the Franklin Evening Star -
19 June 1945
Post Engineers Duties Are Many And Varied
Last Saturday the Post Engineers and Area Engineers joined Engineer installations and units throughout the world In marking the 170th Anniversary of the founding of the Corps.
Probably no other branch of service can boast a more impressive record of service to the country, both in war and peace, than the Engineers. Having done the "impossible" in Europe to help make possible the Allied victory, the Corps is now ready to throw its full strength into literally building a "road to Tokyo".
The story of Camp Atterbury might well be written from the story of the Engineers and their work on the post. While what is now the post was only farm and woodland, representatives of the U.S. Area Engineers already were visualizing the camp as it now is as they laid the groundwork for actual construction. And probably no other branch on the post has been more directly concerned with the growth and welfare of Atterbury and its personnel than the, Post Engineers.
The duties of the Office of Post Engineer are many and varied. It is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all grounds, roads, and structures within the reservations and the operation of all post utilities, including water, gas, and electricity supply, refrigeration, and central heating plants, sewage and waste disposal facilities, and storage and delivery of coal.
The Post Engineer is also responsible for proper organization and operation of the Post Fire Department In addition to these duties he is called upon from time to time to accomplish construction and alteration jobs.
The magnitude of these responsibilities is somewhat reflected by the following statistics: There are 67 miles of water mains,
69 miles of electric lines, 59 miles of sewer lines, 124 miles of roads, 3,720 acres
of maintained grounds, and 1,863 buildings. Assisting Maj. W. Howard Hopkin, Post Engineer, are three officers and 291 civilian employees. The labor of approximately 600 prisoners of war is also utilized.
Administrative and Property Section
This section under the supervision of Lt. Joseph A. Zaccardi, with Delbert A. Watson as assistant is responsible for operation of Post Engineer Office functions, procurement of supplies and equipment, and maintaining cost and property, records.
Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson, work order clerk, assisted by Anna Fiesta receives and processes approximately 170 work orders each day. Aubrey L. Yates and Aline Patch of the Procurement Section, issue approximately 175 purchase orders per month, covering approximately 750 items.
Cost accounting and control are under the supervision of Ada Smiley, while the payroll preparations is handled by Virginia Taylor. Warehouses including stock receipt and issuance are the responsibility of
Glen Norton.
General property records are in charge of John M.
Hanna and control and movement of all real property, including heating, kitchen equipment and all permanently installed property
is the responsibility of Leslie Harrison. The keeping of adequate records on receipt, issuance and reordering of expendable property is handled by Beatrice
Wilson.
Engineering Department
Ross J. Buck heads the Engineer Branch with six assistants in charge of sections which make up the Maintenance and Operations Branches. The supervision of shops and the supervision of operation of utilities also falls under this section.
Further duties of the Engineering Department are the preparation and checking of plans and estimates for alteration and construction projects; and the maintenance of a current file of plans of all buildings and facilities on the post under the supervision of Byron
Shawver Chief Draftsman.
Maintenance Branch
The Maintenance Branch under the supervision of Lt. Donald D, Dick, includes the Building Section which is headed by Arthur King, Building Superintendent who coordinates work of the Plumbing Shop, Stephen A. Wilthurger, foreman; Paint Shop, Guy A. Atkinson, foreman; Sheet Metal Shop, Glen P'. Shafer, foreman; and Carpenter Shop, Roy Winkler, foreman.
These shops perform all maintenance, and make all service calls assigned to their respective shops by work orders. Emergency work orders received from 1630 to 0800, in high line outages, heating troubles, and minor water repairs are handled by Walter Weddle and John Holsapple.
The Civil Engineering Section is headed by Don Norton who supervises the repair of roads, walks, railroad and equipment. He is also in charge of coal storage, and distribution, and the vehicle dispatching. Also under this department is a labor pool of which Conley Shafer is foreman. Leslie Asher, f o r e man of the coal yard supervised the storage and distribution of 69,789 tons of coal during the past heating season. 13,529 tons of
the above coal was used in operation of hospital and laundry steam plants.
Coal delivery is made to approximately 1800 buildings on the post Henry True. chief mechanic,
is in charge of repair work for all Post Engineer equipment 1 n c I u d i n g cranes, bulldozers, and coal conveyors. Charles T. R. Haymond, vehicle dispatcher, sends approximately 126 vehicles daily from the sub motor pool.
Hospital Maintenance
The Hospital Maintenance Section is responsible for all maintenance, plumbing, carpenter, electrical, and other repair work in the various Wakeman units. Chief of the section is William Weiss under whose supervision also comes custodial
service for the entire hospital for which 18 janitors are employed as well as prisoner of war labor.
Henry T. Mezger, agronomist and Bob Simpson, field foreman, head the Grounds Section which is responsible for the maintenance of all improved grounds on the post. At the present time an extensive landscaping and beautification program is under way at Wakeman Hospital Center. This section which also mows grass in outlying sections of Atterbury, employs 22 civilians as well as prisoners of
war labor.
Lt. Dixon R. Olive, Jr., in addition to being executive officer is Operations Officer, and the Utilities Operation Branch is under the supervision of Ross J. Buck, Chief
Engineer. The Operation Branch includes a number of sections.
The Mechanical Section is headed by Carl Eurton, mechanical engineer, who supervises and coordinates the operation and maintenance of the central heating plants at both hospital and laundry; the refrigeration and cold storage department; steam
heating department; gas distribution department; and the central heating department.
