New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-07
THE ORDEAL AT WEST POINT.
YOUNG WARRIORS PASS THE FINAL EX-
AMINATIONS
DAY OF DRILLS, PARADEs AND CLASSROOM
ExERcIsEs-soENEs ABOUT THE FAMOUS


West Point, N. Y, June e.-The examinations
of the cadets at the Military Academy were con-
cluded to-day, and the relieved and almost re-
leased young men will have more time from now
until graduation day for other and pleasantcr
pursuits than classroom exercises. There is no
doubt that all Of the forty four men composing
the senior class have come through the final
ordeal satisfactorily These fortyfour are all that
are left of a gallant hundred. The rest have
either resigned or been snuifed out during the
four years course. 1t is not usual that more
than half the men who enter the Academy prove
able to stand the strain of study and discipline
They fall by the waysde hero and there, and the
ranks close up and 90 on without them. The
second class has now 1fty-two members, the
third sixty-seven and the fourth ninety-four,
while whole raft of raw preps' are knocking
at the Academy's door, trying to get in; but, how
large the class is at entrance, it is not often
that more than fifty are enabled four years later
to secure the coveted commission. But even at
this rate, promotion in the Army is painfully
slow Some Of the first Heutenants here upon
assignment as instructors of the cadets men
of thirty-fve or forty years Of age They have
been first lieutenants for decade and they look
at colonel's epaulets as the very acme Of
reasonable hope.
One circumstance here of such proportions as
to be really impressive is the politeness of the
Superintendent and his military staff. In ad
dition to the regular professors thefe are about
fifty officers on the post engaged, directly or in
directly, in the work Of instruction. 1t seems
as if the animatng purpose of all these was to
keep everybody who comes here in good humor
The evident latitude in travelling about over the
post is extended to visitors and they are waited
upon by the soldiers and cadets with most gen.
erous attentions.
To-day the senior class was examined in law
The hbrary-7oom adorned with portraits Of Ameri
can generals and ornamented with flags, minia
ture cannon, and many relics Of past conflicts
was comfortably filed with people interested in
the commencement exercises. To each member of
the class was assigned some topic Of law, and he
quickly wrote upon blackboard the dozen or
fifteen heads under which, when subsequently
called upon, he orally discussed his topic When
he had done, questions were put to him by the
instructors designed to discover how thoroughly
he understood what he had just been reciting with
more or less glibness. In most cases the test was
well borne
As body of young men, the senior class is good
| looking. They would not suffer in comparison
with the seniors at Amherst or Princeton, at Yale
or at Harvard. The system generally in vogue
Of appointing as cadets that member Of a class
of applicants who has passed the best examination
in other words, the application to the military
service of the system by which entrance into the
civil service is legally effectedis much condemned
| by old army officers They say that not every
boy who can add up column Of figures readily,
who can conjugate an irregular verb and tell the
capital Of Patagonia is competent to assume
military command. There is q recognized danger
that the Academy will be filled with young men
with good memories rather than with men of
military talent. So far as facial appearances
indicate anything, however the graduates of 1888
ought to make fairly good officers They look to
be young Of character and grit and they
| generally show that manner which suggests self
poise and dscernment
| Due diligence is manifested by those having
the care Of the Board Of Visitors, that the great
men shall be impressed with the necessity OF
liberal appropriations for the maintenance OF the
| post Senator Culom, who is accompanied by
ME and
in stately coaches to-day and vera driven af9qna
the grounds on grand tour of Inspection Ihey
| are particularly desired to recommend the pur-
chase Of tho Kinsley property, which extends
southwark from the present boundary OF the Acad,
envy grounds to the village limits OF Highland
Falls This is region Of wonderfully picturesque
beauty and 1t Is likely TO be seriously marred unless
the Government takes it. The picnic and summer
resort proprietors already have their eyes upon IT,
Great crowds OF people were attracted TO the
afternoon drills and parades. There was Drill
liant artillery drill to-day of the point and facing
Crow Nest and the Storm King mountain 1ha dnti IL,
battalion of cadets paraded on the campus, ana
In the evening the psf band gave concert;
Not more than half the people who ATTENDED
Just before the drill began, throng OF people
came up from Oranston's and the afternoon trains
brought q host more from everywhere. These
remained until the evening show was over and
then departed to their homes The battalion
parade on the campus was exceedingly DeautlIul.
To the call of the bugle and tho tap Of the drum
tl,a datc lnnumpraDle
swiftly ntelligently and without noticeable
haw Lieutenant-C Colonel Hamilton S. Hawkins,
the bas liz q ssd Is By Sf fss
James Allen, Edward f. Hardin, Henry Kirby and
William W. Galbraith, who are field officers IN
among the cadets themselves by system which
takes into consideration not only their class
rank, but their fitness In other respects FOR
adutant Cadet Burr the gu ,rtermaster; Cadet
w. w. Harts the sergeant-maior, and Cadet
Harding the terSergea9t Ihe Tod arc
VIM, Foster, Jervey, and Preston are the re-
spectfve captains The. neutenants are Cadets
March Andson s and a hOfs Wso on
Of Company .B'; Howe. Grsard, Sample and
Wilhelm Of p S5g a6 o SGnsSn W
-Four frstscrgeants, sixteen sergeants and sixteen
corporals complete the roster.
< tremendous din was raised by the discharge
Of the heavy artillery Echoes and reverberati9ns
sounded anu rtoOuHucu LhO CoHOiuuous
from o stormy sky. Six guns were fred Tho
first was l5-inch smoothbore, carrying solid
projeotie weighing 45o pounds With charge Of
forty pounds Of powder. This piece was in charge
of Cadet Preston, with Cadet Harding as gunner.
Tho second was duplicate Of the first, and was
in charge Of Cadet March, with Cadet Piper as
gunner. The third was an 8-ineh converted ride,
CARRYING a solid projectile of 80 pounds, under
TWENTY-FIVE pounds of powder. Cadet Rooster
commanded the cannonade, with CADET ,Langhom
as gunner The fourth was q l3,inch mortar,
aimed to land its 81 6-pound shell directly in the
Cro'nest. 1t was in command of Cadet Grisard,
with Cadet FIasfer at tbe string. The others
were both 6-ineh rifles and were in the respective
charge OF Cadets H., Anderson and HedeSn, with
Cadets Hagadorn shd r W. Wilcox as gunners.
The guns were discharged with remarkable celebrity
and were well aimed. The target for all except
SON. something over 'rifle away 1t was cruelty
treated Tho cntirelbattery was manned by men,