Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-12
MIDDLETOWN SITE
HAS BEEN SELECTED
TContinued from First Page.]

RS.l
Department to proceed with the con-
struction of warehouses at Middle
town on property leased and ulti-
mately purchased from the Keystone
state Fair and Exposition Company"
Just how extensive the develop
ment is to be General Goethals did
not say. but representatives OF con-
tractors who We're in town to-day
said that the warehouses contemplat-
ed Will cover at least 400 acres. Gem
eral Goethals Is careful to state that
no such portions of the land as are
unsuitable for warehouse purposes is
to be taken over by the Government.
The ChnmbeF's Part
1t was in the interest of placing
these warehouses at Middletown that
President Andrew S. Patterson and
other representatives of the Harris
burg Chamber of Commerce visited
Washington several weeks ago. They
eontended that the Middletown site
was ample for the purposes of the
Ordnance Department development
and that there is plenty of land we'll
out of flood danger at that point.
They expressed the belief that the
Middletown site would be the cheaper
and better in the long run for the
reason that 1t has better railroad
yard facilities. better trolley connec-
tions, good road connections with
Harrisburg and electric, telephone
and other improvements ready at
hand.
At that time there was no thought
of a quartermaster's depot for Har-
risburg, at least so far as public no
tice had been given, but when this
great development was announced it
became apparent that the ground at
Middletown would not be sufficient,
and the committee entered no protest
against the New Cumberland site.
which it was recognized would be
quite as advantageous for Harris
burg as that at Middletown.
That their estimate of the cost of
improving and draining the New
Cumberland site was accurate. how
ever, is shown by plans now being
made to sewer the recently acquired
New Cumberland ground, which will
cost much more per acre than that
at Middletown. engineers say.
Praise For New Cumberland
New Cumberland people are coming
Loyalty to the assistance of the Gov
ernment. Committees are at work
preparing to help house the officers
and workmen who will want to find
quarters there and the public serv-
ice lines across the river have been
asked to give whatever assistance is
necessary. Army officers have been
high in their praise of the patriotic
efforts of New Cumberland to meet
the problems the big development
there has thrown upon the commun-
ity.
Contractors say that even under
rush orders the quartermaster's de-
pot on the West Shore cannot be
fully completed inside of eight
months and officers here for the
aviation enlargement at Middletown
predict that the work already out
lined there will require at least that
long. Among the Middletown i'm
provements will be a hospital for the
use of the entire military establish
ment in this district.
Back to Build Ordnance
Word reached Harrisburg this aft
ernoon that James Black, at first
recommended for the aviation con-
tract has been awarded contract for
the ordnance warehouses. Wells
Brothers, of Chicago, will build the
aviation depot. Mr.. Black has opened
the Wells interests are looking about
for quarters. The contract for the
quartermaster's warehouses, which
are to be built at New Cumberland
has not yet been let but will be in
few days. 1t is understood thai
! the ordnance depots will be started
first and that preparations for the
erection of buildings at New Cum
berland will be started in the mex
| few days. The first work at botf
places will be the construction of the
necessary railroad yardage and con
nectionS and the Government agents
| to-day started men to work hiring
! for this purpose. 1t is understood
that the Government will send NOR,
| than 1000 men here in short time
as soon as the necessary temporar.
| barracks can be erected for them
Some millions of feet of lumber hav,
been ordered for this purpose, som,
| of which already has been delivered
The entire brick supply of tn
neighborhood has been taken up b.
| the Government and immense guam
! titles of crushed stone and sand hav
! been purchased.
This development gets bigger an,
| bigger the more / consider it," sait
one bidder to-day, after an interview
with the officers in charge. "If I
were not the Government which /
making the plans and that conserva
tive men are doing the buying
would have grave doubts as to tn
accuracy of the estimates. But
| know from what l have seen tha
they are very much in earnest an,
that Harrisburg is due for the big
gest development in it's history
!