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have to be fed in their beds, and that the diets would have to be varied to suit individuals. The cooking and distribution arrange- ments had therefore to be on a more elaborate plan than is provided for in ordinary barracks.

Other hospital buildings, such as dining-room, supply stores (for bedding and utensils), pack store, officers' quarters, nursing sisters' accommodation, and barrack huts for orderlies, followed the usual lines for ordinary barrack huts and quarters with certain modifica- tions. There were, however, two other adjuncts of importance in field hospitals, viz. mortuary block, and disinfecting block, which deserve a brief description.

The former is a hut 30 ft. by 14 ft. 8 in., with a post-mortem chamber 14 ft. by n ft. 9 in. at one end, fitted with table, stove, cupboard, sink and shelves, and with wide double doors. Next to it is the body chamber, about 8 ft. square, and beyond that a " viewing chamber," entered by a separate lobby where friends of the deceased can enter and see the corpse prior to burial.

The disinfecting-hut has a receiving-room 1 1 f t. 9 in. by 14 ft., into -which the foul clothing, bedding, etc., is brought, and placed in an air-tight disinfector, one end of which opens into the receiving-room, and the other into an adjacent chamber, the issuing-room, whence, after treatment in the disinfector, the material is removed. There is a small incinerator in another chamber and, for those materials which require liquid disinfectants, there are other rooms provided.

Portable Huts of Special Design. There were many types of portable light huts made of wooden framework and canvas. They were not found satisfactory for prolonged use, although many were found very useful for rapid work and in emergencies. The principles were the same in most cases, viz. framing of wooden scantlings about 2 in. by if in., covered with canvas pre- pared with some sort of waterproof solution, and, when unfolded, fixed in position by light bolts or by hooks. The disadvantages were that they did not afford better protection against cold and heat than tents, and that the edges of the framing caused the parts of the canvas in contact with them to wear rapidly.

Portable huts of corrugated steel bent to a circular form were, however, most useful. The model invented by Lt.-Col. Nissen, R.E., was largely used in the field. These nuts were in two patterns, differing from one another only in the fact that in the larger one there was a central ridge opening admitting air and light along the summit above the normal roof level. The huts were formed of light steel ribs of H-section bent in a semi-circular form, and resting on plates for foundations. Over these, corrugated steel in three parts, clipped together at the edges, and fastened to the ribs, is laid. Under the corrugated steel, and fitting into the flanges of the ribs, are light boards to form a lining. The floors, of wood, are made in sections and fit in between the parts of the steel framing that reach the ground. At the ends of the huts are doors and windows, with match- boarding to fill the unoccupied spaces. Thus the corrugated steel covering forms roof and walls, while light and ventilation, etc., is obtained from each end. The great advantage of these huts was that the materials could be packed up together so as to take up little space; and the one disadvantage was that, at a time when steel was much required for other services, it was difficult to get supplies of these huts in large numbers.

It is probable that sectional huts, either of the pattern alluded to above, or of some modification of the Nissen patent, will be con- sidered as articles of recognized equipment in future and kept in store. (G. K. S. M.)

UNITED STATES

In times of peace the provision and upkeep of quarters for U.S. troops had been the function of the Construction and Repair Division of the quartermaster-general's office. The permanent military posts were small and in the aggregate provided housing for only about 107,340 officers and men. Upon America's entrance into the World War the subsequent drafting of large numbers of men demanded an unprecedented rapidity of construction. Existing facilities were wholly inadequate. As authorized by a letter of the adjutant-general, May 19 1917, a separate Cantonment Division was created in the office of the quartermaster-general, reporting directly to the Secre- tary of War, and charged with the formidable task of housing the new army. On Oct. 10 1917, the old Construction and Repair Divi- sion was abolished and its duties given to the new organization, which in Feb. 1918 was placed under the Operations Division of the office of the chief -of-staff. It was thus detached from the office of the quartermaster-general as an independent service. On March 13 1918 its name was changed to the Construction Division.

