New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
ARMY NOTES OF INTEREST.


ARMY NOTES OF INTEREST.
The cathode epidemic has spread to some OF the
Army posts, and at Fortress Monroe there have
been some Interesting and valuable experiments In
the laboratory Of the Artillery School by some OF the
student officers. correspondent at the fort writes
TO The Army and Navy Journal" these facts: THE
laboratory of the school contains fine Holtz
machine induction coils and several vacuum tubes.
and the first experiments were made TO determine II
possible the true nature OF these Xrays. Besides the
use Crookes tubes In the ordinary way OF piercing
different materials as flesh, cardboard etc. the
Bunsen fame. electric arc and ordinary lamp light
have shown evidence of penetrating cardboard and
hard rubber after a three hours exposure. In an
other experiment a large vacuum tube was made by
exhaustng the air from large bell lar fitted with
electrodes and the sensitive plate placed entirely
hin the tube and exposed directly TO the BY
this means the outline and interior lead cover OF
shown through the nickel steel Jacket Of the bullet
These experiments were undertaken almost as soon
as the discovery of Professor Ron,gen tele-
graphed from Europe. They will be continued.
time permits. with view 10 seeing to what military
purposes the discovery in shadowgraphs can be
applied"
There many OF the officers who would Ike to
see the new discovery in photography developed
as 10 learn the opinions and the purposes OF Con-
gress TO the bills that have been introduced look
ing TO reorganization. New bills are presented from
time to time and the cost OF printing must be con-
Hawley few days ago, providing for military
peace establishment" is identical with that intro
duced by Representative Cummings; this bill has
been iavorabiy commented upon by an apparent
sst of ten regiments OF artillery Of twelve batteries
each ten regiments of cavalry OF twelve troops each
panies each. 1t Is provided that each OF the In
fantry regiments shall have three majors: other
is that Of Representative woodman which provides
. for shn Ar,,..
10000 nor more than 100000; this force to spend
thirty days Of each year In drill and The officers to
affairs. tactics and science Of When on duty
20 per cent of that pay; the officers are TO have :,
per cent OF Army pay when on duty and % per
when not on duty.
The insignia for the Medical Corps have been
finally decided upon. They modified cross Of
the knights Hospitaler-a Greek cross This
is TO be seven-eighths OF inch high and the same
In width. and to be OF dead gold bullion or meta.
The insignia for the Subsistence Department. TO 20
have also beer approved They are a crescent To-
be OF SOLID silver attached by pins. or embroidered
at the option OF the wearer.
The statement was made recently and afterward
denied that Secretary Lamont had written a letter
| to Colonel Crofton OF the 18th Infantry. re-
| questng him to apply for retirement. These ri-
mors were again In the air few days ago but
modified to the report that Secretary Lamont wrote
letter to Colonel Crofton and ntmated that an
application from him for retirement would be favor
ably acted upon by the President. II is added that
Colonel Crofton has replied to the Secretary's letter
and that he peremptorily refused comply with
any wish looking retirement. Colonel Crofton
| has completed thirty years OF active service and
could be placed upon the retired list upon his own
application but there Is law the statute books
under which he can be retired invountarIly long
he is physically qualified to perform duty until
he reaches the age Of sixty-two years or has COM
pleted forty-hve years of service when no could be
retired at the discretion OF the President Colonel
Croftons friends cItticise the course Of the officials
| Of the War Department. and say that II he should
assent to the proposition 1t would be interpreted that
| he had committed violation Of the Army Regula-
would prefer a court-martial TO seeming to try to
escape one. No one can recall that there has been
| Crofton.
At Fort Douglass. Utah, there has been organized
| the Grand Orient Club" the objects of which are
outlined in the following letter issued by IT.: This
order consists Of body OF men composed of the
elite Of the 18th Infantry and also civilians,
and was organized for the purpose Of advancing the
great light Which sheds Its rays upon humanity and
| OF learning the sublime lessons taught In our an
Client and honorable order. as handed down by the
philosophers Of the East A ride on the wild camel
from the desert Of Arabia and the howl Of the
ricious tackas and wolves impress upon the minds
of the pilgrims that there is a hereafter At each
sands Of initiation. harassed by the PLAYFUL antics
| OF the WeI-grcomed and vigorous goat The Sc
crets OF the means Of recognition not divulged
in the circular letter. but II Is probable that some
| one of the Mobiles OF the Mystic Shrine may dis
| cover in this infringement upon their order.
which is OF the Illuminated degrees of the Or
der Of Free Masons and sue out an injunction.
| The annual examinations Of candidates for cadet
ships at the Military Academy to begin to-nor-
row. and examining boards have been detailed
TO convene at fifteen separate posts that day to
| begin the mental and physical examinations. After
the examinations have been ended the names will be
| sent TO the Academy Board at West Point for re-
| view and findings.
| "suppcation Of the poor, for.orn and outcast
non-commssioned staf, who have no official head TO
whom they can breathe their very few wants except
| in minor way" is a letter which begs that some
Senator who is favorably impressed with the Army
will look the several bills providing for the
| organization of the Army and II the post non-
commissioned staff has not been forgotten-proba bly,
! unintentionay. The "suppicaon'' asks that in
| consideration OF the past present and future
as to provide for a readjustmen Of the salary list Of
| this branch OF the Army personnel.
| proposition is under consideration at the War
Department to issue instructions TO the artillery
| for competitive target practice with heavy arms.
The artillery Is the only branch OF the military
| service in which competitive target practice is
held Members OF the artillery are authorized I'M
der the regulations to compete In small-arms con-
tests but there is regulation authorizing rivalry
| with fed pieces or seacoast guns. The question
| OF expense to the Government for the heavy gun
| practice Is one OF most serious consideration 20