South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-19
BUILD ENGINEER
CAMP RAP IDLY
Only Four Months Required in
Construction of Camp
Humphreys, Va.

WASHINGTON. July 11-Trans-
formation OF a forest into "a great
military camp in four months is one
OF the achievements of which the
American corps OF engineers boasts.
Early i'm February Camp Allen A.
Humphreys AZ Belyoir. Va. was viz
tually unknown. But American en-
giueers were put ON the job and to
day il is a thriving pulsaune camp,
a great city I'm itself. housing some
1900 men, ana growing day by day
until 10y Aug. / il will accommodate
1000 men.
Camp Humphreys named for the
first chief Of engineers OF the United
states army. is some 20 miles south
of Washington. just below the town
of AcOtinh, Va Its confines cover
the historic Lord Fairfax tract. 10
one side is Mount Vernon. home Of
George Washington. and IN the
other direction is Gunsten hall, PLAN
1atiOn and typical old southern home
OF George Mason. illustrious Virgin
ian, author of the bill Of rights, the
famous document which Thomas
Jefferson made the cornerstone OF
the American Declaration of indie
pendeuce. Camp Humphreys is pc
culiarly adapted for an engineer
training school I'm the hills and
valleys Americas citizen soldiers are
tunnellins mining. quarrying. eN-
cavatine. fitting themselves for work
on foreign battle fields.
i Engineer Replacement Camp.
The camp is the only engineer re
placement camp in the country, and
il is here the vast supply of en-
gineers is to be kept, upon which
Gen. Pershing will call for men TO
expand and replace engineer units
Y, orking with the American overseas
army. Already replacement units
have been sent across. Early i'm
June 900 men, trained i'm all
branches Of engineering work were
sent TO Pershiug. The camp can
train. equip and dispatch men to
france at the rate of 5000 month,
and bv the first of the year the
capacity will be raised 10 5000 a
month.
Washington newspaper CORE
spondents recently were guests of
the corps of engineers on an inspec-
ton trip 10 the camp and its vicinity
Every detail OF the work was ex-
planned 10 them by headquarters Of
ncers Of the staff of Lieut. Col Rich
ard Park. L. \. A. an engineer of
engineers. who has been placed i'm
charge of the greatest replacement
camp
Seventeen Thousand i'm Camp.
Seventeen thousand men are at
the camp at present most of them
drafted men. and new ones are ar
irving from civil life every day.
There is a continual ehb and flow
of troops. men being sent across the
Atlantic dis fast as they can be ac-
commodated i'm France ana new
ones arriving 20 take their places at
the schools. Even after the war il is
tie governments intention 10 make
Camp Humphreys permanent
uainiug camp Tor engineers and all
work is being done with the scheme
in mind
one OF the most interesting fea-
lures of Camp Humphreys is the
light. combat railway which has
been constructed Tor the carrying of
supplies through the reservation. as
well as for training men In the con
struction operation and mainten-
ance Of lattle-line railroad a 60
cenumeter. narrow "a Use road 10
miles in length similar % the
French roads. covers the camp. and
cu day trains OF fat cars and son-
Golss run back and forth with con
s-ructiou material and supplies The
locomotives are built especially for
foreign service. and the power is
furnished by four-cylinder % horse
power. gasoline motors. 50 well
trained are the Humphreys engine
ers that the construction gangs can
Iay track ar the rate OF half mile
dav
These railways viii ne taken to
France with The railroad engineers
and 10 will not he long before they
viii he running from the rear lines
Foo the 'front.' loaded with shot and
shell and gums for American infan-
try and artillery. As rapidIy as