or two
and outside work continues all winter.
Southern Ohio District Exemption
Board No. 3 decided September 20 that
the food prevention work In the Miami
Valley is necessary war.industry. 1t
IS not considered safe to leave the val
Iey's many munitiOn factories unprO-
tected from possible flood a moment
longer than necessary. Since the go
ing Of engineers and other workers to
war would slow up production the
work will be In deferred classification
and there will be hundreds OF skilled
and unskilled workmen to be kept com
Portable during the winter months. u
Keep Up Fires.
Both skilled and unskilled laborers
on the conservancy work may rent the
comfortable houses with three, four or
five rooms, which have lately been
built at the camps, and bring their
families there to live. The winter
supply of coal for all the camps was
q bought months ago and every cottage
and clubhouse will have its coal she'd
'There will probably be some one
at each camp to look after the stoves
in all bunkhouses and keep up the
fires" said Alex McKinnon, ~overseer
at the Germantown camp the other day.
From eight to ~ men sleep in each
clubhouse All through the pleasant
fall weather. they have been lounglns
outdoors in the sunshine after their
meals. but as winter comes on they
will want warm places to sit.
"a One of the new buildings at the Ger
mantown camp will probably be fur
nfshed as a club house for winter use.
To Build conduits. -
The "dam-with- "a hole-in-it" idea,
= which is the basis of the flood protec-
ton works near Dayton, is new one
to many people. The dams are to- be
big earthen ones, extending across an
entire creek or river valley. A con-
crete lined "hole" or conduit resting on
solid rock in the hillside will extend
clear through each dam, letting the
water 20 through at its usual level.
The conduits are only large enough to
let a safe amount of water go through,
SO in flood times, some of the surplus
will back up behind the dams to run
off gradually as the flood subsidies.
Flood water on the Loire river in
France is kept back In two places by
retarding dams of this kind.
Some of the concrete work on these
conduits can be so protected through
the cold weather that It may go on as
usual, without danger from freezing, 1t
is thought. There will be work enough
: to ensure Jobs to the entire force, as
certain pieces Of work which can be
well done in winter have been put of
until then.
~ antilles at Camp.
There Is good general store at
each camp, water and sewer connec-
ton in every house. Each camp has
good school, too; and children in
the conservancy camps have been hard
at work In the schOolhouses since
early In September.
One advantage of providing dwell
ings for the workmen where they can
have their families is that the wives
can help out in unexpected emergen-
cies. In this way the women may have
a chance to earn money for them
selves.
The cook at the Germantown dam
took "French leave" all of a sudden
one day not long ago. Some of his
helpers went with him. However, even
better meals than usual were served
to the laborers. foremeD and Office
men. Wives Of several of the men
, came right over to the mess hall, made
mashed potatoes, waited on the tables
and helped otherwise. Their husbands
ate there instead of at home.
Good Dinner.
Noon dinner consisted Of mutton
stew with savory brown gravy, mashed
potatoes, boiled cabbage, salad made
out of beets and onions, bread and but
ter, coffee and apple sauce. Every
thing was served in big dishes and
right off the stove.
1--WE had good breakfast" said
man whose wife was helping out
He named fried eggs, griddle cakes.
meat, potatoes, coffee, milk and oat