Newspaper Page Text
Page 2
tann *
II
SAND SHOTS FROM
THE 112TH REGIMENT
While it is estimated that nearly 500
tents were leveled throughout the division
by the severe wind and sand storm of
late Friday night, not more than thirty
squad tents and only three or four offi
cers’ "dwellings” were blown down. It
didn’t take Lieutenant McLouth and his
men long the ruext morning to see that all
torn canvas was repaired and the men
made comfortable as soon as possible.
One pleasant feature of the storm was
the hospitality of the Y. M. C. A. The
men at 76 threw the building open to all
the soldiers who were rendered tempo
rarily homeless by the sand storm, and
a good many spent the night there.
The first fire in the regiment in a long
time destroyed one of the tents in Com
pany D street Sunday afternoon.
The 112th Regiment Band achieved
new honors last Sunday when they gave
another of their enjoyable concerts, this
time at the Grand theatre in Augusta.
The program was up to the high stand
ard that Band Master Roy Miller has
established, and the musicians of his or
ganization easily won new laurels with
the old favorites.
There’s many a fellow who feels lost
if he can’t visit Augusta at least once
a week, and there’s twice as many who
want to be down town, seeing a show
or eating a big meal, two or three times
weekly—or until their pay is gone. So
it’s some surprise to find a man who has
not visited the city. The censor elimi
nates his name, but he's a member of the
Second Battalion. "I have been down
town but once, and that was when the
regiment paraded there in October,” said
this buck, who holds a record of going
to El Paso but three times during the
six months’ service there.
A few days ago they took .a religious
census of the regiment. Stereotyped an
swers were asked for and received. One
youngster in the 112th, who wears three
stripes, was puzzled, and Chaplain Hail
smiled when he read his card: "I haven’t
any religion, but I’d like to; I’m a ser
geant.”
The boys of Colonel Rickards’ com
mand, now under the careful guardian
ship of Lieutenant Colonel Gamble, will
probably be surprised to know that the
regimental commander is having as hard
a grind these days at Fort Sam Houston
as they have had —and more. He’s up at
6:15 in the morning and it's taps and
after before the studies of the day are
finished, and Saturday afternoon is des
ignated as the only holiday of the week.
And right here it can be said, Colonel
Cambio is working some too!
The boys of the 112th Regiment and
every other unit at Camp Hancock are
enjoying real holidays Wednesday and
Saturda afternoons and no officer, unless
some exceptional circumstance calls forth
such an order, can deprive the enlisted
man of time off from drill and camp duty
on those afternoons and evenings.
<
The Eighth Regiment Band is no longer
a part of the .112th organization. It
moved over to the 109th Machine Gun
Battalion on Thursday last, taking all
equipment with it. Mr. Clark’s musicians
are splendid fellows.
Every soldier is wearing a pair of wool
en gloves. More arrived during the
week, so that each man has a pair! But
as luck would have it, thfe sun came out
and the weather warmed up on the day
lie gloves were issued.
HOWITZERHOWIZITS
108th Field Artillery.
The guard house has its annual quota
f Northern guests spending their winter
n the Southern sunshine(?) (It is time
o hang but the -S. R. O. sign).
Horseshoer James Devlin of the Supply
Company is some songbird. He is now
singing the Anvil Chorus.
According to the coffee handed out late
ly, fountain-pens should be issued. It is
ip to the "Spoilers” 'Cooks).
Corporal John (Cactus Face) Warner,
■f B Battery, innovated something new in
lie army when, after coming in from
Irill he reported a cassion missing. If
>e would try a "want ad” in an Au
justa paper some lucky soldier might find
t. Any reward John?
Private Albert Vendetti of B Battery
s known as "Tony the Bootblack.” (He
always "shines” at this).
Private “Fritzl” Fred Henger spends
much of his time reading the best litera
ure, such as Lydia Pinkham and the
“Liberty Boys of ’76.” He is known as
he regimental bookworm.
