New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-26
.1RMY NOTES or INTEREST.

mander or the Department o. tn' rsd3' ""''' 'N''
eral Schofed is retired on September 70 only d
few DAYS ago some officers Of the Army were IN
duleing in an interchange OF beliefs that Pehefai
Ruger was ordered TO special duty at NashfS'o"'
preparatory to assuming command or the AI"S'
as soon as General schoheld should retire Nhhe
there is no written law" TO use the s'ereo'yped
expression of the last few months. it has been the
nrac,ica for several wears TO detail the senior
ma ior-general as Comman der OF the Army; hence
when il was suggested recently that Geherai r'use'
be appointed that pace practicahy over '"e
head Of General Miles. the atmosphere vi AIM!
circles became active The current ruhor no" ~
that the Secretary of War made the transfers OF
commandants OF departments in the manner mat
N. did TO avoid more than ;wo transfers upon Cen
eral :. honed's retirement. and that these trans
fers would be General Euger TO New-rot ana
General Miles to Washington. II TINS programme
is carried out. Genera Miles. who does NOT retire
until August; 1853. will be- commanding general for
nearly eight years.
Another rrmol in Army circles will interest in
fantrv officers I.ieutrnant-Colonel William NJ
Wherrv. who will not reach the retiring age nntn
sentember 1900 il H. rumored. cOntempates asking
70 be retired soon under tn" length-of-serNl'e
clause. and taking up his residence in cincinnati
where he can give attention 10 MS children VINO
are attending school there. Colonel f. f. Town
send is another who contemplates retirement uhder
the lengih he f-service Jaw. although ne VIII not
reach the age limit until July a. 1897 He Is to get
a leave OF absence on July |. and at lis expiration
will retire from active service.
Colonel Edwin C. Mason. Of the 81 Infantry. will
ne retired for age on Friday next, and this Will
make a jnmp-up-one for the senior lieutenant
colonel the senior major and so on There VIII
NOT be any more retirements for age after THIS un
August g. when colonel William Winthrop. deputy
iuder advocate @ general will retire from active ser
vice.
Attention was directed in his column week ago
10 a recommendation Of the 'ommssary-'"ne'al
of Subsistence Ina, the subject OF an "emersrn'N
o. portable ration be official, considered by the
c,mnandanfs ~ the several military posts. win "A
view Of adopting that which seems most desirable
This has borne fruit The portable ration Is NOT
new thing to the Army for one was adopted III
the Civil War although it was never io"hd 10 DE-
Of any practical use But that was not que 10 ''c
f,uI, OF any experienced officer OF the service the
idea was simply that OF theorist in cvh NE
Uov.Xer lhe co'nmandanis Of several OF the s'd
lions have appointed special boards. composed "i V'
most experienced officers available ana 81 '"oS"
who have shown particular interest ]" iood sup
niles with Instructions 10 consider ana rrP"i' upon
the subject. one OF the p'"lnS w" "'ee' =" w
cit, ON TUESDAY next.
The Portable Ration Board. when - 10 h'''
in this city. viii consider the following p"h'S'
What should be the component parts OF the Ia
10 selected Win reference TO N"''7''"'''' 49,
proper nu,rlilvc values AMI to the portability OF ~"
,o,on ~ "A whole lis accrptabihN Tor taste JUS
keeping qualities. IN" proper wrlg 81 '''" '"'''"
and The Kind sigc ana fo'm ~ pa'K's" '' '' P"'
M for the convenience o' use and 81 carriage ."
m. person directions iof use bN ih' '"l''''' "'"
h.r q, rations 10 be carried ON IA" person ana 'h'
maximum number that may lee $40 carried wh''h",
Ia lac hahiiuallv carried hy the soldier rs par OF
his ontnt or 10 be- issued on emergency occasions
only.
Throe firms pu, In hlIs 10 furnish 2'"' ponnls
=, ,,,lcl,ss uovd.r for small arms. and cach
oo.,ed to furnish the powder ~ pound
TN. War Department has conducted some MUS
interesting experiments with smok'l'ss po""''7
IN the last year. ana with me result '""' '"'
manufacturers have improved upon the a'''''''
For instance one Of the compounds was seriously
Objectionable because # absorbed moisture very
readily bn, the new mechanical mixture IL vel
low in color burns slowly with yrlo" na"''
and retains dryness longer som" OF III"
soldiers have objected to II because o. the guam
titles o. ammonacal gas evolved giving o" u"-
nlessant olors and affecting unpleasaniIy IN"
,hroa; nose and eyes 1t is declared that 'hes'
obnoxious effects have since been KY rid o..
one NAV ge, an idea o, the expenses OF "9r
outside of the maintenance OF gT"s' hfh'S ~
men. with powder al 81 a pound ana cach charKe
for a nfieen-inch smooth -bore gun weighing '"p
pounds The two prominent types OF smokeiess
between Nni'H H''if ma "'' ~
est rivalry. are the so-caled n!;ro-couon and
nitro glvccrne types the former having nitro
cotton as It's base and the latter containing
more Or less nitro-giycerin" IN that capacity.
The fact that each OF the three firms referred 10
put in a bid al the same price has suggested
that there was an understanding between Them
beforehand l. is possib,e that the cost o; these
powders after the principle % manufacture has
become smplifei. will be reduced 10 one
third the prices bid. \ smokcless powder. re-
Gently tested on The Pacific coast. and having
gnn-cotton its base was guaranteed by the
inventor cost not more than thirty cents
pound in any kind o. grain.
Superstition may not be strong in The Army
as II is in the Navy but the number thirteen Will
canoe Of ll-lucE Thirteen only Of the enlisted men
who competed for commissions a. second lieur"nant-
little chance for their transfer from the ranks 10
ne G ON gr"aS a. he nD frnm ,bn W
tary Academy next monlh dioWeyrl tne.r men
SEPTEMBER In addition 10 thesc Of the candi-
dates who were up for their final examinations IN
the fall OF lse but who failed. will have another
trial The examinations Of candidates in the sev-
one will b. none the less so. only one canii-
date of the enlis ed candidates IN the Depar.
Of Missouri passed the examination.
Brigadier-Genersi William p cra!shiI who was
retiremen, # General Thomas T.. Casey. assumed
duty a, Washington on Monday. I.ieuienant-Co colo
charge e the Southwest Engineers Division.
Gated by General Craighll and his office Will be in
this CITY. Captain William T.. Craighlll. Of the
general succeeds to the place previously held by
Colonel Hams.
THE PROBLEM or THE Hartford BRIDGE
COMPLICATIONS WHICH PREVENT THE BUILDING
MEM STRUCTURE.
Hartford. May % tSpecial.-The Legislature has
left the bridge problem in d singular condition. after
all its endeavor. and the chances are that now the
old bridge has been burned and Is out OF the way.
Il no ho u.ill InI he brio