The San Francisco call., 1896-06-08
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES,
Bids Will Be Asked for Tunnel
ing the Preside
Hill.
Death of Lieutenant Gatewood, the
Officer Who Went Alone 10
Geronimo's Camp.

General R. n. Batchelder, quartermas-
ter-general of the United States army. and
Major George w. Davis, the military rep
resentatlve of Secretary Lamont, left the
City for the East last Thursday evening.
After visiting all the army posts in the
harbor of San Francisco they went to Mon
terey and San Jose as the guests of
Colonel A. S. Kimball, chief quartermas-
ter of the department.
General Bachelor and Major Davis
were impressed with the Improvements
already made at the Presidio, and it may
be asserted as an undeniable fact that
there will be powerful influence at Wash
ington in favor of enlarging the facil tiles
at the Presidio for garrisoning troops.
A board of survey has been convened in
this City for the purpose of examining into,
reporting upon and fixing the responsible
ity for the damaged condition and for the
deficiency in certain articles of clothing
and equipage at the quartermaster's s depot,
for which Captain Addison Barrett, mill
tary store keeper quartermaster's depart
ment, is responsible. The board consists
of Lieutenant-C Colonel William H. Bell,
A. c. general of subsistence; Lieutenant
Colonel johnson V. d. Middleton, deputy
surgeon-ge general, and Lieutenant Frank
Greene, Signal Corps.
Captain Euclid B. Frick, assistant sur
geon, has been ordered to report to the
commanding officer of the Light Artillery
Battalion for duty with that command
during the remainder of its absence from
the Presidio of San Francisco.
Lieutenant George W. Gatchel and
William P. Pence, Fifth, will remain on
duty at Alcatraz until further notice.
Payments to troops on the muster of
May 81, 1896, are assigned to paymasters
as follows:
Major Alfred E. Bates-Presidio of San
Francisco, Fort Mason and the troops
stationed in the Yosemite and Sequoa
National Parks, California.
Major John S. Witcher-Angel Island,
Alcatraz Island, Benicia Barracks, Benicie
Arsenal and San Diego Barracks, Cali
fornia.
The post of San Diego Barracks and the
troops stationed in the Yosemite National
Park will be paid under provisions of par
agraph 1349, Army Regulations.
The troops stationed in the Sequoia
National Park will be paid by the pay
master in person, it being impracticable
to make payment either by shipment of
currency or by individual checks.
Plans for the two double brick barracks
at the Presidio, for which an allowance of
$1,000 was recently authorized by the
Quartermaster-Genera are now in course
of preparation, and proposals for con-
struction will soon be invited.
In order to obtain water supply for the
reservoir by gravity and save the expense
of pumping the water over the Preside
hill, Colonel Kimball will ask for bids 70
tunnel the hill. When contractors put in
estimates of the cost the department will
consider whether the amount required for
the work can be allowed.
First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood,
Sixth Cavalry. who recently died from the
effects of internal cancer at Fort Monroe,
Va, was well known in San Francisco. He
was on duty in this CITY during the time
that General Miles commanded the de-
partment.
AT the Bohemian Club he was great
iavorite. Mr.. Gatewood did not have 8
weakness for recounting his personal ex-
ploits or adventures in the line of duty,
but when he consented to relate to a small
circle of friends the incidents of his visit
to Geronimo's camp to negotiate the sur
render of tnat chief the narrative was re-
markaoly interesting. Before starting out
on the perilous mission of going alone
through rugged and mountainous coun-
try to the heart of the hostile Apache
band he was advised by the commanding
general that the duty was fraught with
exreme peril.
Geronimo took decided fancy for ''Big
Nose" a name which the chief gave to
Mr.. Gatewood, and relied fully upon the
assurances which the officer conveyed to