[St. Charles Banner-News, no date]
CONSTRUCTION WORK IN
TNT PLANT AREA BEGINS AS 100 FAMILIES ARE TOLD TO MOVE
EX-SOLDIERS BIDDING
FOR GUARD JOBS
Retiring Sheriff
Mentioned As Most Likely Man To Head Special Patrolmen.
COMMISSIONER URGES
SPECIAL HEALTH UNIT
Fears Influx Of Large
Numbers Of Families Will Create Health Problem.
Preliminary
construction work for the $20,000,000 government-owned TNT plant began today,
according to R. Newton McDowell, who is obtaining the land for the government.
About 100
families living within the construction zone have been advised to vacate within
10 days, as contractors are organized to increase the tempo of the building
program daily. The laying of the switch tracks will necessitate closing Highway
94, making it difficult for some residents to get their effects out if they
delay, McDowell said. The whole lay-out will be built around Toonerville (known
as the Y) which will be the center of activity.
Families
living in the safety zone area of the 20,000 acres will not be required to move
before March 1, it was. pointed out. Residents of the construction area, who
cannot find shelter at once, will be given permission to leave livestock and
farm implements in the safety zone until March. Twelve agents of the Department
of Agriculture are helping farmers relocate.
All but
three tracts in the safety zone are now under option, McDowell said. All of the
property needed for the construction property is ready. The three owners, two
wealthy individuals and an alien, are demanding what was termed as unreasonable
prices and McDowell said the government will take possession through condemnation.
[one or more lines missing?]
An attempt
is being made to arrange temporary loans for owners of property needing funds
until the purchase money is paid by the government, McDowell said.
American
Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts here are making concentrated efforts
to find jobs for ex-service men as guards in the TNT plant area, the
Banner-News was told today. These men, it was pointed out, are familiar with
the use of sidearms and rifles and have already been thoroughly disciplined in
patrol work.
Sheriff Joe
Borgmeyer, who leaves office December 31, has been prominently mentioned as the
likely captain of the patrol. Nothing definite has been done but numerous
ex-service men have already filed applications for work.
Health Problem
Dr. Harry
F. Parker, state health commissioner, and two assistants appeared before the
County Court today for an informative discussion relative to the potential
health problem which may result from the sudden influx of large numbers of
people to the TNT plant area.
Dr. Parker
recommended a full-time health unit for the county comprising a public health
physician, sanitary engineer, a public health nurse and a clerk. Expense of
such a unit would be shared equally by the state and the county, he pointed
out.
Attending the
conference with Dr. Parker were W. Scott Johnson, chief engineer for the state
health department, and Dr. John W. Williams, director local health units.
It was
pointed out at the meeting that when large numbers of people move into a small
area, living under various conditions, epidemics invariably are experienced
unless extreme precautions are taken. He mentioned a project in Florida where
hundreds of men came down with fever because no precautions had been taken.
Under
normal circumstances, Presiding Judge Henry Ohlms said, the county provides
medical attention for no one unless they have been residents here a year or
more. However, the court took the matter under advisement for a time.
==========
[no source, November 24, 1940]
100 Families Get 2 Weeks’
Notice
Ordered to Evacuate
Area Where TNT Plant Will Go Up
[handwritten: Nov.
24, 1940]
The 100
farm families living on the government's $11,000,000 TNT plant site near Weldon
Springs, St Charles County, were ordered yesterday to evacuate the area within
the next two weeks as actual construction of the plant will get under way
between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Announcement
of the evacuation order was made by Capt. C. R. Dutton of the Army Ordnance
Department, who is in charge of the war defense plant project, as the
government last night closed all roads running through the district and placed
guards at roads leading into and out of the area.
FEW HAVE MOVED
Capt.
Dutton directed members of his staff to serve the preholiday moving order on
the residents personally, he said, in view of "surprisingly few" of
the persons obeying previous notices to vacate.
Work on
building a railroad spur from the Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad tracks
along the Missouri River to the center of the area and construction of a
temporary office on the grounds of the Howell High School are under way. Capt.
Dutton explained the summary order was necessary to leave roads open within the
area in preparation for construction activity, as late evacuation would block
necessary arteries.
CAMOUFLAGE
A survey
also is under way to locate the plant under natural camouflage of dense woods
in the area and residents and persons requiring passage through the site must
obtain passes to get in and out of the area.
Among the
roads closed were State Highway 94 between the intersection with U. S. Highway
61 and a point three miles south of Hamburg, and 30 miles of county roads.
Capt.
Dutton announced in view of the high school grounds being used for temporary
offices, the school would be permitted to finish its term, ending in May, when
residents in the safety zone around the site must leave.
