Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-04-25
'C0LLEGE HILL BUSY
4 PLACE NEXT SUMMER
Indications Are That More Than
900 Persons viii Receive In
struction There-School for
: Mechanics Under Direction of
College of Engineering

Althoush the academic colleges of the
yYniversity Of Vermont will close about
seven weeks earlier than usual this year,
in order to permit students to be released
for various kinds Of service demanded by
war conditions. the long vacation Will ma
the region around the campus n BUSY
place. Here several hundreds men will be
IN training, sent to this institution by the
United States government to Mt tnem-
eelves for various branches Of war serv-
ice.
About one week after commencement,
S06 men will be ordered here to receive train
lng as automobile mechanics. carpenters
snachinists and blacksmiths. two schools.
each continuing for two months. being
held, covering the period from May 10 to
September Is. inclusive. With the 200
signal corps men, 565 men wearing the
United States uniform will be in training
on the campus the middle Of May. The
first signal corps, numbering ITO men, was
graduated about February 1.
In addition to these activities, the sum-
xuer srhool will be in session for six
weeks. Last year approximately $50 per-
sons were in attendance, and the NUMBER
would have been larger had 1t not peen
for the prevalence of infantile paralysis
throughout the State. If the attendance
ID equally large tHiS year. AhoAo e'N'.
hundred persons will receive instruction
during the summer on the college hilltop.
ARMY OFFICER IMPRESSED BY
FACILITIES.
"A careful inspection was made recently
by an army officer representing the COM
mittee having in charge the training OF
mechanics for service. He was partic-
ularly impressed by the facilities which
the University Of Vermont offered for
carrying on this particular line of work.
He expressed the opinion that the adj
vantages offered for the training Of auto
mobile mechanics exceeded those that he
had found in any other institution. For
that reason he recommended that larger
number Of men be sent here for such
training than to any other institution that
he had visited. The work done by the
university in the training Of signal corps
men has been so satisfactory that a
knowledge Of this faAt had considerable
influence with the committee in assigning
30 many men to this institution for train
ing.
The men will arrive at Burlington in
time to begin their work Wednesday, May
Is, and It is expected that everything will
be In readiness for them at that time. All
the mechanics sent here will be drafted
men, in uniform, and like the members
Of the signal corps they will be under
military discipline. One hundred Of the
men will be lodged in middle Converse
hall. the large marble dormitory east Of
College Row. the north and south wings
Of which already are utilized in housing
the signal corps men. Work already has
been begun in installing the additional
plumbing required. The rest Of the men
VIII be Quartered In the university gym
Inn Additional vI1nvahtrD yUt11 f,a In.
atalled in this building and a temporary
tpilding win be erected north Of the gym
GAsium.
A contract has been let for a large add
ton to Commons hall. including a new
Kitchen and dining room. the latter I,
have a seating capacity Of four hundred
At present two hundred persons can b,
accommodated in the old dining room
giving a total capacity Of six hundred
persons. This will provide sufficient room
for the 565 men in the signal corps ant
the mechanics school. who will be messed
at the new Commons. The addition will
extend In a southeasterly direction ant
win be 100 feet in length. The kitchen
also will be enlarged. These additions will
be ready by May Is.
SCHOOL FOR MECHANICS.
The training Of the mechanics schoo
will be under the direction Of the Col
1ege Of Engineering. and additional in
structors will be engaged for the variou
lines Of work. In the engineering shop
there will be trained rs carpenters. 2
machinists and 20 blacksmiths. which ar
we'll equipped for such instruction. Som
additional facilities. however. are bein
provided in these buildings. The hi
feature Of the work is to be the auto
mobile mechanics school. which will cen
ter in the gymnasium annex. where q
men will be trained. This building. popu
larly known as the baseball cage, wit
dimensions Of LOOKED feet will be trans
formed into a great garage 1t is par
ticularly we'll suited for this purpose
as on opposite sides there are four doubl
doors, opening upon the ground leve
through which cars may be driven. II
dirt floor. brick walls. steel sash an
steel trusses make 1t practically freproo
Nearly one-half of the roof consists {
sky-lights. making the big building prae
tically as light as day. The large foe
area gives plenty of room for the opera
ton Of cars 1t was in this buildin
that the successful tractor school we
recently held, the space permitting
demonstration of farm tractors. tt
officer who inspected the university
facilities declared that at no other inst
tuition which he had visited in his offici
S~PeSS'ey NSN hC anu ouIuIuB WINK
approached the gymnasium annex
suitability for the training of automobi
mechanics.
In addition to the work done in IL
garage. the back campus and Centenni
Field will be utilized for training driver
The athletic field will offer unusual n,
vantages for such training, as there W
be no interference with traffic In Il
streets.
The trucks to be used in the work W
be furnished by the United States govern
ment. The men who will attend Il
school will be selected from those wi
have had experience in the vario
branches to be taught.
In connection with the engneeri,
shops a new garage has been equipp
this year in which courses in automob
engineering are to be given as a pa
Of the regular work OF the College
Engineering. This garage Is equipp
with brake testing plant, and this W
be used as part of the course Of 1
struction.
In order to appreciate fully the wo
undertaken by the university 1t should
stated that the number Of men sent he
IL very much larger than the numb
sent to most Of the other institutio
which are chosen for this work. so,
institutions much larger than the Univs
Nty OF Vermont receiving only abe