Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-30
y. S, MlLlTARY ACADEMY. I
IRssf Point, Jane, 1929. !

The * mina,on Of NE Cadets al Ibis Ins' itulion
as Board Of Vi,iters, for the present year,
and having in that capacity completed our OBJ
servations and inquiries, We beg leave TO sub
mi, 10 your considerati N the result. OF our la
bours.
The examination commenced with the Ma
thematiC u Department, and nothing couid sur
pass the proficiency OF the Cadets in whatever
W., conse led with the science OF calculation
The most com Pile ted diagrams and hgures
we drawn with the greatest neatness dexter
ity AID precision; AMI all ths required demon
STATIONS howevtr Elaborate or 'ol'ed, were
conduc' ed with psompiiude and CORES tness
which quite as onishrd some members OF the
Board Of Vii ers, whose previous experience
enabled them 10 Judge Ut such exhiol ions -
. Nj could there ne fsilacy In this, or indeed
in any other pa OF the examination, since IN
adj .ilion 10 the questions proposed by the ex-
aiming Prof ss"rs, many queries, and some "i
them OF the mrst lbstruse character, were pro-
pounded by the sls. tets themselves All were
answered With equal readin' IS, pro2riety and
exaruhess
In rngin erins, military aud civil, the attain
men,s Of the Cadts were no less Satisfactory
In r. ference 10 military operations, h mode
was exhibited OF constructing aud arm'ng fnr-
tic Itioas, whether permanent or temporary,
a 4 whether such works were designed for a. =
tack or defence, either in he field or on the St
coast.
In the civil department. stated the Inan-
ner Of oollec ring and preparing the various ma
,erill used in masonry aud Carpentry, In archi'
lecture ornamental and u ,eful. In he structure
Of roads, bridges aud rail roads, in remSdyips
the obstructicns IN rivers, aud in the formation
of canals and artificial harbours
While on the subjecr OF Engineering, howe
hal a
Dr-seni III civil branch Of the science can be
more q. oroughly taught than the military; The
NJ deis, Sc. belJngrg to the former being more
complete than those apper ai"ing to The later
But this school Is primarily aad essentially mil
itary. TO secure. consc Quentiy, not ONLY tn <
onahIv, but he JUS superiority OF Military E">
"a eering, the visi ers would recommend hat
the appropriation, wnich has been somt years
annual, be conjunction the pure hasr of models
aud he employ mrnt of modrler IT this be
Gone for short time, wharever may b. requi-
site will be ob aiurd. and then the exp ndi urr
may cease
To The Mathematical sciences, and heir va
rious anG impor ant applicsiIns, succeeded
Natural Philosophy, embracing Mechanics,
o. les, Eec,uciIy, MAgue ism, ana Astr"no-
my. On 'hese several subjects, the acquire
rnents uf the Cadets were hig" ly cr| di' all Z:
bat TWO dv6ci encirs were uo'iced Fhsy, the en-
tire on,ss'on If Acoustics, III y not bling coz.
tanned In tie ex books which a'e used S
cont,v, the course of instruction is not suff
cien,ly p &C ical. The laws regul,,ingt'e pro-
pagation of sound are obviously Connected with
mii'ary maneLv IS, ard ev-Iy Cade, should
be able to illus'ratr, by experiment, The truths
which he has been tdugat IN physical science
b. this he canno: do with the apparatus at
pr,sent possessed ~ The lh,ti,uunn. To re-
.nrdy wis defect an appropriation was made
the last wear, which, although judiciousiy DIS
bur,ed, has been found Inadequate, md wi, be
IL great measure los, unless II be fur her
tenued. The Vrsi.ers m, refore, would recon-.
nend ,ha' smsl sum b, grained, and very
small one indeed is all that is required, 10 COM
D etc in this respect the experimental depart,
men' Of the Academy.
In Ethics, Natural and National law, &c the
Cadets prov d ny me excellence of the nstruc,
ton which they had received, and the valuable
u" which tn y had made OF that instroc lion. -
U"der This head, consequently, the V'siters
have only 10 ad Use, frsI riot adherence 10
the dirre lions Of the law as II 1T present stands
with regard 10 the subjects which the Pr1f' S
Sur Of his drpar mem is To teach; and secondly
that this Professor have additional A'sis-
tant his las recommendation involves no
In reasc Of expense, and would ifcomplird with
b. very advantageous.
In teaceIng F ench, the OBJ ect is not that The
Cadets should Speak the language with The
s,rictest proprie:y ut accent, bu, that the!
should D. all" TO trsn>iae win correctness ane
di,,atch any work written in that tongue. This
end the Visi:ers think is attained.
In Chemistry no regular professorship ha:
been es abiished by the government, until lae,
ly an officer of h. NJ. dical Department Of th.
Army, specially de'a led for tina, purpose, dis
charged TIVE du.i Of ibis chair. Thnse du-
ties, since the Resignation OF DR. 1or.ry, hay.
devolYed upon Lieut.. Hopkins, AID how vel
they have been p, RI ,rned, the admirable pre-
plra'ion of this Glass fuiiy e,irt,d For hi
year Of :oil and res .ons 6lity, Mr.. Hopkins re-
ceVes N ad iiuoo tn his oid..,y pay a, Lieu
,ensn', tie sum y e'gh' and fatty dola,s SIRE,
lhis sia.emenl Of The fac, wal al once lnduc,