Private Cuscadden of C Battery is once
more a sergeant! No! Not a mess-ser
geant! (They all cussed Cadden when
he was one).
Private John Greenwald of C Battery
is introducing new tactics into the artil
lery by capsizing Battery wagons.
"Spoiler” Cook Raymond Slater of C
Battery must have once been a stable
policeman on account of the “at meals”
le hands out.
Private Herbert George of B Battery is
striving to raise “shredded wheat” upon
his upper lip. (Fell, let George do it.)
Hob-nail Shoes should not be confused
with nor used as brake shoes: although
brake shoes are' expendible, feet are not,
for further information see Private Har
old Beary of B Battery.
Some time somebody’ll take an A. W. O.
L. and wash his face and hands. (Take
that man’s name down!!!)
Speak not loudly in a whisper lest ye
be censored.
By FRANCIS I. CO. .WAY,
Battery B, 108th F. A.
lay i
I
V Cl
V i *
\ rj
ill
Ml
TRENCH AND CAMP
SEVERE STORM HITS CAMP;
MUCH DAMAGE DONE
Great clouds of sand, sent driving
across the open stretches of Camp Han
cock in the worst wind and sand storm
the camp has known, created unscheduled
excitement and was responsible for a
great deal of damage to the tents of the
Twenty-eighth Division last Friday night.
It began shortly after 8:30 and reached
the extent of its fury early in the morn
ing. As reveille sounded, a scene of wild
destruction presented itself.
Tent flaps had been torn loose from
their moorings and carried awaq. Along
officers’ row it looked as if somebody had
taken a huge hammer and smashed a
few of the toy-like huts every hundred
feet or so. Sand in some places was six
inches to a foot deep, resembling snow
drifts, and the mercury had fallen more
than thirty degrees in the short* stretch
of six hours.
Heavy Rain Precedes Windstorm.
The heaviest rain the soldier boys have
seen, accomyanfed by lightning and thun
der, started falling at mess, a few min
utes after 6 o'clock and continued with
great fury until 7:30. During that time
the drill field, the roadway and the com
pany streets became rivers and lakes, and
hardly an officer or enlisted man left his
quarters. Tent wings flapped and the guy
ropes pulled at the pegs as the wind
whistled over the 112th drill field, and
then, with seemingly greater speed, swept
everything before it as it carried paper,
wood chips and loose articles down the
company street. By 7 o’clock it looked as
though many of the tents Would collapse
under the weight of water, but a half
hour later the rain ceased, and the men
believed the trouble over.
And so it was that just as a third of
the camp had retired or was preparing to
go to bed, and with lights once again
burning after having been knocked out
for two hours by the storm, that the sand
storm arrived.
Surpasses Blizzards of North.
The sand storm had it all over the
blizzards back home. Cutting and driv
ing, it brought all pedestrians to a halt
or scurrying to cover.
The tin ventilator tops which are a part
of each tent equipment were in many
cases lifted from their place and sent
hurling down the street. Pieces of stove
pipe kept up a continual banging during
the night as one after another was loos
ened and then lost. Here and there a
tent ripped, and the occupants, before
they realized what had happened, were
buried under a quarter or half-inch of
sand, and in some cases they were
scratched about the face and arms by
the sand particles.
Weirdest Night, One Man Says.
"It’s the weirdest night I ever wit
nessed,” said one man today, "and I can
well appreciate how helpless anyone is
when a tornado strikes such a place as
this.”
This sand storm was no respecter of
persons and officers and men alike spent
a large part of the night looking after the
safety of his property, and guarding his
tent.
Water Pipes Frozen.
Then, the worst of the experience was
to find Saturday morning dawn with one
of the coldest days yet experienced.
Homeless and with sand scattered over
their belongings, many a 'soldier boy
started to work long before daylight, in
order to straighten up his possessions be
fore inspection, and hands and feet suf
fered from the biting wind, which still
continued to sweep the field.
Water pipes were again frozen and it
was difficult to obtain water until noon.