On May 17 1917, one month after the declaration of war, the commanding generals of the different military departments were ordered to select 16 sites for the erection of cantonments (National Army Cantonments) to receive the troops to be chosen by the selective draft and also 16 sites for camps of the mobilized National Guard (National Guard Camps). Already in April tentative plans had been drawn for barracks and mess-halls, these to be wooden struc- tures one storey in height, 20 ft. wide and of varying length, and this

type was used for certain buildings in the National Guard Camps, in which, however, the troops were housed under canvas. These camps were all situated in the southern states, and required less protection against cold. Actual construction of cantonments began fate in June and of camps about a month later. The last canton- ment site was chosen July 6. It was necessary that the 32 mobiliza- tion centres be ready for the reception of the first contingents within 90 days. The cantonments naturally presented the most difficult construction problem, but by Sept. 4 they were prepared to house 430,000 men and their capacity was increased to 655,000 by the close of 1917 and subsequently expanded to 770,000. The National Guard camps provided quarters for 450,000 officers and men. At the reg- ular army posts provision was made for accommodating 140,000 additional men. The programme of construction included also 4 centres of embarkation, 22 special camps, 30 supply depots and nu- merous other establishments. At the Armistice, Nov. II 1918, the total capacity of all the military establishments in the United States was more than 1,700,000 troops.

In laying out the cantonments on the chosen sites experts in town- planning gave advice. In general a U-shaped plan was adopted in which the wings could be extended indefinitely. In practice this general plan had to be adapted in each case to the local terrain. Standardized basic units of construction were devised, but these of necessity depended upon the size of the infantry companies to be accommodated. It was known that the original company of 150 men would be enlarged, but it was not known to what extent. For the 1 6 cantonments plans were issued calling for 2-storey wooden buildings, 43 ft. wide, of varying length, to house a company of 200 men or less, each building to have mess-halls and barracks. In the case of sites in the northern part of the United States, the barracks were lined with wall-board, with interior air space as a protection against the cold; in the South, barracks were merely double-boarded on the outside. Enclosed stables were built in the North ; open sheds for animals in the South. As originally designed these barracks pro- vided less than 400 cub. ft. of air space per man, following the regula- tions then in force for tent quarters. In Sept. 1917, after construc- tion was almost finished, orders were issued calling for at least 500 cub. ft. of air space per man both in wooden barracks and in tents. At the same time it was announced that infantry companies were to be increased to 250 men. It was further ordered that not more than 35 men should be housed in one room and that each room should have four outside walls with windows and should have an independent entrance. This required a complete rearrangement of barrack in- teriors and much additional construction so that one company could be quartered' in two adjacent buildings. For subsequent construc- tion of barracks new plans were drawn, calling for buildings of a maximum size of 30 by 60 ft., 2-storeys high, with accommodations for 66 men. For a single company four such barracks were re- quired, besides separate buildings for mess-halls and lavatories. In the beginning one-storey quarters for officers had been designed and these were retained throughout the period of mobilization. As to the grouping of buildings, a standard block about 450 by 800 ft. was chosen. Each block contained barracks for eight companies of 250 men. Beyond one end of the block were the officers' quarters; at the opposite end were placed the stables. In constructing rows of buildings the general plan was to leave at least 500 ft. between the rows as protection against the spread of fire. In each row not more than two blocks were grouped ; further groups were separated by at least 300 ft. Strict regulations were observed in the setting of stoves and heaters, and all electrical work conformed to the Na- tional Electric Code. Water connexions were so placed that 16 streams could be thrown upon a large building. At each mobiliza- tion centre there was a trained military fire company and full equipment. In addition to quarters for troops a cantonment had a remount station for 10,000 animals, railway sidings, clothing repair shops, steam laundries, bakeries, refrigerating plants, electric power plants, storehouses, halls for instruction, and a base hospital. Camp welfare buildings were also maintained by such organizations as the Y.M.C.A., Knights of Columbus and Red Cross.

A special Hospital Division was organized under the office of the surgeon-general to provide adequate military hospitals at camps and cantonments. In the autumn of 1917 these 32. centres each had fully equipped hospital facilities with a combined capacity of 44,000 beds. The larger base hospitals had a capacity of 1 ,000 beds, and com- prised 60 buildings built at least 60 ft. apart, all connected by enclosed corridors. They had separate steam-heating plants and laundries, and were equipped with modern plumbing. Each ward had a capacity of from 60 to 80 beds and provided usually 1,000 (never less than 800) cub. ft. of air per patient. The buildings were of the 2-storey type. In addition each regiment possessed a medical dispensary and a small hospital containing 20 beds.

To provide water, connexion was made, when practicable, with the mains of existing systems. In other cases it was derived from wells or streams and, if advisable, thoroughly purified. In the can- tonments the generous quantity of about 40 gal. a day per man was provided, and in addition about 15 gal. each for animals. In the camps the quantity made accessible was smaller as there was less danger of disastrous fires in quarters under canvas. For each com- pany there was a lavatory with 12 vitreous bowls with wooden seats and a urinal trough 18 ft. long, besides 10 shower-baths and a wash