Evening star., 1933-09-12
80 BUILDINGS IDLE
At BOILING FIELD
Personnel Lives in Old
Shacks While New Struc.
lures Stand Empty.

Thirty beautiful new buildings among
the finest on any Army post in the
country. stand empty in a wilderness
on the site of the new Boiling Field
due to lack OF roads. grading and elec-
trical connections to make them habit
able. while officers and enlisted per-
sonnel of the Army flying post live in
dilapidated wooden shacks, from which
they recently were driven by food
waters.
Unless funds for opening roads, grad
ing around the buildings and making
electrical connections at the new field
can be obtained from the Public Works
Administration within the next week
or two, the field personnel will go into
another Winter in the shacks which
were erected for temporary occupancy
during the World War.
With the completion of the buildings
at the new field, all funds for construc-
ton there have been exhausted and
work today is at complete standstill
for the first time in two years. The
last of 800 employees on the project have
been let out and only two workers are
left in the Office of Capt. A. ]. Bran
don. Army construction quartermaster
at the field.
80 Buildings Are Idle.
The 80 buildings now standing idle
include quarters for field officers, II
quarters for company officers, IL double
houses containing % quarters for nom
commissioned officers, barracks build
ing containing quarters for 357 enlisted
men, warehouses. a combined post
exchange, gymnasium and recreation
building and a combined fire station
and guard house.
All water. sewer and gas connections
to these buildings hSve been completed
and, except for lack Of electricity and
the fact they can be reached only on
foot. they are ready for occupancy. To
render them livable will require the
ing around the buildings and the con-
nection with electric lines which have
been carried to the edge Of the Govern
ment reservation.
Approximately $1,00D,000 has been
expended to date on the new project,
including construction of the buildings,
razing Of the old steel plant which oc-
cupied part of the site, relocation Of a
railroad line and grading Of about one
third of the area of the new field.
One of Best in World.
Plans have been prepared for the re-
mainder of the project, which lacks
only the funds to give the Capital one
of the finest fields of its kind IN the
world.
The new post exchange and gym
nasium, largest of the buildings except
ing only the enlisted mems barracks,
contains a mess hall capable of feeding
more than the 400 men of the post. the
exchange quarters. an unusually large
auditorium, containing indoor base ball
diamond, basket ball court, volley ball
court, and stands for spectators. locker
and shower rooms, and what is said to
be the finest squash ball court ever
built. This latter is in accordance with
the belief Of Maj Gen. BENJAMIN D.
Foulois, chief of the Army Air Corps.
that squash ball is invaluable for
strengthening the eyes and improving
muscular coordination OF airplane
pilots. The building measures approxi-
mately 101 by 227 feet.
Although third of the area OF
the flying field has been graded. this
represents only about one-flfth OF the
amount of yardage to be moved in the
grading process, since the deepest Nils
and excavations remain to be COM
pleted.