The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-14
10000 TONS OF
ARMY GOODS ARE
UNL0ADEO A DAY
American Docks in France
Scenes of Stirring Activity
Requires Big Working
Force.

AMERICAN PORT. Southeastern
France, Oct Correspondence or
The Associated Press Eighteen big
steamships of 5000 to 5000 tons each
we're unloading American army goods
at the rate of 10000 tons a day along
the three miles of American docks
here today The spectacle was stir
ring scene of activity. Crowds of en-
listed men assisted at the matches and
manipulated the giant cranes as big
steel motor trucks were lifted out
bodily, along with parts of locomotives
and railway cars, and all the miscella-
neous freight OF an army, while an
army of negro stevedores kept the
steady stream of goods moving back to
the nearby warehouses and trains.
Taking care OF this avalanche OF
army goods coming from America. is
quite as much of problem as taking
care Of the arriving troops. Here one
obtains an idea of the mammoth pro-
portions of the equipment which the
Americans have been compelled to set
up for this branch of the expedition.
Coming from northern port, sue
cession OF big American establish
ments was seen at every port along
the western coast. At one port were
Ia American docks or berths, at an
other port eight, at a third four, an
other three. Here at this main port
are 16 American docks each with a
thousand feet of frontage.
These 40 docks at the five main
ports represent a dock frontage OF
about ten miles, capable of unloading
10000 tons of army goods every day,
or an average Of about so pounds per
To-
And yet, great as this present equip
ment Is. It represents only about
third of the vast installation which
is moving steadily forward to compile
ton in order to meet the needs of an
army of several million men. The
basis of calculating for this huge work
is so pounds per day per man-this
being an average covering the whole
range of military supplies, individual
and general, food. clothing, ammuni
ton, guns, and all other army re-
quirements.
Gigantic Warehouses.
On this established basis of 80
pounds per day per man, an army of
million men requires 50,000,O00 pounds
of goods daily, or $4,000 tons. But as
the American army in Europe has long
exceeded the million mark, the scale
Of preparation must be far in excess
of this $4,000 tons a day. reaching not
far from the gigantic total of 100000
tons daily, to be unloaded from ships,
stored in warehouses and trains, and
started on it's way to the men at the
front II is this colossal daily require
ment which stirs into intense activity
these miles on miles of American
docks where three shifts of soldier
workmen. working night and day, are
unloading scores of steamships.
Seven miles back from the water
front there is another huge American
installation where goods from the
ships are stored on their way to the
front. 1t Is gigantic, like everything
in this vast military influx, and when
we visited it today the 147th ware
house had just been completed. Each
warehouse is 500 feet long and to-
gether they stretch along four miles
OF front.
In the neighboring camp were 1000
negro troops and laborers engaged in