The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-28
(By Associated Prcss)

Just debarked from American trans
portation and now on the way to their
first camp. packed the streets from
curb to curb and stretched away for
miles. 1t was four miles and up hill
most of the way-through city, su-
burbs and country lanes, from the sea-
front to the great reception camp To-
Gated outside the town, one of the
largest camps in the world and cap
able Of caring for the population Of
metropolitan city. Hour after hour
from 6 this morning until late this
afternoon the steady tramp of march
ing thousands, he'd been going on, for
this steady stream is the army of
$4,000 just arrived on thirteen Ameri-
can transports, making the record de-
barkment from ship to camp within
twelve hours.
With Major X, the engineer officer
of the camp, we skirted alongside this
moving stream, from the landing to
the camp. and had an opportunity of
seeing each stage in the huge move
ment up to the time the tired march
ers pitched their shelter tents on the
soaked grounds ind crawled inside to
s!eeT. Stirring AS it was to see these
e. N" to swell the million men in
q, 'Urfican ranks, yet there was a
criwntrs and grsyness to the scene
suggesting the stern reality Of war
A steady downpour swept across the
ranks and the men were dripping as
they trudsed through the rain-soaked
mud. They were at route step. with
out the regularity Of parading troops,
and each man carried beside his rifle,
all his belongings on his back, seventy
pounds of tent. blankets, clothing,
shoes, and all the miscellaneous equip
ment of a soldier headed for the front.
Their last camp was in the we'll
equipped cantonments in the United
States, where they slept on cots and
had semblance of modern comfort.
Now they were on the war-swept soil
of France and had seen the last of
cots and comforts. 1t was their first
glimpse of real war conditions, and
anyone who's avs it's cheerful shuts
his eyes to the grimness of war.
Greater Than Former Total Army.
There are more troops arriving"
said the Major, as he led the way,
than the total strength of the United
States army short time ago" And
with such an influx we have to pro-
vide very elastic camp, capable of
immediate expansion from a thousand
up to a hundred thousand men,"
The Major was we'll qualified to ex-
plain the magnitude Of the work, for
he had been chief constructing engi-
neer Of the New York subway system,
had planned and built good part of
the system, and had made the popula-
ton figures on which subway con-
struction was based.
ITO get an idea Of the camp" he
said, compare it with Central Park
We have $500 acres here, Central
Park has 500 acres. Why. the entire
area Of New York City on Manhattan
is only 41,000 acres"
On both sides of the road, for mile
after mile as we sped along in an
army car, a city of tents was rising
and there was the hum and hustle Of
camp activity on vast scale. This
morning all the ground had been stub
ble-field from the newly cut wheat and
barley. But now every available foot
was being laid Off by the army engi-
neers. working with tripods and IN
struments like party of surveyors.
Tented streets and avenues ,headquar-
ters tents, mess, kitchen and hospital
eoiitS' anu vast PAL no lol supplies anu
artillery and horses, were rising in
the fields and spreading for forty
square mile over this huge enclosure.
I've never take a field of growing
grain" said the Major" but as fast as
the grain IS cut we take over the fields
and with harvest time well advanced
this entire farming section will soon
be turned into an American camp"
In one Of the fields where we
stopped to see the men, two battalions
of so men each. just marched in and
we're preparing to pitch their tents
The great stretch of ploughed ground,
just cleared Of grain, was rain soaked,
and the storm had set in for the night.
The men stood ready, each with a half
OF shelter tent, to drive the stakes
and lash Is against the elements, and
then crawl in. 1t seems an endless
wait for all the formalities Of laying
out the camp with engineering exact
ness, yet all of this was essential to
the smooth running Of such a large
concern. AT last the stakes were
driven and soon the great field was
dotted with thousands of little khaki
mounds, about as high as a mans
waist, called pup tents" by the SOL
diers probably because they look like
dog houses. Under the tent there is
just room for two lying down, and IL
the ground Is soaked as it is tonight.
the rubber pauncho keeps out some
OF the water and kindly nature and
the iron of youth must do the rest.