The San Francisco call., 1896-09-21
Received at the Preside Yester-
day by Wire From
Washington.
GENERAL MILES EXPECTED.
He Will Thoroughly Test the Battery
of Dynamite Guns-The First
Infantry.

Army OfncerS at the REes1Qlo yesterday
were startled by the receipt of orders by
wire from Washington, coming through
department and regimental headquarters,
directing that the Fifth Artillery should
make immediate preparations to leave
here as soon after the 1st of October as
practicable. The order states that the
commander of the Department OF the
East General Ruger) will assign the bat
teries OF the Fifth to their respective sta
tions in the south.
1t is stated in the orders that enlisted
men whose term OF enlistment expires
within six months from October shall
remain here, and that others who elect to
stay may remain.
1t is also announced that the battery
of T bird Artillery now at Fort Monroe will
not change station.
The assignment of the light battery will
not be made by the regimentaI comman-
der, but by the department commander
of the East. The assignment of the bat
teries of the Third coming here will be
made by the commander of the Depart
ment of California.
The order directs that guns, equipment,
horses ana heavy baggage shall not be
shipped.
Colonel Otis will attend to the assign
ment of the battery in his department.
There is no longer any doubt of the fact
that the scneme TO shield the First ana
Second artillery regiments from tour of
duty in Florida, which should go to them
before it does to the Fifth, is being rushed
through before United States Senators can
protest against the injustice.
1t is said that the main DUrnOqa now lie
to consummate the plan before the Secre-
tary OF Warcan realize that the transpor-
tation fund is being wasted.
The dispatch secured yesterday is by
command of Maior-General Miles, ct he
is known to be in the West. The ord er is
countersigned by Samuel Breck, assis tant
adiutant-general.
Since the organization of the army it
has been the invariable custom iE time of
peace not to send troops from the North
or West into Florida before the latter part
of November or Decem ber The medical
officers of the army fully perceive the dan
gers of sending unseasoned and unac-
climated troops there before the frosts
come. What effect the change will have
on troops going from this climate TO Flor
ida in The autumn remains to be seen.
Only one explanation can be given for
the haste now manifested, and that is the
fear that Senators White and Perkins.
and Congressmen Louo and Mcguire will
ask the Secret tary of War to countermand
or suspend the order for investigation.
Tke army has been singularly free from
scandal, but it is said that this waste of
$4,000 in any other department would ex-
cite the suspicion of iobbery with the
railroad companies.
The cost of exchanging the First and
Third would be trifie compared with the
expense of sending the Fifth to Florida
and the Third to California. There is
haste to get the job consummated before
the press of the country perceives the real
facts n the case.
Captain A. w. Vogdes, another excel
lent officer, recently came here from Al
catraz with the prospect of pleasant tour
OF duty as post commander at Fort Ma
son. He must go with his regiment to
Florida and take another tour of duty in
the South.
The text of the official order is eagerly
awaited at the Presidlo. There is a glim-
mer OF hope that some of the garrisons in
the South may be abandoned in order that
more artillerymen may be sent to man the
new Notifications in the harbor of New
York. The theory is advanced that the
abandonment of certain posts in the
South would induce Southern representa-
tlves IN Congress TO vote for the organiza-
tion OF two more regiments of artillery.
General Miles may be in San Francisco
t is week. 1t is already foreshadowed by
reports from the East that he will have an
exhaustive test made of the dynamite
battery at the Presiuio.
Officers comprising the guaners' board
returned from Fort Candy, arriving at the
Presidio last Friday.
During the past week target practice of
the loot batteries with the Krag-l orgensen