Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-06-11

| and supplies piled roof high. From
the Ordinance warehouses the cars
took us down between sections two
and three of the four sections into
which the project is divided. We
passed row after row of corrugated
iron colored warehouses, each averag-
ing so by 500 feet, filled with stores
of all kinds.
April 9th
We left St. Nazaire at 600 p. M
after having had about an hour and
a half to inspect the city. Our train
passed through. Nantes about 500
Here the main line track parallels the
principal street and the Seine river
and We had the opportunity to thus
gain quite an impression of this city
without leaving the train.
Bordeaux, the American-buil docks
at Bassens, embarkation camp, and
the immense storage depot at St. Sui
picc about six miles from Bassens
docks with which it is connected with
an American third track were the
high spots that we hit on our journey
today.
Leaving the train at the station at
about $50 we walked to the Base Post
Office where all mail, incoming and
outgoing through the base, is handled.
This, of course, includes mail for a
large proportion of the A. E. +. re-
sulting in a large establishment.
Trucks then carried us to the en-
barkation camp where we went
through the "mill'' which is the term
there applied to the delusing station.
Troops about to embark first enter Il
large building where their equipment
il; inspected and orders for new cloth
ing issued, if necessary. Next they
enter long building filing past a
battery of typewrters where their rc-
cords are put in shape. The third
stage brings them to large room
divided into stalls. Here they undress
and place their clothes and other be-
longings that they intend to carry
back upon a central rack. The racks
are pushed in to chamber where a
temperature of $50 degrees is main
tanned while the troops pass to the
showers, to the medical examiners,
and to stock room where new under-
wear, socks, and other needed artic-
les of clothing are given them, and fl
nally enter room the duplicate of
that in which they undressed on the
opposite side of the heat chamber, in
which the rack containing their
clothes is pushed. They dress and are
then ready for the boat.
When American engineers told the
French authorities of the magnitude
of the dock they proposed to con-
struct at Bassens, they were told that
it would take years to construct it.
initiative, ingenuity, and
"stick- k-to-it-iveness" had ships dis
charging cargo at the docks in little
more than six months. The American
dock is 4,1O0 feet long, and is equip
ped with 40 electric cranes, which
span three tracks, permitting the
cargo to be discharged from the hold
directly into cars run beneath the
cranes. Eight warehouses for classi- |
fication purposes were built on the
dock. While considerable cargo is
being received and some materials,
such as guns for trophies and histori-
cal purposes are being returned to
he United States the dock is at pre-
sent largely being used for embarka-
ion purposes. Troops were going
aboard several of the ships there to-
lay. The dock is particularly adapted
Tor the evacuation Of wounded as
hospital trains can roll right up to
he ships side.
Our train had, during our wander
ng of the morning, been transferred
% the docks and we boarded it there
md started for st. Sulpice, stopping
'or a few moments to inspect the
great refrigerating plant at the head
If the Bassens yards.
At st. Sulpice, similar accommoda-
ions as those at Monitor were pro-
yided, and we were quickly transport
ID to the depot area which boasts 1O8
and 40 miles of track,
.ngine terminal, large camp and num-
rous facilities.
The inspection of st. Sulpice oc-
.upied but a short time and we re-
urned to Bordeaux at 800 p. m. and
spent couple of hours or more
ooking over this, the third largest
ity in France.
So much has been crowded into
hree days. There are many, many
hings that have omitted, but, as
aid at the outset, can hope to give
vou but the merest outline of the
hings that we cover. There is one