Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-05
AFFAIRS OF the ARMY.
3 ans The Light Batteries Army 1elesraphs
a New Carbine Boot.

Washington, Nov At appears from
a communication received at the war
department that Second Lieut.. Binns.
First Infantry, who lately resigned from
the army on account of his devotion to
free silver, had hypothecated his pay
for October before it came due. This Is
the statement of a Leavenworth broker
who added that he held the voucher in
question.
Col. Ernst reports 40 vacancies at the
Minitary academy, with others looked
for before next June. And yet it is GER
tain that, without legislation increasing
the number of army officers, over half
the next graduating class will be sur
plus or additional second lieutenants.
There is room for more cadets at West
Point but no more are needed in the
army.
The 10 light batteries in the army are
thus reassigned: One of the FIRST Ar
tllery to Fort Sam Houston and the
other to Washington barracks; one the
Second to Fort Adams and the other
TO Fort Sheridan; the two of the Third
to the Prindio of San Francisco the
two of the Fourth and one of the Fifth
to Fort Riley. and Thorp's of the Fifth
to Fort Hamilton.
The value of the army telegraph lines
for commercial interests is very valu-
able in the Southwest, as in Arizona
and on the Rio Grande. In some cases
they are the only means of Geographic
communication and the sum of s22i5. So
was collected in a year for commercial
messages. On most of the lines iron
J., .
lines are generally in good running or
der, the chief interruptions being due
to what Gen. Greedy calls the frontier
diversion Of shooting at insulators." On
the Rio Grande. owing to the fact that
the inhabitants We're constantly tam
perng with the old-style testing box
Il cast IRON bullet proof form of box has
been substituted which in some meas
ure has remedied the evil
our country during the civil war
showed the uses of field or flying teleg
raphy. and since then other armies
have developed it. But our service is
still alert for improvements, and OF the
combined telegraph and telephone APP
paratus devised by Capt. Allen of the
signal corps. which an operator may
easily carry in his hand. Gen. Greedy
says that while one soldier is en-
eaged in telegraphing message in
Morse character. another may over the
same wire talk telephonically with
another station. the distant receiving
operators hearing only their own mes
sages." With the heliograph a prac-
tice run of 60 miles was made during
the last fiscal year and a nine mile
| range was worked by moonlight.
Ballooning has received some degree
Of attention from our signal service,
and Capt. Glassford has at Fort Logan
a new silk balloon Of 1900 cubic feet
capacity. nearly complete. Tests of
the new signal lantern are in progress.
and when a satisfactory model is Sc
cured such lanterns will be issued for
night signalling.
1t is thought that the carbine boot
now worn by cavalrymen will soon
give way to a new one which will be
better adapted to the present maya
zine carbine. The new scabhard will
protect the carbine as far as the small
of The stock, and can be hung upon
either side of the saddle in such a way
as to he held securely and without
fatigue, While the carbine can also he
quickly detached for service dis
mounted.