El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-23

none the less. OF the construction d.
vision has been one OF the chief feats,
from an economic standpoint. OF the
late war
The constructing quartermaster OF
the construction division Is the pio-
neer Of all construction work prior 70
the establishment OF an encampmenr
OF cantonment. and In many cases i5
the developer Of the raw camp site
The constructing Quarterrnasrer pre-
pares plans and specifications for the
buildings to house troops. OF for prov
ing grounds, OF for port terminals,
acid plants. cartridge plants. OF any
project OF the construction division
He gathers together small office and
field forces and starts the actual con-
struction- Funds are allowed from
Washington 10 his finance officer. ana
as a rule contracts are made after Sc
curing bids. anu the contractors do the
actual construction with thei- own
forces. superintendent by some con-
struction officer in charge
Panama Construction Outdone.
Up to the time the United states
went TO war with Germany. the larg-
est piece OF construction known TO
modern history was the Panama canal
But during the time that the United
States was actually engaged in war
with Germany the construction diVls-
ion OF the army spent more money
each day on new construction work
than was ever spent in any one month
in constructing the canal
The construction division vas or
gained with a handful OF regular
army officers. with Brig Gen R. C.
Marshall. Jr, as its head The olv-s-
ion grew IN personnel within a Jew
months to some 5000 officers ap-
pointed from civil life. Comprising the
ablest men in engineering and build
ing work throughout the United
States The division employed direct
" over 100 times as many skilled
Workmen as officers.
Outside OF building the various
army camps in time to hold the men
from the drafts. and in many cases
building these camps from raw ground
sites, the construction division carried
on the work OF building nitrate plants.
ammunition and gas factories. prov
ing grounds for artillery. and the ter
minals for inland traffic and port o.
embarcatiOn points
Prior TO building the port terminals,
OF which there were six IN number,
from Boston down the Atlantic coast.
the United States could not handle
through It's ports the vast stream OF
supplies and men which were sent TO
France. This is evidenced by the Sc
rious tieup OF freight which occurred
in the winter OF 1911-1s, which vas
chiefly caused through the lack Of
proper and adequate storage SPACE,
rather than the shortage OF coal, as
was then popularly supposed
Great Storage Facilities.
The port terminals as built BY ths
construction division can store liter
ally hundreds OF trainloads OF sup
plies awaiting shipment by boat and
By a system OF elevators and ramps
goods can be taken directly from the
cars to the docks and there loaded Cd
ships which can be locked at these
large warehouses The inland depots
constructed by the construction divis-
ion make Il possible for the farmer
and manufacturer TO store in several
number OF carloads OF materials % oa
later assembled into train loads Tor
the various ports for export
The construction division. in con-
structing these two types Of storage,
has done away with the most costly
Of all forms OF storage the freight
car, and has accomplished aneverlnst-
ing commercial good which viii live
and be useful in times OF peace as
wen as in times Of war
The factories for the manufacturer
OF munitions Of war, built by the con-
turned back TO peace purposes, and
have been taken over by private cor
pOrations for commercial use
As an example Of the magnitude OF
the plants erected by the construction
division, may be cited one piece OF
work which was in charge Of Mai l.
D. Blauvelr. who was recently given
his discharge as construction quarter
master at Fort Bliss and was sue
ceedsd by Capt Harvey Field Mai.
Blauvelt was in charge OF the con-
strrction OF an immense gas plant
outside OF Baltimore. Maryland in
volvinE the expenditure OF over S6o,-
o00.00o At the time OF the 'armistics
this plant was manufacturing more
gas explosive shells than were used
HfTrTn hU Tnnfnra ErrnWn
Continued On page =. Col 81