December Meeting of New York Section American Water Works Association

The second meeting this season of the New York section of the American Water Works Association was held at the Park Avenue hotel, New York, last Wednesday. The subject discussed was water supply and sewerage works at cantonments. The first speaker was Mr. George W. Fuller, who described the preliminary work of getting the construction of these army camps under way. Mr. Fuller and Mr. Leonard Metcalf were in charge of the water supply and sewerage plans of the camps.

When war was declared the Government was in no position to take care of a new army, nor would it be for at least ten weeks. The civilian engineers, who volunteered immediately upon declaration of war to aid in preparation of plans for the cantonments, estimated it would require thirty-six army camps to house the first army. These engineers were formed into a unit under the Council of National Defense. On May 17 the first work of these engineers regarding the layout and equipment of camps started. Every movement was along lines for construction of the cantonments, even though Congress was still debating a bill authorizing the appropriation of funds therefor. At the end of May, while Congress was still debating, the engineering department was fully organized. It is estimated that to construct thirty-six army camps the cost would total $192,000,000. This figure was based on the approximate cost of building the National Guard camps at the Mexican border in 1916. No allowance was made in the estimate for labor, which, in the case of the Mexican camps, was largely supplied from the army force.

The final plans called for the building of sixteen National Army camps to house 650,000 men, and the National Guard was to be trained in the South and to live in tents. One special type of camp is located at Tenafly, N. J., and is known as Camp Merritt. It is an embarkation camp, where troops are to come from all sections of the country and stop before being shipped abroad. In this type of camp the population will, of course, be variable, for men will be coming at all times and leaving at all times.

The training camps are located geographically, that is, the country is divided into separate sections having equal populations, and the camps are located as near as possible to the centers of population.

The Government called upon engineers in various lines to consider the plans of the army camps. Prominent technical men responded from all over the country and came together at their own expense. While there was practically no organized data on hand at the start, these men coming together prepared data which was invaluable in the work to follow. For instance, construction materials, water supply, sewerage. At this time the engineers made a further study of tentative plans. Contractors came to Washington in large numbers, but competitive bidding on this camp work was not feasible. The estimated cost of sixteen cantonments, according to plans, was $134,000,000, and managements called for giving the contractors about 3 per cent, of the cost of their work. However, in most of the cases the contractors’ profit was 2 per cent, or less. A large amount of capital was required for the contractors to secure lumber and other materials and also to provide for the payment of the workmen.

In letting the contracts the financial and businesss ability were considered first. The rate of construction was almost beyond belief, for by September 4 cantonments were furnished to accommodate over 300,000 soldiers, while on December 5 650,000 could be accommodated. The work cost more than estimated, due to materials, labor, transportation, etc. A few figures showing the quantities of materials used may be of interest: 800,000,000 feet of lumber were required; the area of the cantonments aggregated 261 square miles; 175,000 doors were used; 314,000 barrels of cement were required; 3,550 hydrants for fire protection were installed and 75 miles of fire hose purchased. The total cost of the camps was actually $187,000,000. During the construction one battalion of soldiers guarded each cantonment. The author, as a final word, stated that where speed was required it was absolutely necessary to do away with “red tape,” as was shown by the remarkable performance in the construction of the cantonments.

Nicholas S. Hill added to the description of Camp Merritt. He described it as a storage reservoir for human soldiers. The soldiers came from all parts of the country and were stored there temporarily, while transports were being loaded to go abroad. The general construction of this camp was very much the same as that of other camps. The chief features of local design of this plan included the water supply and sewerage disposal systems, due to the typographical layout of the camp. The question of water supply was very much simplified by the fact that the chief feeder main of the Hackensack Water Company passed within 3,600 feet of the camp. The supply was, of course, taken from the Hackensack Water Company. Two parallel lines, each 12 inches in diameter and 360,000 feet in length, were laid. They are of cast iron and are the property of the Hackensack Water Company. The mains in this cantonment are of wood, but cast iron specials are used. The service connections are made with ordinary corporation cocks, with a special thread. The joints in the pipe lines are made and poured the same as in the case of cast iron pipe; that is, where the joints are to be made between wood and cast iron. In this camp 30,000 feet of wood stave pipe and, all together, about 84,000 feet of trench, including trenches for service pipes, were made. The specials are of galvanized wrought iron.

