The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-02
WEST POINT.
COMMENCEMENT OF TIE ANNUAL. EXAMINATION
or THE CADETS

COMMENCEMENT OF TIE ANNUAL EXAMINATION
or THE CADETS.
This Is one OF herberts days, ssths BRIDAL OF th,
earh sky" SAID Bishop Quintard, Of tennessee,
he stepped the piazza Of the hotel here hi
morning ana took in the fair scene He was Joined Il
u moment. by General David A. Hills, or Iowa, who
like him, has been 'here several days awaiting IL,
annual elimination, which commenced to-day
aud which they were 10 witness members
the Board Of Visitors Four other mem
bers arrived last nght-Hon. A. l.. stevenson, o
Ill Senator Sam B. haxey, Hon. Thomas c. Plat ant
General Thomas W. Hyde OF Maine Rev. Charles U
Thompson Of Worcester, Mass, arrived tonight and
will join his colleagues in tho duty tomorrow. The
remaining nve members hourly expected. and the
board viii not he organized until they arrive But
lew visitors have reached yot The reviews
drills, which are Tho chsi attraction, viii not be held
for some days yet.
BY general order issued last night, the exnmina.
ton was liked to begin ~ nine this mornlng aud con
three til Eve this afternoon Tho lrst, graduating
class, 70 be nsst ntorroEaed In mneralosy ana geo
iogy, next In eDgineerins then IN law, and lastly IN
ordnance ana gunnery. About week, 10 Ia thought,
will bs consumed this inquisitlon. and from that
iacs some idea Of ITS tnoroughness may DO gained.
The examination is TO be conducted By the whole
academic stan, which will afterward be divided into
tnrcc committees. which Will simultaneously sit upon
the three lower In pursuance OF this order.
few minutes before nine this mOrning and marched u
the library, where hey were 70 rnu the gantet. In
awful array tnbles across sidc or tho sat
the isculty, with the massive form OF Major General
schoncid looking up in the m.dtlc. Tho members Of
the Board VI Visitors sat on The lett
F,vc cade,s were called upon platform opposite the
dons and 70 each was given sut,ject-"E Explain the
structure and arrangement ofrock Masses" "Give n
bret review OF the mineral and vegetable kngdoms;'
ssWhat the effects OF organic agents IN producn.
geological changes y' and similar problems Each bc-
gan by inscrbing his name upon tho top OF tho black
aud proceeded under " 10 chalk down the Chief
the fact by the examiners and waiting until he
called upon to sketch Tho main features OF tho
subject given hiu, using tho heads he mad written
guide. Meanwhile other five cadets Of tho section
examination In mineralogy aud gcologyto side Of
the room, where each was furn'shed a laboratory
bench furnished with lighted spirit lamp. blowppc,
q hammer, lille, n magnetic needle on pivot, some
tubes and several walls OF scidH Into The hands
Of each was thon placed tray containing
about dozen specimens Of minerals aud SIM
liar substances. These no expected to examine
ut once, classify and explain The nature Ut each.
whore IL to be found and It's utility, II possessed
nnv.
occasionally enthusiastic young cadet wrapped In
his work would pound so loudly with hts hammer,
pulverzing a specimen, Ms to render inaudi-
bio the candidate who was telling al about
the ''mincrsl ana vegetable klnsdoms." Some
ing = cadet abont respective transucencics OF
marble and alabaster tho Professor inquved
which part OF statue made partly OF the one ana
partly Of the other would be more trans uccnt Tho
reply was, 1.-THE err
Three sections the nrst class we're examined this
forenoon, and two the Afternoon session. The re-
naming three Will DO examined o-morrow, and prob
ably the Board viii then aajonrn untii Monday.
The members Vi the BOARD arc much Impressed with
tho proficiency displayed By the cadets thus lar exam
ucd. +