National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-23
snrn1pAN ON s1eNAL SERVICE.
He Thinks the Meteorological Work
Does Not UeIonr To the Army,

He Thinks the Meteorological work
Does Not Belong TO the Army.
The congressional commission consider
ing the organization Of the scientific hui
reaus has had Gen. Sheridan before It TO
obtain his views upon the signal corps.
After aSnumbcr Of other questions, he was
asked
"Then, so far as the utility of Fort Myer
is concerned for the purpose Of teaching
military signaling, You think 1t can be
dispensed withYn
dYes, sir: do. ] think SC, :" he replied.
"Supposc this commission should con
clude that for purposes Of economy Fort
Mycr LhOuld be dispensed with as n signal
station, what could be dqpwith the prop
1--WE could move one of the artillery
companies there. We have six companies
and the rcgimental headquarters at Wash
ington barracks, and really there Is not
room enough for much more than three
companies. There are quarters enough at
Fort Myer for two companies. There are
fifteen sets Of officers quarters there. The
reservation has SIS acres Of land besides the
cCmetery.n
"What is your view as to the character of
the meteorological service? Do you regard
1t as army work 2n
mo, sir, do not. think It belongs to
the business Of the country"
as It your opinion that the military
feature Of that service is a desirable one for
meteorological purposesW
"Why, IL has no particular bearing on
the military service that / know Of. IL
might be necessary, you know, to keep 1t
up"
lie thought that military discipline has
quite an important bearing on tue meteoro-
logical service now, on account OF the so.
lation Of many Of the stations. They could
probably be mpintaincd by military dlscl-
pline, and he thought that probably the
best way would be to gradually work out
Of II.
"lf were Gen. IIa2en, that would be the
very first thing | would aim alto work
out of it. have always thought so," con-
tinued Gen. Sheridan.
at has been said that It Is essential to
have military authority to compel men to
remain at remote points, and that II the
service were entirely Of civil character,
parties could not be procured to remain at
these undesirable places, but would resigu.n
mo, do not think that. | think you
could get good men TO remain at those
places. OF course II would be a matter Of
ray, but the execution OF their work might
be better If under military authority. | want
to say that have nothing to do with that
lurCau."
General, there are now sixteen second
lieutenants in the signal service. In the
event that the commission should decide
that the meteorological work should be
done under a civil bureau, and that IL could
thus be done more economically aud as eff
ficiently, what could he done with these
young menY
"T6ey occupy very singular position,
you know. No promotion can come to
them. They are always second lleutenants,
as the law is now. In other words, they
are nothing more than civilians would be
money. They have no command at Fort
Myer don't know what to do with them.
In case there were vacancies they might be
absorbed in the service. For instance, II
Mr.. Manderson's bill were to pass we would
have plenty of places and they could be
absorbed in that way.n