TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ROGERS DEMOCRAT APRIL 25, 1918 P. 1
Gerstner Aviation Field
Lake Charles, La., April 7.
We had an awful storm Friday night, in fact about the worst I ever saw. I was on my second shift on guard when the storm happened. The sky turned a queer red and purple color about 1:30 a.m. and it certainly looked funny that time in the morning. It soon began to blow, so I thought I would hit for the sentinel house but a big gust of wind turned the house over before I got to it. Then I thought I would go to the motor testing shed which is made of large timbers and concrete blocks, but just as I rounded the corner a board hit me in the back and a large aeroplane which had been staked up the road came crashing by and just missed running over me. It smashed a hole in the side of the building that you could drive a wagon through. I heard another one coming so I lay down beside the garage and let the storm rage. It rained and blew until I could hardly catch my breath at times. It literally ruined 44 aeroplanes. It did not blow any buildings over because they are set on concrete pillars which go deep into the ground and the buildings are bolted to the foundation and not just resting on them as most buildings are.
As usual I was lucky and didn’t get hurt, but I was rather scared when the aeroplanes came whizzing by.
In spite of the disagreeable weather here we have had very little sickness; as far as I know there has not been a death from sickness since we reached this place. One or two were killed in accidents and one committed suicide.
The mosquitoes have all gone and we don’t have any pests at all now. We keep things so clean that there is not a fly in the whole camp. This goes to show that the absolute destruction of all garbage will eliminate all trouble from flies. We have no horses or animals of any kind in this camp. There are flies in Lake Charles but none here.
They are going to make this camp twice as large as it is now. The American Construction Co. has the contract and are building their offices, tool houses, etc., now. This is to be one of the largest permanent aviation camps in the United States. The people of Lake Charles gave $500,000 and furnish all the electricity used here for free. In addition to the new camp we are going to have a large refrigerating plant and oil refinery.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Walter Delno Merrill to his parents Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Merrill. He was born on May 4, 1893 in Rogers, Arkansas and died in 1962. He is buried in the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers. When he registered for the draft he was working as an assistant in the Entomology Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD
Gerstner Aviation Field
Lake Charles, La., April 7.
We had an awful storm Friday night, in fact about the worst I ever saw. I was on my second shift on guard when the storm happened. The sky turned a queer red and purple color about 1:30 a.m. and it certainly looked funny that time in the morning. It soon began to blow, so I thought I would hit for the sentinel house but a big gust of wind turned the house over before I got to it. Then I thought I would go to the motor testing shed which is made of large timbers and concrete blocks, but just as I rounded the corner a board hit me in the back and a large aeroplane which had been staked up the road came crashing by and just missed running over me. It smashed a hole in the side of the building that you could drive a wagon through. I heard another one coming so I lay down beside the garage and let the storm rage. It rained and blew until I could hardly catch my breath at times. It literally ruined 44 aeroplanes. It did not blow any buildings over because they are set on concrete pillars which go deep into the ground and the buildings are bolted to the foundation and not just resting on them as most buildings are.
As usual I was lucky and didn’t get hurt, but I was rather scared when the aeroplanes came whizzing by.
In spite of the disagreeable weather here we have had very little sickness; as far as I know there has not been a death from sickness since we reached this place. One or two were killed in accidents and one committed suicide.
The mosquitoes have all gone and we don’t have any pests at all now. We keep things so clean that there is not a fly in the whole camp. This goes to show that the absolute destruction of all garbage will eliminate all trouble from flies. We have no horses or animals of any kind in this camp. There are flies in Lake Charles but none here.
They are going to make this camp twice as large as it is now. The American Construction Co. has the contract and are building their offices, tool houses, etc., now. This is to be one of the largest permanent aviation camps in the United States. The people of Lake Charles gave $500,000 and furnish all the electricity used here for free. In addition to the new camp we are going to have a large refrigerating plant and oil refinery.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Walter Delno Merrill to his parents Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Merrill. He was born on May 4, 1893 in Rogers, Arkansas and died in 1962. He is buried in the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers. When he registered for the draft he was working as an assistant in the Entomology Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD