The Keesler field news., 1941-10-22
Engineers
To Finish
by Feb. IS
Housing Area
Almost Ready
For r enters

Kseslef Field, bat . Dot On ths
map and hare Of hluepgints only
four months ago. win become
cls within . city four months
from now-a eity Of 5000 men
wlthln the city Of Biloxi, with q.
II. 900 population.
~ February Is. according "
1t Col Robert Y York ot N.
Corps of Engineers, in charge Of
construction. Keesler Field pili
have heen completed.
Formal dedication IL tentative
" slated Tor March. when the
first class of a0n sirplanc mech
anics wiil be graduated from the
Air Corps Technical School here.
stated Col Arthur VI Brock Ir.,
Commanding officer.
HusH HOUSING
Almost immediate occupation Of
the housing area by enlisted
men not now In barracks. was
forecast by Colonel York today.
Work on The last Of s5s buildings
in the housing area viii b. firlsh-
cd within two weeks and other
phares Of construction are being
rushed 20 shas all quarters on the
field may be occupied by Deeena-
hrr 1.
Carpentry work ON all but three
structures In the housing sres 10
nov virtually complete. The Corps
Of Engineers reports. while ir-
staliation Of plumbing fixtures.
electric wiring and heating ducts
and piping is well on the way TO
completion in more than tis
/ structures
In pace with building erection,
rough grading of roads u more
than rs pss cent complete, with .
she'll base prepared on more risn
rs per cent of ths proposed road
ways Setting ot more than Is 700
tlineaf feet Of curbirs and Kuftes
bottoms aitcsts 10 the speed with
which work on this phase has pro-
gressed.
STORM SEWERS LAID
| Almost all Of the storm sewers
have been laid. according 10 the
report, and 10 per cent OF the wa
| ter distribution system IL finish
cd Tank has been tested. stcr-
illzed and water has been drawn
into i. within the past week. Tanks
4 2 and ,. complete. have not yet
been tested The well for Tank
2 has been dug and tested but has
not yet been placed into opera
tion.
Started was the combination Of
flcsfs' club and mess, rebuilt. from
the old Biloxi Country Club
building next 10 post headquar-
ters.
| Construction also began on The
control tower which win be the
nerve center Of Kceslef's flynn
fieid
More than 10000 cubic yards Of
dirt nave been excsvssed for the
warm-np aprons, behind which
hangers viii be erected, and the
aqua fueiing systems which are
being installed as units Of the six
5000 gallon gasoline storsgs
tanks. These tanks. buriad UNDER
ground. win discharge gasoline
| by water pressure
AWAIT TESTS
While work progresses toward
completion Of the housing area,
wiring In barracks and other
buildings already finished Il be-
ing tested for inriint ton resis-
lance. Tests 10 determine the ef-
ficiency Of switches are being
made.
Final hindrsnce TO Immediate
occupation of most of the housing
area is the filtration plant which
should be complete by December
Is. according 70 s. v. Applewhite,
Of the George r. Rice firm Of de-
signing engineers from New Or
leans. Excavations and pouring oi
concrete under the eight huge set
ting and filtering basins has Just
been completed. Il was reported.
When placed into operation,
keesisr Fields system OF SANTA
ton viii Be Of the most modern
type known 70 science.
More than $500 men are now
employed here In an intensified
effort By the Corps of Engineers
70 complets construction Of KEGS