The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-05-08

Wdbti Val hOW NC aS'N- estA S'N
ming.
Kingsley Lake itself is 1T feet
above sea level. The lowest area
troops occupy is 145 feet above sea
level or 80 feet below the surface
Of the lake. This area is occupied
by Dixie troops which were the first
to arrive in camp.
The New England troops did not
come into camp until the middle of
March. 1t was then more or less
ready for them. Hence they drew
the higher ground which is 205 feet
above sea level, or 2S feet above the
level Of the lake.
The lake drains through the camp
How much of a health menace this
will prove this summer remains TO be
seen.
The various regiments have been
allotted space and are building beach
es around the lake. To date the
only beach completed is that of the
Hath Field Artillery, a Mississippi
regiment. They have spent many
hours of labor filling in the swamp
land, building a bridge over the spot
where the lake drains out through
the camp, and hauling white sand
from somewhere to make it more at
tractive. The boys also planted palm
trees in an effort to beautify the
place but they have died.
Four main roads follow the con-
tour of the lake and these roads are
bi-sected by streets at stated inter-
walls. The various regiments of each
for living quarters, mess, officers
quarters, post exchange, recreation
hall, etc. All of the roads are de-
signated by letter A B C and d and
the streets have such names as
Peachtree Street, etc.
The camp is divided at one point,
the flagpole, which is commonly
called the Mason-Dixon line. The
Dixie Division lives north of this line
and the the northern troops are in
the southern section. The flagpole
is on the main parade ground which
still has a lot of work to be done on
it before it is fit for parading. The
whole parade ground has to be built
/ up and covered with muck or some
substance so that it can be used for
marching.
1t was not until a month ago that
water, electric and sewer lines were
finished and the sewerage disposal
plant completed. Today there are
1873 miles of electric lines. 40 miles
of sewer lines 81 miles Of highway,
100000 square yards of open motor
storage pavement, 25 miles of rail-
road.
There have been 1,1S8 buildings
erected on the reservation, all out of
cheap lumber, three tent theatres,
m for each division and one for the
colored troops, and 10,529 pyramidal
tents which the men and officers a.
like live in. Only a week ago a
laundry was completed which will
take care of the needs of the men.
Up until that time they had no
laundering facilities at all. Laundry
was done for the most part by the
men themselves, Nov they can get
their laundry done by the govern
ment for $3.50 per month out of
their $21.00 per month pay.
One of the most interesting build
ings on the reservation is the 1000
bed hospital. 1t is built in 200 sep
arate buildings resembling barracks
all frame construction and connect
ed under eight miles of corridor, 1t
takes up a large space on the ground
and is said to be finely equipped and
stated at this time.
When Dixie troops arrived in
December only a few buildings in the
hospital had been erected and a SOL
der had to be nightly sick to get
into the hospital. The fact that he
might have the flu and a fever of
1903 wasn't enough to gain him ad-
mittance when there were over a
thousand cases Of flu and not nearly
enough beds.
1t was some time before camp
medical authorities could obtain
medicine to treat the sick men and
serious cases of the flu were treated
only with aspirin.
Today there are only 4,077 civil
liam workers on the catp reserva-
ton compared to the peak load of
$4,000 Within the past few days a
taxi service has been inaugurated
within the camp whereby you can go
anywhere in the camp for ten cents.
Bus service is available to Jackson
vile, so miles away every few
hours.
Almost six months time has passed
since these men left their homes to