The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1892-11-19
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
lnspector-General Of the Army Submits
Report Of the Operations Of
His Department.

Inspector General OF the Army Breck.
inrldge has submitted 10 the War De
partment report OF the operations OF
his department. lie dwells at length
upon the activity Of the army in the
past year. At one time, the report as
serts, the country seemed on the verge
OF war, which served - show the eager
ness with which all Americans are ready
TO resent indignities. When war seemed
inevitable, the response OF the people 10
a call, not yet made but anticipated, for
men was something thoroughly crafty
ing. These tenders OF regiments OF men
| came spontaneously from all sections OF
the country, Texas being perhaps the
first TO cfler her services in rallying
around the flag in defense OF national
dignity. In the North and South alike
the spirit OF patriotism was equally en-
thusiastic.
A reply TO the English counter case in
the Behring sea negotiations is approach
ing completion at the State Department
and will soon be ready for the United
States counsel to lay before the arbitra-
tors. The work Of preparing the reply
has been going on for some weeks at the
State Department under the direct
charge OF Secretary John w. Foster.
The lawyers and clerks who are engaged
in the work have been shut up in large
room, and no one from the outer world
has been allowed 10 enter the room.
Ex-Minister Phelps and Justice Harlan
have not personally been at the State
Department during the preparation OF
the case, in which they are counsel, but
they have been in correspondence with
their younger representatives, and every
point made has been carefully gone over
by Secretary Foster. The purpose OF
the officials is to weigh carefully every
point made on behalf of the United
States, 30 as to put it in the clearest
language and study its relations with
every other point, in order to avoid con-
h.ct or compromising admissions. The
case Of the United States will be as ex-
actly logical and as forcible as the COM
bined skill OF several able lawyers can
make 1t. Representatives OF the United
States before the high court of arbitra-
tion will leave this country in few
weeks for Paris, where the court will
cit. The original case OF the United
States and the British counter case are
already in print, and have been sub
mitted to counsel on both sides. 1t is
not intended, however, to make any OF
the arguments public until the award is
made and accepted by the two countries.
The entire case will probably be sent to
Congress by the President and printed
in the English blue books.
During the past week Washington City
has been treated to series OF "booms."
They have generally occurred in the
evening, and have had sufficient force to
set the crockery vibrating on all the ce-
ramic shelves throughout the city. These
heavy detonations have proceeded from
a rain-making experiment OF the De-
partment OF Agriculture, which has been
encamped at Fort Meyer, Va, just up
the Potomac river from Washington, en-
deavoring to ascertain an economical
method Of explosives by testing various
compositions of gases. They have not
been trying to make rain there, but to
ascertain the cheapest and best explosive
compound with which to carry on their
experiments elsewhere. They have as
certained this fact, and the explosive
which will be used next will be a chic.
rate powder devised for the purpose and
gases composed OF three parts hydrogen
and one part oxygen, which is a cheap
and simple method, There will also be
used ordinary Illuminating gas and oxy-
gen in the proportion of two parts of the
former and one of the latter. The con-
cussion produced from it does not cost
more than one-twentieth as much as
explosion of dynamite or
one-tenth as much as an explosion of
' rosellite," and has the same effect. A
prevailing impression was that the in
tention of the party was to produce rain,
but such was not the case. From 10000
to $1,000 feet of gas is generally used in
for that purpose, but at
Fort Meyer only several hundred feet
were consumed. Arrangements are now
being made to ship the entire apparatus,
composing over 350, 900 pounds OF freight,
to Texas and New Mexico the latter part
of the week to try and make rain in real
earnest, but the locations for the opera.
tions have not yet been definitely decid-
ed upon.