But wood was more plentiful, and it
wasn’t long until roaring fires were start
ed in the tents that remained standing.
Fully an hour and a half was devoted by
nearly every squad, either to clearing
out surplus sand or to bracing the tent
supports and sidewalks.
The severe cold had frozen the drill
field so hard that it was as stiff as ce
ment.
“BLOW! BLOW! COME
AND GO”
A terrific rain and wind storm struck
Camp Hancock Friday evening last, caus
ing great havoc, destroying some build
ings but sparing the lives of all.
A Knights of Columbus building, and
the new Y. M. C. A. building near Gen
eral Logan’s headquarters, both of which
were under construction were completely
demolished. The large tent used by the
Y. M. C. A. near the Ammunition Train
was also destroyed and its contents scat
tered over several square miles. The Y.
M. C. A. tent at the Remount Station
was overturned but quickly put to rights.
The two immense entertainment tents
handled by the Fosdick Commission were
torn to shreds. The one especially looks
very much like a ruined cathedral ’"some
where in France.” Pianos were over
turned, the stage destroyed, and it will be
some time before entertainments can be
given.
The tent of the Military Police sergeant,
at the corner of Wheless and Wrights
boro road was completely destroyed. Hun
dreds of soldiers’ tents and a few belong
ings to officers were also overthrown.
Many of the men in the middle of the
night gathered such of their belongings
as were accessible, and moved into the
mess halls or the Y. M. C. A. buildings
and made themselves as comfortable as
possible for the remainder of the night.
The atmosphere was very much colder in
the early morning, but within a few hours
the soldiers’ tents were restored to nor
mal.
SPARKS FROM THE “RADIO
COMPANY” SIGNAL CORPS
"Company ’SHUN.”
Private Patterson became so excited
when mess call blew the other night that
he dashed madly into his tent, grabbed
his curry-comb and brush, and didn’t dis
cover his mistake until he reached the
mess hall.,
Is there anything our ’enry can do?
Say, Raidenbach was it 6 a. m. or p. m.
when you returned?
A. G. Smith is back with an entire new
line of talk. Gather ’round fellows.
The "Sleep King,” alias “Scotty,” can
sleep longer in 24 hours than anyon® we
know.
MOTOR MECHANICS AND
Y, MX A.
The Motor Mechanics is an entirely new
organization in military history. The reg
iments now being formed at Camp Han
cock number three and are composed of
skilled men taken by selection from the
National Army cantonments and en
listed from civil life. The plans of selec
tion were worked out to the greatest de
tail with the one point in view of gath
ering the most expert mechanical skill
of the entire country. These men are to
be employed in present aeroplane, ma
chine-gun and tank-monster warfare.
They were compelled to stand a most
thorough examination that none but the
most skilled could pass.
Their present status might be classed
as post graduate training. They are un
dergoing a most intensive training in all
the arts of lotest warfare methods.
Camp Hancock was selected as the mob
ilization center for thees new regiments. •
Quietly they drifted into camp, without
blare of band or hurrah of comrades, and
before our eyes rose the tents of of the
First, Second and Third Motor Mechanic
Regiments. These regiments were or
ganized from specialists and machinists
brought from many of the camps and can
tonments throughout the States. There
are men in camp from almost every state
in the union and even from islands in
the Pacific. In one squad in the Second
Motor Mechanic Regiment, the eight men
comprising the squad, each one is from
a different state. Surely the strength and
unity of this great American union is no
better emphasized than in a hasty survey
of these regiments.
These men, coming as they did, from
camps that are not so fortunate as to
possess the health records that Camp
Hancock does, weer placed in quarantine
from six to twelve days, and in this dis
agreeable position the Army Y. M. C. A.
came to their help and tried to make life
and living a bit more pleasant.
