CONVICT LABOR FOE ROAD WORK. 67 



The general location of the site being thus determined with regard 

 for its proximity to present and future work, other important factors 

 serve to fix its position definitely. Most important of these factors 

 is the availability of an adequate supply of good water, to secure 

 which some sacrifice in distance from the work is justified. 



Of the various sources from which water is obtained springs are 

 most highly valued by a m.ajority of people, because of their gener- 

 ally high degree of purity and the coolness, cleanness, and pleasing 

 taste of the water. Springs are most frequently found under the 

 slopes of hills, and except in rare cases it is impracticable to establish 

 a camp directly at the site of a spring. It is therefore generally neces- 

 sary to carry or pipe the water to the camp from a considerable dis- 

 tance, but this distance may be a distinct advantage owing to the 

 fact tnat the danger of pollution by surface or subsurface washings 

 from the camp is materially lessened. 



Camps located in thinly populated mountainous sections fre- 

 quently may be so placed as to receive their water by gravity from a 

 mountain stream. "WTiile this is a very cheap and satisfactory form 

 of supply it necessarily must be limited to those camps which are 

 near an uninhabited watershed. For this reason it is imperative, 

 before choosing a site depending upon such a supply, that a careful 

 sanitary survey of the stream and its watershed be made, to avoid 

 dangerous pollution by possible camping parties, even though no 

 permanent dwellings may be found. 



The selection of camp sites in sections where the underlying rock 

 is limestone is a problem of especial difiiculty, as explained under 

 the topic of camp sanitation. 



In cases where it is impossible to secure a site sufficiently near to 

 a naturally flowing source of water it will be necessary to dig a well, 

 in which case the aim should be so to select the site as to reduce to 

 a minimum the cost of reaching water. 



Whenever possible, the camp should be located on elevated and 

 well-drained ground, as far as practicable from marshes, swamps, and 

 pools of stagnant water, and in such direction from them that the pre- 

 vailing wind in summer is from the camp to the swamp rather than 

 in the opposite direction. The top of a low ridge, the summit of a 

 knoll %vith gently sloping sides, or the high bank of a river is very 

 desirable. 



It is important that the location shall be such that the drainage 

 from the camp shall not pollute the grounds and water supplies of 

 dwellings or settlements in the vicinity; anrl it is equally important 

 that the camp site be removed as far as possible from stables, pig- 

 pens, and other fly-breeding places not under the control of the camp 

 authorities. 



