New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-07
TRYING HOURS At WEST POINT.
DIFFICULT PROBLEMS FOR THE CADETS TO
MASTER
NEVERTHELESS THE YOUNG soLDIERs AcoUIT
THEMSELVES WITH HoNoR-sEA'
,IERS ACoU1T
COAST BATTERY DRILL.


West Point ~ Y juno tspeciaD. Colonel Michie's
committee completed the examination OF the second
class in natural and experimental philosophy oeioro
the luncheon hour to-day, and IN the AFTERNOON tpoA
mn the first class IN ordnance ana guhhery' IN 'no
former the upper sections OF tho class hsh 10 DISCUSS
some OF the most sbtruso and dfheuh prooiens VI
| ontics acoustics and astronomy including Tor eH'
srn. tho acbromatsm OF lenses, the wave theory Of
sopnd the pre- son Of tho equinox the determination
| OF parallaxes, and the polarization OF hgh| Inc
| 0rst section which seems remarkably hhe pouy Vi
Young men even for West Point, went through tnelr
| work with admirable facility, delivering their dis
,ussioD. clearly and huently and answering the oc-
easjona questions OF tho examiner with the prompt
moss that Is so marked Characteristic OF everything ~
| the Academy.
In ordnance and gunnery, which, among the purely
military studies, must be RANKED second only
70 engineering and the science OF war
only the lower section OF the class was
heard today-"The Immorta1s,' as they arc Called
with grim humor because their residence at inc
Point has rather tendency to become long one u
not cut short by the fatal marks falling below an
irreduoIble minimum Considering this, tho as
cushions though rather imperfect In some points
wor, slcontly creditabs 10 tho cadets and greatly
70 10 the INSTRUCTOR This section had 70 treat Of
the oupoIa and reverberatory furnace, the cs'iinE OF
proiecties illustrated with the patterns and mould
furnaee the principles and calculation OF tralectoreS
the casting OF steel guns. the principles and consuc'
ton OF the service draught harness and the like, tho
latter far less simple topic than II looks unu ono
has TO give the "whyH for every strap and Ink.
Tho colored cadet was in this section and necessarily
attracted some notice from the spectaioTs for his
comploxion is really dark indeed, and possibly his
chances for, beside his place in class the professor
had 10 help him litle land did II kindly over tho
| enarly places In tho problem OF tTalectorins he
made the only gostnrcs during the eIaminaton
they were not many, and arc only noticeable horc
iaA nj 10
training seems TO bo to eliminate the Norman
| Of tho American youth.
| General Andrews committee finished With The
arst class in Spanish and took up ire fourth class
| in French IN which seen the Same prngrrSs
In tho wrttcn language already noticed when speak
Ing Of the upper Glasses, allowing for the short dine
the fourth class has been under Instruction, and the
ssno want Of preliminary training in foreign sounds.
| but IN 4 moro marked degree a. being nearer the
point OF beginning. In short, far languages
arc concerned work actuaily donn herr could hardly
| be better for the umo and means allowed, Just ~
with notable exceptions the work done before eominE
bore and most necessary Be done, could noe easily
bS much lesS.
| At 5 o'clock the northern hillside alive With
| spectators including many ladies. young and less
| youns, beautiful and letS beautiful. ss well a. all
tho eadots OF duty Chat IL. OF military duty. 10
witness tho seaoOast battery drill. by tho Sccond
class with section kaden takcn fum the hrst uDdhr
the direction OF the inSuuctDf On arrtlIrTy tAcuee'
Lieutenant GalbrAh. The battery coIAlsts OK two
dftson-lnch smooth bore guns. throwing solid shot
Of $50 pounds with charge Of hrty pounds Of powder
three elghtlnch Hncd guns converted from ten inch
| cOIumblSdE by tho Insertion Of rned stc-! tubes
carrying = solid shot Of 10 pounds with charge Of
| twenty-five pounds OF pOSdrr, and one, IL lheh
| mortar throwing . shell Of 2l6 pounds with nine
| pound firing charge and . bursting oharno Just Eut
| hoent 10 blow the mia. The guns arc mounted
on SeaooAst carriages. and tho whole bAtieJ Is
arranged like ordinary water battery, ~, for To-
stance the defence Of West Point against hostile
| feet, no matter whose, coming down the river, no
| matter how Tho heavy pruiccues Tor mo larger
guns Il Is hardly necessary % say have 70 h handled
| by mechanical means. Tho pOpulAf Interest IN
drfl like this seems to centre In tho noise OF hr bg
| laInS ami tho distant crash and dust Of be big pro
jectes a they bit, or do not hit, the white tHg-
| on tho mountain side, Just under ana ia front "l
the whole range OF tactics II {, AL hard WORK and
| means business The cadets handed ID" big guns
With ease as they do everything. loading and " NJ
ana finally BY battery: tho last a tromendou'
| salyo irving 10 eai.drtlns but practically A. vol
| timed a. a vollcy Of muskotrJ. Tho prE'ien no
| was good, considering the rangn, which was %'iUn
| Yards many shots striking the tArgrt and hriTlN Al
| seeming TO como somewhere mar H. The nve SOLID
| shot Of tho final vOlley appeared to hit The hrge'
| smut aueOusy, though Of course ~ That dhtAFe u,
one but the observer tho telescope could di'tnemsl
| much perfection perhaps. ono 'ho from the mora
seemed to have gone tho mountain ann eNQI"d'd
| at least, A. Il Is said children should b" the ~
ploslnn was heard, but not seen. But this way
that mOrtArs have.
| Tho oral eIamlnatonS arc likely 10 be compietrt
tomorow. The afternoon dhll VIII be In The hchoo
NJ the soldier mounted usually known as tn roc
These interesting exercises take plAee IN The rimhg
admission the accommodation for spectators being o
necessity limtcd.