The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-14
AVALANCHE
OF SUPPLIES
l. 49, w.,
{ DAILY ARRIVE
Eighteen Steamers Unload
Along Three Miles
of Docks
10000 TONS OF
GOODS EVERY DAY
Our Troops Require 100000
Tons Each Day of the
War

American Port in Southwestern
France-( Correspondent of the AS
sociated ss)-Eighteen big steam
ships of 5000 to 5000 tons each
were unloading American army goods
at the rate of 10000 tons a day along
the three miles of American docks
here today. The spectacle was a
stirring scene of activity. Crowds of
enlisted men assisted at the matches
and manipulated the giant cranes as
big steel motor trucks were lifted out
bodily, along with parts of locomo-
tives and railway cars, and all the
miscellaneous freight of an army,
while an army of negro stevedores
kept the steady stream of goods NOV
ing 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
proportions of the equipment which
the Americans have been compelled
to set up for this branch of the eX
pedition.
Coming from a northern port, a
succession of big American estab-
lishments was seen along the west
ern coast. At one port were Ia Amer
ican docks OF berths, at another port
eight, at third four, another three.
There at this main port are Is Amer
lean docks each with a thousand feet
Of frontage.
These 45 docks represent a dock
frontage Of about ten miles, capable
of unloading 10000 tons Of army
goods every day, OF an average Of
about 40 pounds per man for every
one serving in France.
And yet, great as this present
equipment 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 calculation for this huge
work is so pounds per day per man
this being an average covering the
whole range of military supplies, in
dividual AID general, food, clothing,
ammunition, guns, and all other army
requirements.
On this established basis of SO
pounds per day per man, an army OF
a million men requires 5O,000,00
pounds Of goods daily, OF $4,000 tons
But as the American army in Europe
has long exceeded the million mark
the scale Of preparation must be fal
in excess Of this $4,000 tons daily
to be unloaded from ships, stored in
warehouses and trains, and started
on its way to the men at the front
1t is this colossal daily requirement
which stirs into intense activity these
miles on miles Of American docks
where three shifts of soldier work
men, working night and day, are un-
loading scores of steamships.
Seven miles back from the water
front there is another huge Amer
lean installation where goods from
the ships are stored on their way tt
the front. 1t is gigantic, like every
thing in this vast military influx, anc
when we visited it today the 147tl
warehouse had just then been com
pleted. Each warehouse is 500 fee
long and together they stretch along
four miles of front.
In the neighboring camp were
1000 negro troops and laborers en-
gagged in the warehouse work Al
American railway system connect
the waterfront directly with this stor
age plant and incessant streams O.
army goods keep moving forward t.
the warehouse plant. The Who'll,
place fairly throbs with animation
and besides the enormous industr,
there is the hustle and activity O
countless camps with their KHAKI
tents dotting the fields for mile
along the railway
Altogether, on the waterfront an
receiving plant, the working force in
cludes $4,000 engineer troops, 100
stevedores, 5000 civilian laborers
1000 German prisoners and 1000 in
fantry, il Ill 10000 men carrying o.
the American activities at this on
port.