Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-28
IgI1l,eilsify Of Grounds 0t
Savanna Where Guns Are
Tested Revealed By Trip
N IALCOLM d. EDDY.


people Of the tri-cities are not
ssnsrslly acquainted with the pur-
90 and work Of the Savanna
rroying grounds It Savanna. Ill,
the operation Of which is super
yised BY Colonel Harry B. Jordan,
soumandsnt Of Rock Island arse
81. in conjunction with the arsenal
plant. Realizing this the colonel
recently extended an invitation to
! perty Of his friends and business
aaeociates, including newspaper
nen Of the three cities, to visit the
moving grounds. His purpose was
IS live them . better understanding
Of the big project.
The day appointed for the trip
proyed one Of the worst during the
winter. Nevertheless the party at
tended nearly in full force and ex-
ceIleut accommodations on the Bur-
lington train east alleviated the
rieor Of the snow storm and icy
Wind which was blowing. Except
for a slight drop behind schedule
time the trip was entirely unevent-
fuI. Frank Mixter, II. H. Cleave-
land. F. W. Bender and /. S. White,
the Rock Island guests, and Sena-
tor Martin r. Carlson and A. T..
Foster Of Moline, with the military
members OF the party, Colonel Jor-
dan, Lieutenant Colonel John A.
Reid and Captain c. L. Bode, found
their companions congenial and en-
ioyed the ride After short stop
over for lunch at Savanna another
train took them directly to the
proving grounds. eight miles from
the town. Here squadron OF gov
ernment automobiles bearing the
insignia of the proving ground, car
ried them to the headquarters
building.
Major Wayne G. Phillips. COM
mandant at the proving grounds,
under orders from Colonel Jordan,
has a man-sized job. Personal sup
ervision of force of las men,
operating as efficiently as possible
on a tract OF land liz miles long
and four miles wide, and the hand
ling of huge stores of war materials
which have been shipped there for
storage, requires a great deal OF
knowledge and executive ability
For such is the size Of the proving
ground, and its present business is
TO create and use storage space for
gigantic quantities of ordnance sup
plies, chiefly those pertaining to
transportation.
The major is assisted in his task
by two other officers, Lieutenant
Charles W. Reed and Captain J. r
Hudnall. Lieutenant Reed is trans,
portation officer Of the post, super.
intending all use and care for the
various tractors and other vehicles
used in work ct the grounds. Cap
tain Hudnall is medical officer Of
the post.
Taken Over in 1918.
A tract four miles broad ant
nearly IL miles long, the proving
ground stretches along the Missis
sippi starting at point eight miles
above Savanna. Crooked slough
bounds the mainland on the west
although several islands along the
edge are also property of the gov
eminent. In 1918 this land was
taken over by the United States
with the intention Of making OF il
place where all guns made al
the arsenal might be tested. With
this in view the territory was pur-
chased at SGT an acre from nearly
100 owners OF the small farms into
which it was divided. There are
1890 acres, and all claims upon
these have been met and paid.
The land is situated ideally fol
the use it is put to. Soil of no par
ticular farming value has made
this vicinity sparsely settled. Han.
over, four miles to the northeast
and Savanna, eight miles south, are
the nearest towns. The guns being
tested are fired on an angle from
the lower end of the island, away
!. from both Of these towns, anc
clllhc ucdl tlC AiSCi aDouI IhC SSh
ter Of the island, after travelling
about nine miles.
While the war was going on, this
place was used for its original pur.
pose, artillery and small arms be-
ing tested by various means. Now
however, this program has been
discontinued. The returned and the
completed, but never used, trac.
tors. gun carriages, caissons, forge
and store limbers, battery ant
store wagons and supply truck
bodies of the army are being stor-
ed there in great quantities.
In riding up the road from the
Burlington station, the Burlington
tracks skirt the proving ground or
the east for nearly its entire length
10 the hill which sticks up its back
Done through the center of the
southern part of the ground, and
upon which the administrative and
residence buildings are placed, the
members of the party were struck
with what appeared to be thous-
ands Of dog kennels three to foul
ieet In height. covering the area Of
several city blocks along the west
en slope Of the hill from crest to
y ioot, some distance up to the north
p he l.