The Washington times., 1918-09-01
u. S. BUILDS GREAT
CITY FOR WORKERS

BALTIMORE. Sept. Mot ten
miles from Baltimore a whole city Is
being made TO order almost overnight.
II Is the community at Dundalk and
St. Helena. where thousands OF indus
trial workers will be housed. fed and
cared for under the supervision OF the
Emergency Fleet Corporations. Only a
few months ago It WGs announced that
the Governmsnt would become stew
ard and landlord on wholesale scale
to provide home for the shiypard
workers at sparrows Point, but there
are probably few people In Baltimore
who are aware of the fact that the
proposition IL fast assuming the pro-
portions of a concrete reality. Indeed.
few people could believe Il possible
that Uncle sam Is turning out and will
turn out q finished home during every
three working hours between now and
January 1, but seeing Is believing,
and Il Is well worth trip to Dundalk
to see IL done.
Most people by this time are In a
measure familiar with one or more
Of the big. camp cities built by the
Government within the last fifteen
months, but not one man in a hun
dred knows that in addition scores Of
industrial communities for Govern.
ment workers are being built all over
the country under the most colossal
housing scheme ever planned. When
completed. our Industrial cities will
far exceed In sire and completeness
ARA 81 -
Germany yundergovernment supervision
some years ago, which were probably
the first OF the kind The Emergency
Fleet Corporation Is financing the
proposition at Dundalk. which will in
elude not only adequate housing for
over 5000 men with their families.
but eommissary department for
feeding 2,400 single men who will
form part Of the community.
To-vn In tie MakIag.
On approaching Dundalk the first
thing that strikes the eye through
the clouds of dust that hang like a
pail over the unoiled road, Travelled
day and night by countless motor
trucks bearing materials and sup
plies. Is q picturesque mass Of high
pitched roofs and gables. So COM
plete do they look that from q dis
lance one might almost fancy them
part OF a good-sized town. At close
hand II becomes apparent that the
town Is there, but in the making
Hundreds OF houses in all stages Of
construction face streets that are
laid out, IN the making or already
cemented, and waIkways that are
evidently part of a well-defined plan
follow the lines of the streets. They
are full of traffic. these streets, and
swarming with humanity, but the
traffic consists of trucks, drays and
supply wagons. and the human ele-
ment is supplied by the 5000 work
men Here and there where the
march Of progress has not interfered
Is a tomato plant Six weeks ago
the entire 200 acres on which the
mushroom city had sprung up was
covered with tomato plants, and the
frst act OF the city builders before
they started to excavate was to pick
the tomatoes.
At present 531 homes are In course
OF construction where the tomato
plants grew. as well as q huge mess
hall, with kitchens attached, which
will seat over 1000 men,.
Ready September 1.
Across the way are SEQ houses. built
in units comprising two, three. or
more homes, each one capable OF ae-
commodating eight single men. They
are the substitute for the barracks
which formerly were used to house
workers who had no families, and in
point OF comfort and sanitariness as
well as from a sociological standpoint
they are a tremendous step in ad-
vance. The houses. many of which
will be ready for occupancy by Sep
tember 1, were begun on May %. Each
one has four rooms. in each of which
there will be two beds. Every house
has a bathroom with q modern
shower and electric light and gas.
They will be heated by stoves and
furniture and service will be supplied
by the commissary departmentNT Thus
each man will have q measure OF
privacy and something approaching
home life. Every house has a small
front porch and a patch of green In
front OF 1t. Later, when conditions
after the war make il desirable to
turn these houses into homes for
families. the Transformation can be
effected with little expense or trouble.
Architecturally they are most attrae-