Buildings No. 77 and No. 79 placed men
among these fellows in order to supply
them W writing material, games, read
ing ma. and what not. Thousands of
sheets of paper and envelopes were dis
tributed among 1 this eager, grateful, let
er-writing crowd of men. During the day
we would load a wheelbarrow with writ
ing material and games and supply the
companies with our supplies as far as
possible. We were not permitted to cross
the guard line but a call would bring a
swarm of men to the line who would
receive with outstretched hands every
thing we could give. It was surprising,
too. how many of the men asked and
read the tracts and pamphlets. That was
a feature of the work not experienced to
any extent up to that date.
The men and officers are of an unusual
ly high stamp. Many of the enlisted men
are National Army men although quite
a few are transferees from Regular
Army outfits. Everywhere you go in the
Motor Mechanic Regiments one will meet
a smiling face. Grumbling and dissatis
faction are one of the things not heard.
Appreciation and co-operation are the
slogan words.
AWFUL INDICTMENT
OF GERMAN NATION
The United States government, in the
current issue of “The Manufacturers’
Record,” of Baltimore, gives its first un
qualified statement of what it thinks of
Germany and the Germans. This, one of
the most scathing arraignments of one
nation by another ever printed, appears
in a recruiting advertisement over the
signature of the chief signal office!- of
the aviation section of the Signal Corps,
and has the approval of the secretary of
war.
"You are an American,” this statement
reads in part, “and all that you are ana
all that you hope to be reflects to the
credit of a democracy.”
The vials of America’s wrath are open
ed in the paragraph which follows:
“That democracy,” the advertisement
continues, "is being assailed by the most
damnable foe that ever fired a cannon,
that ever drove home a bayonet, that ever
ravaged a neutral state, that ever sunk
a hospital ship, that ever shelled women
and children in lifeboats, that ever cru
cified and castrated enemy soldiers, that
ever cut the right hands off boy children
in captured territory, tha ever raped
women by thousands, that ever lived to
fasten its demon clutches on the throat of
civilization.
“Almighty God will not permit the un
leashed hellishness of Kaiserism to en
gulf the world. No sane thinking man
can conceive of an all-wise and all-loving
supreme Deity permitting our section of
the world to come under German lead
ership—the stench of the universe—but
now—not tomorrow —right now. Almighty
God needs the help of trained men.”
BREAD AND BEAUTY
Arrivel in Paris late Sunday night after
a very safe and comfortable journey.
The weather was fine in London, but
cold. Coal is scarce and high. Sugar
is served in individual dishes there, about
a teaspoonful for breakfast, one helping
of meat and two ounces of bread.
Have been in Paris just a week tonight,
having arrived safely and comfortably.
Os course, it is quite different from the
way I saw it in 1910. Many men one
meets on the street are in French, Eng
lish or United States uniforms. There are
not so many in mourning as I expected to
see and the people seem quite cheerful
and happy. There seems to be more to
eat here than there is in England. One
has all the butter and all the war bread
he wants.
For two days three of us had nothing to
do but go about, so we went one day out
to Versailles. The palace is closed but
we went through the beautiful grounds
and gardens and took lunch at a cross
roads near the Trianon. Wish you could
have seen the trees, such beautiful color,
sun was shining and instead of birds in
the air we saw air craft and heard the
hum of their motors.
HERBERT S. STONE,
Jltj Hermon, J 9;, ,
Jan. 16, 1918.
REMOUNT NEWSIES
A severe wind storm, which came up
very unexpectedly Friday night, totally
destroyed one of the corral buildings
and damaged several others on the
reservation. Especially did the stu
dents of the hdrseshoers’jschool and the
veterinary corps' suffer from the wind
as it completely destroyed several of
the tents. The total damage is esti
mated at about $2,000.
Tonsolitis seems to. be very popular
among a few of the fellows for the past
week or two as several of them have
been confined to quarters as a result.
Weather like we are now having
makes bathing very unpopular, espe
cially when we have to walk two hun
dred yards, half upde, through the
snow 'and mud before and after be
ginning on the ordeal. In fact, show
ers are so uncommon until it seems
that passes ore now issued before one
can enjoy that privilege. Sergeants
Hill and Kirkpatrick were unaware of
this until last night when upon finish
ing their bath and feeling very intoxi
cated from the effects, they, started
back to the barracks through the cold
wind, arrayed in nothing but bath
robes, when they Were halted by a
guard and to produce d pass.
