The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-31
Our West po,u, Correspondence.

WEST POINT IN. Y.,) May 80, 1854.
The A,Jrooehi SEMI annual Exdmination7he Gradu-
ating Ciass-Yae NeW Cdds-7he Recent Eclipse Of tho
sm-Tne Company II Sappes and Ain~s-7hs Ne~
Rio,ng Hal.
lhe beautiful appearance Of the pain the green leaves
Of the trees and the budding flowers in front OF the
Professors houses remind the frequenter Of West Point
that June with its semi annual examination and Its
customed gaiety is nigh at hand The Board Of Visit
appointed by the President to be here Thurs
Gay next the LIST " June and will be received at II
o'clock NJ with the usual honors of salute Of thirteen
guns fred from the light battery. They then to DO
scor,ed by the Academic Board through the various
public buildings, after which they will review the corps
of Caoes upon the plain in front Of the Supernten-
Cepts quarters The is now in fine state of dis
cpne evipced by the readiness aud precision with
which they go through the various evoiutons OF the
la every afternoon, at drill aud their sol ,erke
the Board ext Thursday The examination of tho
corps will commence vita that OF hs FIRST class upon
Friday he "a proS mo and will be continued daily sun
lays excepted, until finished The OF cxam.na-
ton has not vet been published, but Is supposed to be
the AZ ut the June examinations heretofore The
graduating class numbers fortysix members. or these,
forty Of the original hundred and thirty
tered the academy just four ago. and the remain
ing SIX those suspended turned back within
PERIOD from the class that graduate s July and
yet this class has met with bat usual fate for IF al
those who enter the Military Academy no more than one
third OF the number graduate The others, from
oleness want Of ability ARE found deficient or gladly
of resgning to the fate which
I
TO enter received here, aud numbers hun
dred and twenty names. Among them are representa-
t,es from almost state aud Territory Ia the Unon,
commencing al Maine and even including Utan, Calfor
mia, ami Oregon OF the number ten sppont msnts
a large, which have already appeared In print Prepa
ratons the reception OF this class already being
portion Of barracks, which always set apart
to be occupied by them vacated BY tho older cadets
saturday. This reservation OF quarters for their par
tculnr appears to be necessary precauon for the
love Of "deyilug plebe seems to DO innate with
Oct, and they not closely watched, aud prohibited
under the very seseres penalties from visiting the quar-
ters Of The corners these poor fellows would hardly
survive their first impression OF military This
piehe doyillng," EOReyer, is nothing what IL
Ia former times aurts-maral ana pensions hsv
ing made great nroads upon these habits Of twenty years
age Although they caunot report their presence before
tn }st = jane these cadets already beginning
toaaf eager eyes peep from at every
ui civilian that passes struggling ~ recognize in
Lin lerson of a ''pebe."
Tie eclipse OF the upon Friday last was duly
honored uIon the Point Professor Bartlett engaged
III the 90 ervtory taking observations OF the from
the commencement OF the eclipse curious fact. which
may be interesting TO the scientific that the mercury
in the barometer here commenced falling at the begin
ming Of the eclipse and continued to until the in
slant Il greatest observation 1t then began to rise and
attained the same altit ude at which it stool in the first
place, tie moment the disappeared from the suns
disc. At about 1 O'Clock saunttrod down from the
hotel TO The Of the academic buildings to observe
the proceedings in the neghborhood Of Cadet barracks
1t wa just The moment OF afternoon release from quar-
ters and The cadets came pouring out in all irectons
e,ident. awaiting the advent of the eclipse Somebody
AT this had very accidentally OF course broken
half window panes IRON out nsighboring sash,
treasurer than the chance OF losing sish at the
Glass in great demand and every morsel imme
d'ately Appropriated In less than fifteen minutes two
hundred and fifty pairs OF eyes shaded BY BITS o SMOKED
glass, pterng anxiogsly upgaId Benches and
stools OF description brought into ston,
and IL unusual though most amusing sight, to
cadet seated in chair, supporting upon his
Of his fellows. and he another mud this yet
third, till long string Of fifteen twenty thus
supported by the single at the base OF the system
might he seen aiming their smoked glass telescopes
10 the heavens, laughing and chatting together, as
though their position most comfortable avery day
At O'Clock the bugc blew for drill and
imagined that these military youngsters would lose
the very bes. ~ the eclipse Bat my citizen notion OF
these thin gs led sadly astray. Every carried
piece II smoked glass in his cartridge box with him to
drill and when rest given tothe battalion which
happened at the very moment of greatest obscuraton
these were brought into active requisition.
notice the company Of sappers and miners drilling
every morning upon the plain. This is the only compa
Of the Kind in the service, and the which be-
baved CALAMITY in Mexico. They at present
manded by Capt. Culum Of the Engineers, and
stationed here garrison the post Most of them
very 6ne looking intelligent and they well deserve
their reputation Of being the best drilled company in
tile service.
The site for the new riding hall has been decided
the library buildings It's friends may well congratulate
themselves that their hard fought battles in s behalf
have at last been crowned with victory Never has any
appropriation from Congress needed than this
for cavalry purposes Lieut. Sacket still continues
to stand forth IRE eminent this department. but Of
him We shall hear more when he brings his classes be-
Board, A. h. G.