The rapidity with which the water system was put in is shown by the fact tliat in one day 4,200 feet of pipe was laid. All of the pipe laid was covered to a depth of 3½ feet, even the service pipes. The water system was completed in five months.

W. R. Conard, consulting engineer, spoke on the water supply of Camp Dix. In this camp, somewhere around 85,000 feet of trenches were dug. The rapidity with which the pipe was put in at Camp Dix figures out about the same as that at Camp Merritt—some days 1,000 feet were laid and other days 5,000 feet. One day 6,000 feet all told were put in. The bulk of trenching was done by machine, and the average depth of trench was 4 feet. The leakage for the wood pipe was comparatively small, and where leaks developed they were closed by driving wedges into the pipe itself. Joints between the pipe and cast iron fittings were made by use of Leadite, and where any leaks developed, the joints under pressure were closed by use of wedges. Only a few sections were taken out after laying, due to leaks. Considerable damage, however, was done to the pipe in transportation. Whenever possible, damaged pipe was repaired in the same manner as leaky pipe. When repairs were to be made on joints under pressure, Lead Wool was used, and in every case the joints were then satisfactory.

Fire protection at Camp Dix is the same as in other cantonments. There are motor-driven fire apparatus and individual hose reels stationed at various points around the camp. The point from the pumping station to where the line enters the camp is about 17,000 feet. All of the feeder lines are of cast iron. Where leadite is used or wood joints, no charring occurs.

Those who discussed Mr. Conard’s speech included J. M. Diven, J. Waldo Smith, Allen Hazen and Nicholas S. Hill.

Mr. Wells, resident engineer at Camp Merritt, spoke briefly of features of the camp. He mentioned that the fire protection was unusually good. Six-inch cast iron mains are laid throughout the principal portions of the camp. These 6-inch lines connect up with leaders from the Hackensack Water Company’s mains. Fifty-gallon barrels were placed at the corners of each of the buildings during their course of erection. Up to the present time there has been but one fire in the camp, and this was a pre-arranged affair. It was found necessary to remove a couple of old buildings, and the major in charge decided it would be cheapest to burn them. He, therefore, set the buildings afire late at night. So rapid was the response of the department that the fire was out before it hail a chance to make any headway. However, the incident almost proved disastrous, for all through the camps were sewer trenches wide open, and the people rushing from the adjacent towns in the dark to see the fire fell headlong into the excavations.

Those Who Were Present.

The names of members and guests in attendance at the meeting are as follows; C. K. Corbin, Mr. Cole (Maritoma Paving & Cond. Co.; C. G. Sands, G. R. M. Wilcox, W. Haff. J. W. McKay, J. M. Diven, T. F. Flinn, F. L. Rector, J. T. Metcalf, C. Lobo. B. J. Bleistein, T. C. Culver, E. W. Jacobs, T. Manning, H. C. Stevens, C. R. Bettes, F. Sheppcrd (FIRE AND WATER ENGINEERING), H. B. Machen, A. Hazen, W. R. Conard, Mr. Donaldson, Ambrose Mundv, G. A. Johnson, A. W. Cuddeback, W. H. Van Winkle, Jr., John R. Downes, C. F. Brcitzke, W. C. Sherwood, A. R. Murphy, A. P. Folwell, S. M. Durland, H. P. Stearns. B. B. Hodgman, F. H. Luce, E. W. Henry, J, R. McClintock, L. P. Anderson, J. K. Giesey, S. F. Furgerson, Rudolph Hering, W. Molan, G. E. Rodman, W. F. Laase, A. F. Kirstein, G. W. McKay, Jr., Wm. Ross, W. J. Orchard, M. Sanborn, R. C. Williams, M. N. Baker, G. W. Fuller, W. W. Brush, G. R. Spalding, J. W. Smith, A. M. S. Johnstone, L. C. Ghetti (Guest A. W. W. Assoc.).