Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-21
FIGURES SHOW GIANT
TASK QUICKLY DONE
sixteen Cantonmcnts We're Completed
In Ninety Days When Nation
Entered War.
CREATURE COMFORTS ENJOYED
Water, Lighting and Sewerage Plants
We're Constructed, Together With
Hospitals and Heating Utilities.
fiiie Rungcs Also Built.

WASHINGTON. May 90 Especially
Even In America. tho greatest builder
OF the past" no feat Of construction
mas ever approached that involved I'm
,hc completion in ninety days of six
teen cantonmcnts for the national army
ana sixteen tent cities for the national
guard. says the official war "material'
history made public today by the War
department The task involved the
erection and equipment OF thirty-two
"VD pcrsois each. with ali the requisite
water. lighting. sewerage. hospital and
heating utilities. and in addition the
preparation of the strictly military fea-
lures. such as parade grounds and rife
ana artillery ranges.
INC creature comforts enjoyed by the
Nlnnrica soldier OF 1917 arc contracted
with those afforded the man of GIGS.
Substantial barracks. heated by steam
or stoves. took the place of tents: chem
i'aily pure water replaced that secured
rom INC casual spring or stream; scion
'lic !aundries cared for the national
army recruits clothing. and field bak-
cries gave him the modern successor
10 the ashy hoc-cake.
Vast LUMBER stock Used.
Lumber used in the cantonments
"iphc' the report says. Was equivalent
10 board walk twelve inches wide and
one inch thick TO the moon and half
way back" while the nails OF one pop
uiar size would ''gird!e the earth three
d
The race between tho contractor. 10
complete the cantonments in tho time
Tor tho initial draft is eloquently de-
scrlbed. the builder of Camp Taylor.
Louisville. KY, winning by A narrow
margin. Tho cantonmen,s occupied l67.-
II acres OF land. which coat an aver
'ge OF 1929 per acre. and the contract
"rs prohts wire given as lcss than 2 LIZ
ton.
Expenditures for the environments
Tseprescnted 70 per cent of the total for
the Panama Canal. but the time con-
against ten years for the canal Sup
pieinentary building projects under
taken by the department aggregated
much larger project than the canton
ncn,s and included enormous store
houses. factories for various purposes
proving grounds. army posts, emba rk-
alton facilities. docks. magazines. rail-
roads aviation fields and hospitals.
ON November II. 1919" tho report
says the construction division was
conducting O35 operations in f42 loc3li-
ties. involving an expenditure Of 81
o0o.oo0.Oco. These touched every State
lat one"
remarkable Work Accomplished.
NJ the construction crews developed
teamwork, remarkable instances Of
speed were reported. Precautions taken
- assist the contractors included tho de-
ttI OF dlsburslng officer on the spot
with the chcck book ready" SO that
material could be paid on delivery, and
80 that special equipment could be OBJ
taincd al a fair rental and steady
10" OF building material he insured.
The last featur" finally nccegsitated the
sending OF soldiers into the forest TO
cut logs and piles and 10 load them
on railroad cars which were guarded
10. soldiers to their destination.
" hen shortage OF stoves threatened
the health OF the now army, officers of
me construction division were sent to
tuc factories to speed up production
w.,l the result that the army OBJ
tanned 1900 IN three months, although
that Number ia years output Of the
industry"
Fire prevention at the various army
projects vas so efficient that the per
capita loss was only i6 cents compared
with tie civilian rate OF S24c.