Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-20

The construction and maintenance
OF Army environments throughout the
country. where hun
Canfnnmnn+ dreds Of Thousands Of
American men and
Maintenance. boys are training to
beat the Hun, is Of never-ending inter-
est to those who do not have the time
nor opportunity to visit any Of these
camps. One, OF the very interesting
things in connection with the prepa-
ration for this war by the United States
was the construction Of the environments
in such a short time.
| Just at this time Of the year It is
Interesting to note that heating was
one of the problems that faced the
officials Of the War Department in
this construction work. Both steam
heating plants and stoves and FUR
/ naceS have been employed for heating
cantonment buildings. Some OF the
more important factors which had to
be considered in deciding upon the
/ General desirability. hre risk in
volved. first cost, cost Of operation.
time required for obtaining materials,
quantity and quality Of labor necessary
and time re-: fred for installing.
! 1t was finally decided that. with the
exception of four cantonments which
] were located where very severe win
ter climate Is encountered, stoves and
| furnaces would be used for all heating
in barracks.
| Central steam heating plants are
provided at four cantonments. one
regiment, the size Of the boiler plants
in each case ranging from $50 to 600
! horsepower. Steam distribution lines
in general run overhead on poles, in
order to reduce the time required for
installation and first cost to a mini
! mum.
For central steam heating plants at
the various cantonments total Of
265-150 horsepower horizontal tubu-
lar boilers were furnished, while for
officers quarters and medical dis
pensary, exclusive Of base hospitals, a
total Of 1.7oo cast-iron boilers were fur
nished.
A total Of 100, 900 radiators, containing
in the aggregate over 100000 square
feet Of heating surface, were required,
together with total approximating
:. 000, 900 feet Of pipe.
In buildings provided with stoves and
furnaces for heating two types are used.
The first, known as the room heater, is
similar to the ordinary basement hot-air
furnace, except that it Is located in the
apartment to be heated, the case being
open at top and bottom. This type Of
heater Is suitable for dormitories or
| other rooms, where it is desirable to re-
duce the direct radiant heat to a mini
| mum and to provide for a uniform dis
trfbution Of warm air throughout the
room. For the sixteen National Army
environments total of nearly 10000
stoves are provided, together with ap-
proXmately 100000 feet of stovepipe.
| All of the National Army cantonments
are provided with complete water car
| riage sewerage systems. The sewers are
generally constructed Of vitrified clay
sewer pipes, but in a few instances the
outfall sewers-sizes two feet or over in
diameter-are constructed OF concrete.
! AT four of the cantonments the method
of disposal is the dilution. The sewage
is discharged directly into a river or
the ocean. At two cantonments the
sewage is discharged into a city sys-
tenn. Special sewage treatment works
have been installed at all of the other
environments.
| At some of the cantonments the gov
eminent erected and equipped laundry
plants. At others private concerns
erected laundries by permission, the
price for the work being controlled by
the government. In some instances con-
tracts were made with a group of laun-
dries at government prices.
| Road building, where sites were 10
Gated on rough land, and In some cases
forests, was a large feature Of the con-
struction work. Approximately twenty
FIVE miles Of roads had to be built at
each cantonment