The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-14
ARMY RIFLE PRACTICE.
Good ReSu is With the Krag
Jorgensen
Gun.
Expected Visit of General Miles
AwakenS Interest at the
Preside.

The expected visit of General Miles,
commanding the Army, is now the chief
topic of comment in military circles. The
general, according to the announced pro-
gramme, Will leave Washington, D. c.,
October 8. The post of Fort Sheridan,
Chicago, will be first visited. Then atten-
ton will be given to the posts in Montana
and the Dakotas. On Puget Sound, where
vast Notifications have been planned,
some time Will be passed.
General Forsyth, commanding the De-
partment of California, is now in the East
on leave of absence and may not be in
San Francisco when the commanding
general arrives. 1t is quite well under
stood in army circles that General Miles
and General Forsyth do not give each
other the glad hand" or the Gladstone
smile" when they meet, but it is regarded
as the next thing to high treason for army
officers to discuss the GOODNESS in the pres
ence OF newspaper scribes. Nevertheless.
for the peace of our fair country, it might
be lust as well for General Miles to come
before General Forsyth returns or for
General Forsyth to remain away until
General Miles co includes his visit in Cali
fornia.
The Eastern army journals ascribe great
importance to Lime Point station, and pre-
dict that Gener al Miles will place BODY
of troops there. There is one twelve-inch
modern breech-Ioading rife at Lime Point
and emplacements have been designated
for others. In the great system of harbor
defense the Lime Point position is inn
portant The guns there will command a
fine sweep OF the ocean and be able 10 de-
liver plunging fire on the narrow chan
mel which separates Lime Point from Fort
Point.
The twelve-inch rife now in place at
Lime Point is guarded by single watch
man. In the event of hostilities with
Great Britain another Waterman might be
required there to keep an eye on the Brit
ish colony at San Rafael.
The foot batteries of the Fifth Artillery,
stationed at the Presidio, are now having
annual target practice with the new
United States rifle, commonly known as
the Krag-Jorgensen. Lieutenant Miley is
the range officer. The practice began last
Tuesday and will continue until each man
has fired thirty-five shots. The shortest
range is 100 and the longest 300 yards.
Some excellent work has been done.
The board OF officers appointed with the
approval of the major-general command
ing the army by the regimental COM
mander to conduct the battery competi-
tions of the Fifth Artillery consists of:
First Lieutenant Warren P Newcomb.
Second Lieutenant George G. Galley.
Second Lieutenant Conway n. Arnold
Jr.
The officers comprising the board left
for Fort Candy last Tuesday. They
should return in time to begin their du-
ties at the Presidio September II.
Lieutenant Treat, Fifth Artillery, has
gone to Fort Riley, Kan, to become Adiu-
tant of the Light Artillery Battalion.
There will be quite a concentration of
troops at Riley, early in October. When
General Miles arrives there to view the
maneuvers there will be on the field
eleven troops of cavalry, three light bat
teries ana five com panies of infantry.
The infantry will march from Fort Leay-
enworth to Riley.
Colonel Shafter, First United States In
fantry, who is temporarily commanding
the Department of California, is now oc-
cupying the army mansion at Black Point.
The occupancy of the premises is for the
benefit of his wife's health
1t is now the talk at the Presidio that
Major Tully McCrea will not be ordered to
appear before the retiring board. Major
McCrea has a gallant record for service in
battle and his slight disabilities were
caused by wounds in action. The depart
ment it is said, ruled that an officer should
not be retired for disability so incurred.
unless the disability rendered him phvsi-
aliv unable to DerfOrm seryice