The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-01-13
Tho National Guard.


mendation in regard to the National
Guard as found in his message to the
Legislature:
1t is with especial pleasure that you
are referred to the report of General
James w. Latta, adjutant general of
Pennsylvania. The reorganization of
the National Guard conceived and
partly carried out by General Hart
ranft, when governor, has been per-
fected, and is now complete. The
guard contains eight thousand Off GERS
and enlisted men. The morale of the
body is most excellent. The officers
are efficient prompt, intelligent, and
earnest in their duties. The rank and
file are composed of citizens, the very
best types and representatives. of the
real people of the State. Officers and
men are cooperating most harnoni-
ously and success uiIy in the effort to
make the Guard worthy OF the state,
and entitlel to the coli lence OF all
men. Under the neutrality-suspicious.
heretofore male, it may be said that
in their uniforms and accoutrements.
their equipment is complete. These
supplies have been furnished from the
arsenals and depot5 OF the United
States; are all the very best Of their
kind, and have been furnished to this
state at their actual cost to the United
States.
The entire guard was assembled in
camp this year; one camp near Plila-
delphia, the other near PITTSBURGH.
This was done without cost to the
state for subsistence, or any other pur-
poses, except only the usual one for
transportation aud pay, for the annual
inspection required by law. At these
camps, in addition to the various
! duties exercises and drills incident to
military lie, the entire guard was sub
| jcet to rigid inspection. This was con-
| Quoted under officers of the army OF
+ the United States, detailed by the adj
iutant general of the army. The re-
suits have fully justified the cxpcndi-
lures Of time and money made by the
officers and men in organizing the
camps. In view OF this experience
and ofthe policy of assembling the
National Guard in camp for instruc-
ton, gather ed as they are from remote
localities, and without other oppOr-
tunity for drill and military duty in
large masses, authority should be
given by law TO order such encamp-
ments; and sufficient pay should be
allowed officers and men for their de
,ention in camp for not less than one
| week annually.
Whom we consider the deadly
power locked up in steam-boiler and
the great number OF them which are
scattered about, under, beside and ell
around Us everywhere and on all oc.
casions, we have no need to marvel
at the temerity of those people who
voluntarily take up their residence uu.
der the shadow of an active volcano
Improved boilers, greater care and bet.
ter knowledge of the nature
Of this useful servant and terrible
master, steam, has diminished the av.
erage of boiler explosions perhaps to q
minimum. 1t is, we think, doubtful
if absolute safety will ever be attained
in the management Of this powerful
motor. Certainly We are very fan
from having reached that stage vet
The terrific explosion which occurred
in Allentown on Thursday is more re-
markable for the mischief itdid not do
than for what it did. 4 huge boiler
twenty eight feet long is tremendOu,
missile to lie flying around in pop
uious district. Yet this boiler divided
in half was landed one part one hun
dred yards and the other one hundred
and fifty from the point OF explosion
without striking a person. The ter
killed and the dozen or more injured
were either scalded by steam or struck
Gy flying bricks. Terrible as was tn,
actual result, it falls SO far short o
what it might have been had the fly
ing fragments of the boiler taken I
different course, that the people o
Attention. while mourning their loss
may rejoice at their comparative cs
cape. e.-PhiIa. Press.