Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-09

have annihilated Germany. the
Edgewood establishment, greatest of
all poison gas plants, most nearly
concerns Harrisburgers, because
three distinguish ID men of this city
were responsible for its construc-
tion, namely Col. Charles f. Covert.
Joseph II. O'Brien and George B.
Trip, king-row in the Central Con-
struction Corporation which has its
headquarters here. The speed of
procedure. The vase space covered
and the fact that this industry was
practically unknown in America
make the accomplishment a prime
feature in the war history. These
three Harrisburg men with their eff
cient working forces received their
contract In October, 1917. for the
building Of gas shell-filling plant
at Edgewood, which was then a for
est in remote Maryland, and in the
summer of 1918. the manufactured
product was deluging the Hun at the
second Marne; decimating the beast
at the frightfui slaughter at st.
AIihiel. This was only q starter and
when the deadly gas packed in shells
at Edgewood was found to be an
arch destroyer, plans were made to
use it In the reduction of the massive
fortress of Metz.
So convincing was this gas shells
destructive powers that Col. William
II. Walker. government officer in
charge of the plant declares: THE
Yanks would have captured Metz
without assault as sure as the sun
rises and sets. We would have
smothered Metz or any other forti-
ffcation. We had the men, We had
the guns and we had the stuff to
frH 1yta q
which Germany never dreamed OF.
Nothing could have withstood the
terrible drenching of mustard and
other gases which we were prepared
to deal out to them. The Huns were
beginning to realize this, and this
awful calamity undoubtedly urged
them to quit"
In n Wilderness
Jules Verne, in his widest imagi-
I nation, never plotted anything with
so much diabolical mystery as this
poison shell plant in the Maryland
4 swanps, "God-forsaken wilderness
as one of the pioneer soldiers termed
the spot. It was imperative that no
news whatever of its construction get
abroad and there is an uncommon
record of the big secrets connected
with It being muffled completely.
Even the closest friends of Messrs.
rTripp. O'Brien and Covert in Harris
burg were ignorant of the plants i'm
/ portance TO Uncle Sam. The very
employees were not told more thah
i was necessary.
With this military restriction the
Harrisburg Contracting Company
Immediately got under way, the hrst
thing to determine being dehnite
knowledge of toxic gasses. NO gas
shell filling plant like this hao peep
projected. 1t was to include a COM
plete power plant, refrigerator
plant. immense cold rooms. mover
ronvevors and filling machines OF
unioue design. Sudden altering OIL
MANS az the designers learned more
about the needs gave extra work 10
the Harrisburg company whicn
among other changes was calleo
upon to provide hollow terra Gotta :
block walls supported on concrete
foundations
THE first equipment arrived on the
pround October 90 and from that
time on the Harrisburg builders useo
5000 carloads OF material oesloes
1000 broken carloads. In addl'lon
to this tons were shipped by express
It is worth remembering that no ma
terial, were purchased either ny the
rovernment or The contractors prior
TO october 13, 1917, ard the speed
with which it matcria!ized challenges
any other war activity.
trhe HarrisburSers worked nlgnt
and day, Lieutenant Col. L. Is. Elli-
cotts supervising the CONSTITUTION.
When il became evidant that Il VAST
organization of workmen would be
required. new camp buildings and
mess hall were built at top speed.
Bunk houses, holding 4,OOO work
men. q mess hall to accommodate -
400 at a time, went up like magic and
were the finest Miles and miles OF
t,ermanent roads were built so that
the whole face of the neighoorhood
has been changed and the state OF
MARYLAND expresses its gratitude Tor
what the plant has done for 1t. The
new camps. when completed, con-
, tanned total of 116 buildings, as fol-
lows: Twenty-seven two-story par
racks for soldiers twenty-four two-
story barracks for civilian employees;
officers quarters, hospital. Y. NJ. &.
i. and K. of c. halls; two quarter
master store houses, store house for
mess hall; thirty toilets and wash
looms.
275 Buildings
A total of 275 permanent structures
were built on the reservation by the
Central Construction Corporation
alone. of which number 1913 are
classed as large buildings and eighty
five as small. Th9 temporary build-
ings number $50, of which number
235 are classed as large, such as
bunk houses, narracks and mess hall,
and lis as small.
The Harrisbursers practically buiH
a permanent city. In addition to the
standard guage railway thers were
seven miles OF irty-six-inch gun SO
and eight miles of twenty-one and
one-half for movement of materials.
In connection with this thero werc
Used $500 tors Ct steel rails, 63.-
400 ties, besides tieplates, flshplates,
bolts and spikes.
Then there WAS the sewage. a sys-
tenn more tnan ten miles In length,
varying from fortY-rwo inches to six
inches in diameter. Fresh water was
riped from Il run seven miles away
hnd the distributing pipes were more
than five miles I'm length. Lastly, an
athletic field had TO be bullt.
Lieutenant Col Edwin NJ. Chance,
in charge Of p!Snt operations, was
one of Uncle Sans big leaguers. fnr
so rapidly did he proceed with the
making of these nellbrew shells that
when French and English experts
arrived to help in the production
one of them admitted: I'VE came TO
teach, but we :emeained to learn.
fixza r1-ndttOad nd til,