Morris T. Donahue, assistant mechanical engineer, is responsible for the operation of five high pressure steam boilers, which furnish u continuous supply of steam to the hospital and which i3 utilized in heating, cooking and sterilizing. The steam plant is operated on a 24 hour basis, seven days a week. A11 steam line maintenance in the hospital is in charge of Edward Sheppard. Harold Orman, plant supervisor of the Refrigeration Department is responsible for operation
the cold storage plan which handles the food storage for the entire post. The Refrigeration Department is also responsible for repair of approximately 800 refrigerators throughout the post.
Howard Schlatter, superintendent of the Gas Department is responsible for the repair of gas distribution mains and services, all gas cooking ranges, and water heaters throughout the post. Noah Jones, chief foreman of the steam heating department is responsible for the maintenance end operation of all building steam heating plants.
Sanitary Section
Under the Sanitary Section is the Water Supply Department. Virgil Hinshaw is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 9 water supply lines and pumps, and the central high lift pumping station, one booster pump station, and one underground reservoir pumping station. It furnishes Water supply to the entire post on a M hour, ? day week basis. In case of a fire t h e pumping station is notified immediately, and maximum pumping capacity. is placed into operation immediately and remains until the emergency is over.
The Sewage Disposal Department With George Norman as superintendent, operates and maintains the sewage disposal plant located four miles from the cantonment axes. Sewage treatment including aeration tanks, dosing tanks, trickling filters and drying beds. provide treatment according to .practices advocated try the Post Surgeon and State Department of Health. The Sewage and Water Distribution Department under the supervision of John Repley, utility foreman, handles repair and maintenance of all sewer and water collection line-, throughout the post.
Harold Clupper, assistant in this department, Is responsible for the repair and preventive maintenance of all water distribution lines, valves, and controls throughout the post, and which must be available in case of emergency or water main
break.
The Waste Disposal and Pest Control Department, with Martin Prater as supervisor is in charge of collection of ail
non-edible garbage. trash, and salvage from a large portion of the post, also ash collection. throughout the entire post.
It is responsible for the operation of incinerators, and post dump, and maintains a mosquito con" program including ditching, brushing. and channel cleaning along all mosquito breeding streams Within a mile radius of the cantonment area.
It also insures control measure; on rats, flies, and other pests. Spraying with DDT for control
of mosquitos is also an operation of this section. This program is carried on In conjunction with the Post Sanitary Officer.
Electrical Section
The Electrical section, with Robert Bundy. electrician supervisor, is responsible for maintenance. repair, and operation of electrical distribution system, building electric sex. vices, and electrically operated equipment. It repairs electric motors and appliances for other departments
under the combined maintenance plan.
Robert Harden. electrician foreman, who is in charge of the electrical shop and
aids the other departments in solving many of their problems, has presented several excellent ideas under the suggestion program which have resulted in considerable savings.
The Locksmith Section.located in the electric shop, has made keys and salvaged over
1,000 locks in the past year.
Fire Prevention Branch
The fire chief. John Felock, of the Fire Prevention Branch supervises the organization of 48 civilians operating four fire stations and eight pieces of fire fighting equipment. Two inspectors under the supervision of Second Assistant Chief Roscoe Talbert ate assigned to the fire prevention section and make periodic inspections of buildings throughout the post.
Fire hazards and violations of post regulations are reported to the responsible officer. The Post Fire Department has received two plaques in recognition of fire prevention activities, presented by the Indiana State Fire Chiefs Association for the years 1943 and 1944. Recently the fire department received a citation from the National Fire Protection Association in recognition of their activities during Fire Prevention Week last October. A continuous training program for both civilian firemen and enlisted men auxiliary firemen is carried on under the direction of First Assistant, Chief George Jones.
Major Hopkin
Maj. W. Howard Hopkin was commissioned in June. 1942, and assigned to Atterbury as Assistant Post Engineer. He was appointed Post Engineer in November, 1943.
Prior to entering the Army, Maj. Hopkin was a field representative of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in charge of many small utility plants, with headquarters in his hometown of Louisville, Ky.
He received his engineering degree from the Michigan College of Mines and his master's degree in municipal administration from the University of Michigan. For a time after graduation, he was a mining engineer in Arizona and later was engaged on public work projects iii various sections of the country.
Maj. Hopkin is married and lives in Franklin. |
Administrative and Property
Sections keep records, procure supplies and equipment.
l-r: Virginia Taylor, Franklin; Mildred
Woelflin, Columbus; Mary L. Fisher, North Vernon; Anna Fresta, Franklin;
Elizabeth Patterson, Indianapolis; Myalie King, Edinburg; Aline Patch,
Columbus; Helen M. Sleighter, Morgantown; Ada A. Smiley, Columbus; Mary N.
Walp, North Vernon; Beatrice Wilson, Franklin; 2nd Row: John M. Hanna,
Bloomington; Leslie Harrison, Edinburg; Henry A. Ritford, Nashville;
George Holeman, Martinsville; Lloyd Barnhill, Edinburg; Muncie Schrougham,
Helmsburg; Aubrey L. Yates, Columbus; Roderick Smith, Morgantown; D. A.
Watson, administrative assistant, Columbus; John Churtz, Martinsville and
Loring Hinshaw, Edinburg. |