While Tommy Hill’s teeth were cha
tering the accompaniment, Bobby
Kirkpatrick succeeded in explaining to
the sentry tha he was not aware of
the new orders in regard to baths as
it had been some time since i)J had.
taken one. The guard then explained
that it was his mistake as he thought
.they were German spies, disguised as
women, trying to lieaf it in without a
pass.,
If tongue fighting, lip gas, ear_fry
ing and the mess menu at the-Remount
could win the war a peace conference
would be held here next week.
“Pop” Sherman, *canteen man,
has converted his store into a restau
rant and it has proven to be the most
popular rendezvous on the reserva
tion.
The office force has expanded to
such an \extent in the past few days
that it was necessary to find a new
site for Lieut. Farquhar’s medical of
fice, so it has been decided to pitch a
t;n SE?<OT I T C 'P.TENNINGS.
FOR THE SIGNAL CORPS
Ono aspect of the construction of the
new army cantonments, aviation field..,
naval bases and other government war
projects to which attention has not been
called is that of- electric communication
Every one of these places must be in
constant contact with Washington, and
it must at least be possible to estab
lish contact between any two of the sta
tions. This involves a very heavy pro
gram of construction, enlargement and
inflated operation, on the part of tele
graph and telephone companies.
One of the biggest undertakings has
been in connection with the toll switch
board” at Washington, through which all
long distance calls, both incoming and
outgoing must pass. The third addition
since February is now being made here,
and will when complete make the capa
city of this board 220 per cent of what
it was in the month mentioned. At the
same time a great deal of local switch
board and cable work has been called
for. by the heavy increase in inter-de
partment calls.
The location of the army cantonments
ir> most cases some few miles from the
nearest city has necessitated the instal
lation of long cables containing from fifty
to a hundred pairs of wires, putting the
camp switchboard in contact witn the
national telephone and telegraph system
at tho city. In addition to all this per
manent work, temporarv facilities had to
be furnished the contractors engaged in
construction work. The demanu upon the
resources of the companies in the way of
receivers, transmitters, batteries, and
other items of small equipment can bet
ter be imagined than described.
The whole record of emergency work
in establishing the communications which
we have specifically mentioned, as well as
those for aviation fields, bridge and wa
ter supply guards, manufacturing plants
engaged in special wiff work, railroads
involved in the movements of troops,
coast defense projects, etc., has been a
highly creditable one. The work of the
telegraph and telephone companies
touches the war at every point, and it
is a striking tribute to the science of
communication that a country so vast
as the United States can be so closely
knit together by its hundreds of thous
ands of miles of wire and by the appli
cations of "wireless” as well.
HUMAN EFFICIENCY
What is my efficiency? Am I fifty per
cent efficient in my work, or am I work
ing up to candlepower and giving my
employer full 100 per cent efficiency?
Here is food for reflection. Many of us
are prone to complain of our lack of
recognition on the part of our “boss,” or
don’t think we are receiving proper com
pensation for the work that we are do
ing. At such times, when a spell of
gloom casts its shadow before us, it is
time to sit up and take notice of our
actual working conditions.
The man who gets into a rut and stays
there, and who for years will plod along
in the same job, and who is generally
bewailing his lot, will, upon investiga
tion be found to invariably follow the
paths of least resistance and let well
enough alone. When through with the
day’s work one is tired and naturally
wants rest and recreation, but a few
minutes can be spared to thinking over
the the work of the day and trying to
determine where mistakes have been
made and where conditions could have
been bettered. If this is done a new
interest will be awakened the next morn
ing and we will set about to correct our
errors and put into effect such ideas as
we think will be for the improvement of
the work in hand, and thereby aid in
bringing our efficiency up tQ the stand
ard.—Southern Engineer,