New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-06
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
SUCCESS OF THE ARMY CANTEEN.
AWARD ON THE NEW TORPEDO BoAT-THE DOL
PHIN TO BECOME THE PRESIDENTIAL
YACHTs"-AwARDs FOR MERIT
rrr SIGNAL, CORPS.
,sY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TkIBUSE.l

washington. o.
judge from the semiannua reports of post commanders
is success out Of 100 reports from THESE sources
there are only three which do not give an unqualified
approval To the system one officer Colonel CaTlin
in command OF Fort sherman, IDAHO states that the
canteen improvement over the post traders store
and OF two evils" is preferable to the saloons OF the
adjacent village His report that the canteen Is u
feature among Others adopted by secretary Proc'or
which have made the life of the enlisted man more
acceptable has additional value In that ne mas been
Of the few persistent opponents Of the system and
that the caneen at his post has the opposition OF mem
bers OF temperance society among the soldiers under
the lead OF the chaplain Beer is still the orly
beverage dispensed at the caneen, and the Department
is not likely to approve the recommendations Iron
several officers that stronger liquors be sold or tha
beer be sold by the bottle we'll as by the glass
Prejudice against the canteen still exists among Pro
hibonists despite its record strengthened by the re
ports Just received that its influence is good and that
to it many of the officers attribute the essenng IN the
number Of Offences trials and conlinements. Wmle
testylng to It's good influence upon the garrison COLO
mel Carlin is the only officer who does not present
statistics proving beneficial effect upon desertloh'
and discipline. The commanding officers OF posts
situated in socaed Prohibition" States unite In recon-
mendng change Of law TO authorize the sale OF peer
in the canteen Reports from Army posts present
evidence such that Of Major Hampson' l2th IN
fantry, of Fort Suy, ). D., who says:
"The sale Of alcoholic drinks in the vicinity Oh t'e
post continues Notwithstanding the prohibory law In
South Dakota" and that from Fort Meade, same eate
the liquor traffic In South Dakota is in worse hands
to-day than It before prohibition went into eneCt
The canteens are occupying, at many posts, rehpeo
buildings but now that the system has evidently es-
tabshed ITSELF suitable structures will probably be
erected, providing for bowling alley and gymnasium
which are usually features OF the Army canteen This
year there is only $4,000 available for the purchase
OF buildings, about onetenth of that suihclent
for the needs Of that part Of the service. The re-
ports, in brief, from NewYork posts are as follows
From David's Island, n. v. "The canteen seems
to have a beneficial effect upon the discipline and
welfare OF the command; from Fort Wadsworth,
n. Y: "The classmates used for caneen purposes are
dark and dsagreeablc still under all the unfavorabe
conditions, the commanding officer feels satisfied that
the enjoy and appreciate the innovation and that
they also satisfied and contented'; from Wietts
Point, y. y: "The caneen has now been in successful
operation since April 90 1892: from Madison Bar
racks Newly or The cantecn has been continued in
operation with satisfactory results"
The Secretary of the Navy leaves Washington for
Boston tomorrow, by which time he is expected To
aunopnce his decision in the matter of award on Tor
pedo Boat No. @ The Cowles and HerreshOff bids
remain on Mr. Tracys desk together with the reports
favorable to Cowles from Englneern-Chief Melville
and Chief Constructor Wilson, and the statement
favorable to HerreshOf, made by the commanding
officer Of the Cushing The Secretary is generally
credited with desire to award the contract to Heres
hoff who has repsented modified bid since the
opening but there features about the Cowles bid
which do not apparently, justify its rejection. The
representatives of Cowes claim that his is the only
proposal which should be considered. The fight, which
is the most prOtracted surrounding any OF the nava
contracts, may end in the rejection OF both Dds In
fact that is the view taken by Mr.. Tracy, who pro
poses to invite new bids from these companies, Whch
are likely TO be the only interested on plans
Of their own making and on plans prepared by the
Department The latter did not present plans last
October when the bids for the boat invited and
NAV not do so now as the bidders plans on such
small craft are likely to be of greater merit.
Orders were Yesterday sent TO the Dolphin, now OF
the Squadron of Evolution TO proceed to Norfolk Navy
Wand for repairs Il is intended to reft the vessel al
ON eetimood cost of $4,000. for use the "Pres
DENTAL YACHT to take the place OF the Despatch no"
living at the Washington Yard. Some months ago an
inquiry into the condition of the Despatch was sui
tuted and II found that the expense Oh repairing
the vessel would aggregate more than Tie ~ Per
cent of original cost allowed by law, and would IN
fact, reach 80 per cent. new cabin VIII proDaDH
be placed on the deck of the Dolphin, SO that III
creased accommodations may be afforded guests AT
present the vessel has only such Lighthouses as Is
usual to a dispatch boat of her SIZE she Is larger
than the Despatch and enjoys the DISTINCTION OF oehH
the first of tho steel vessels OF the Navy ha'ihs
been built in 1882 by John Roach, mt cost OF
s315.5OO. She is 240 feet long, or over fifty feet
longer than the Despatch. She has a breadth of
40 feet a mean draft Of IA Is feet and is OF l4oo
tons displacement Her single screw, two-cylnder
vertical directacting engine has horse power ID
224O and gives a speed OF 10 IL KNOTS
The Despatch is Of only $50 tons displacement and
has a speed of twelve and sixteenth knots per hour
The Dolphin has the rig of three-masied scnooner
Her complement is ten officers, eighty men and eigh
tnen anprentices Commander Yates Stirling has been
in command of the vessel since March, 1890 Whether
he will be retained in charge Lieutenant Cowles
the commanding officer Of the Despatch, transferred
to the Dolphin, is question TO be settled lhc De
spatch is the only vessel Of any account IN service
today which was not built under Government dlrec
Henry c. smith, of New-YOrk. she has an historic
and interesting record, mainly from the entertainment
of celebrities In which she has figured
Another general orders comforting distinction upon
Army officers and soldiers by special mention Ior
mertoo1s acts or conduct IN service b nS the third
order of like charac which has appeared ana
the 1851 and the tT TRe Sepaaos
of these orders delicate matter lnasmncn AZ uSS
are In their aT 9 baE t S are made was sought for
I'm volumlnOus official reports. Hereafter, now uiat
is known that these special mention odeTs are nsiU
To give credit 10 suborIinaes who by deed are worthy
Of This recognition. The order for 1887 mas most 10
Do with officers and men who distinguished them
selves i'm Indian service-COlOnel II. W. Dawt0n tlen
captain 4th Cavalry: Captain T. j. Whit, Attn cavalry
Lieutenants c. p. Johnson and J. Is. Hughes, IOth
Cavalry for capture OF Indians mt san Carlos Agency
in June: Lieutenant q. r. Burnett, 9th cavalry, now
retired for cool judgment in quietng an Indian out
break in Colorado in August, and Captain +. H.
Upham, LIST Cavalry, for bravery in action against
indians in Montana. Others mentioned In the order
are Private II. 5 Corp, Company B., 4tI Infantry Ior
courage i'm an encounter with tTespassers within
Cherokee Creek in January, and Captain F. A. Ed
wards 1st Cavalry, and Trumpeter Charles Key
nods LIST Cavalry, for saving soldier from drowning
In Montana in June.
The scheme for the recognized Signal Corps Is being
prepared and will be completed in time to carry me
provisions Of law into effect on july l., when the
Weather Bureau becomes a part of the Agricultural
Department. The military feature Of the corps mas
not yet been entirely arranged and only about one
fifth of the total force OF fifty enlisted men has been Sc
Iecte those designated being from among the old CORPS