The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-16
Recent Changes in the Line Of
Duty in This Depart
ment.
ACTIVITY at MARE ISLAND.
Cruiser Baltimore Will Go Out oi
CommisSion-BattleShip for the
Union Iron Works.

Colonel James G. c. Lee, deputy quarter
master-general in charge of the general
depot of the quartermaster's department,
San Francisco, left the City for New York
last week, and will not return until after
the holidays.
Major John A. Darling, Fifth Artillery,
has returned to the Preside.
Lieutenant Benson. Fourth Cavalry, IS
on duty again at the Preside.
The dance given at the Preside hop
room last Tuesday night was voted a sue
cess. Hops will be given every two weeks
throughout the season.
Major Clarence Even, surgeon, U. S. A.,
is in the City, having been ordered to APP
pear before retiring board for examin a.
ton.
The court-martial which convened at the
Preside last week consists of the following
officers:
Captain Charles Morris, Fifth Artillery; Cap
tain Alexander Rodgers, Fourth Cavalry; Cap
tain Benjamin K: Roberts, Fifth ARTILLERY;
Captain George H. q. Gale, Fourth Cavalry |;
Captain Elbridge R. Hills, Fifth Artillery;
First Lieutenant John NJ NeaIl Fourth Cav
airy; First Lieutenant James T. Nolan, Fourth
Cavalry; First Lieutenant John d: Mley, Filth
Artillery; Second Lieutenant William q. HAN,
Fifth Artillery; Second Iieutenant Charles .
Summerall, Fifth Artillery: Second Lieutenant
William R. Smedberg Jr. Fourth Cavalry; Sec
ond Lieutenant Thomas G. Carson, Fourth Cav
airy; Additional Second Lieutenant Adrian S.
Fleming, Fifth Artillery; Second Lieutenant
George q. Galley, Fifth Artillery, judge advo-
cate.
The maximum number of officers for a
CONTINENTAL is thirteen, and minimum
five. The present detail embraces thlr-
teen, but it is probable that some OF the
mem bers may be ordered to duty else
where during the session of the court.
The detail of the maximum number
does not signify that cases of special i'm
portance are contem plated.
The new steel wharf at the Preside,
which is being constructed by contract
under the direction of Colonel Amos S.
Kim ball, deputy quarteImaster general
and Chief @. NJ. of the department, will be
finished in due season. The piles have
been driven and all the material for the
struct ure is on the ground.
The health of Colonel Shafter wife may
be restored. The stroke of paralysis which
she received some weeks ago at Angel
Island was al first thought to be so serious
that she would not long survive, but dur
ing the past few days she has gained
greatly in strength.
a Washington dispatch in yesterdays
CALL announced that Captain ]. Escourt
Sawyer had been relieved from duty as
post quartermaster at the Preside and
ordered to proceed to Buffalo, n. Y, and
there relieve Captain William W. Robin
son Jr., assistant quartermaster. Captain
Robinson comes to the Preside.
A cable has been received from Yoko-
hama stating that the cruiser Baltimore
left that port December 3 for San Fran
cisco, and that she would make a short
stop at Honolulu en- route. The Baltimore
is IN need of repairs and will be placed out
of commission to receive a general over
hauling at Mare Island.
The sailors and marines have made a.
splendid record in the Orient. The cruiser
was at Chemulpo when the American Min
lister at Seoul autographed for men to pre-
serve order. The message was received on
the ship al 80 on July evening. Thirty
marines and twenty-five sailors, properly
differed and equipped, were landed at
7:45 and at $50 the march was begun.
The night was hot and sultry, the roads
wretched, being not much better than
trail, yet the distance to Seoul, thirty-one
miles over rough country, was marched
in eleven hours and only two men were
Frustrated Naval reservemen and troops
of the National Guard ought to study
these lessons in endurance.
1t is now regarded as a sure thing that
the Union Iron Works Will get a contract
for constructing one or the two great bat
tle-ships for which proposals were recently
solicited.
In submitting offers bidders are permit
ted to suggest designs of their own and
put in bids thereon independent of the
bids on designs prepared by the depart
ment. A noteworthy feature OF the Union
Iron Works design is that the plans pro-
vide that the superposed S-inch turrets
can revolve independently of the lower b.
inch structures. The result is obtained by
running turning arrangement through
the center OF the 13-inch turrets between
the 13-inch guns.