The morning times., 1896-11-15
DISTRICT SOLDIER BOYS. /.
One Weeks News and Gossip
Around Local Armories.

tenton of officers to this fact. Col. Clay
is in mmand and 1T was by his direction
that the order was issued:
personal observation has shown the
Colonel commanding that drills have not
been take n up b the majority OF the organ
izations in the Guard with such prumptness So
| and thoroughness as should characterize
the opening OF the season for indoor work
Commanding officers are directed to use
every effort to properly carry out the sys-
TEN of indoor drill and exercise necessary
| to keep the Guard upon the proper foot
ing. The drill hall has been open for
work since October 1 and there is no ex-
cuse for non attendance on drill.
Private George Il. Cook, Company A,
Engineer Corps, is annoupced as a dis
tinguished marksnian, undeg the condi.
| tions prescribed in paragraph 2, circular
No. 2, series of 1892"
PRESENTING INSIGNIA.
The Second Regiment will parade Tues
day evening according to the order Just
issued. The order Is as follows:
Headquarters Second Regiment, d. C. N.
g., washington. Novenibef7, 1896
on Tuesday, November II. 1886, at $50
p. M, in the drill hall. Parade viii be
ions must be in the hail and formed at
S:15 p. IN. Full dress uniforms will be
worn by all who have il. Every officer
and enlisted man is expected to be present.
marksman's pins and buttons for the years
1894 and 1895, and the company rifle
trophy. Of the Fourth Battalion viii be
By order of Lieut.. Col. Urell
| JAMES L. MOCK,
Captain and Adjutant.
The occasion promises o lie one of the
events Of the season at the Armory. and it
is expected that the parade will be wit
messed by a large number of guardsmen.
Col Clay, who is in command of the brigade,
lHs requested Lieut.. Col Urcll to permit
him TO present the insignia and Col Urell
has granted his request. Col. Clay has
always done this and did not like to
break his record.
A good III any officers who have qualified
| are puzZling over the reason for their not
being recognized this time. Sharpshooter
| bars are only given at the end OF three
years. When a sharpshootcr has qualified
for three successive years he is given a bar
which has marked ON ii the three years.
This explains what is worrying several
gentlemen.
INSPECTORS REPORTS.
At the last meeting Of Inspectors OF rifle
practice the inspector general urged on all
inspectors the necessity OF having their
reports in by DecemD Der /. Last year twas
away after Christmas tefore some or the
reports came in. Each officer has been
requested to give the full name and rank
of every soldier, and the list must Include
all names borne on the company Tolls
during the third quarter. II is expected
ihatthc reports VIII be handed iii November
30. If not something is liable to diop
The annual report Of Brigadicr General
Flagler, chief Of ordnance, L. s. A, has
something of interest To say about the
new gun. He discusses the stopping
power" of the small-calber bullet used
in the new army rifle. The force OF the
bullet is admitted TO be terrific and the
accuracy of the new gun admirable, but
the size of the bullet is claimed TO be
too small to do as dangerous work as
the old 45-caliber bullet. The veioCities
obtained by the new Army and Navy
pieces with the smokcless powder now
| used are SO high that when bullet
hits "A man ii makes clean round hole
and does slight injury in many instances
unless some vital part Is struck. Bones
are pierced as though drilled by ginict,
whereas severe fractures would follow
from a bullet of the old calibcr
THE SMALL BULLET.
The medical men having demonstrated
that small bullet, no matter with what
velocity driven, would not be so effective
as one larger, the Army experts have
recently turned their attention to devils
ing some means by which the bullet will
cut a more ragged wound and thus cause
more serious injury. Gen. FlaGler has
been considering IL propositions to adopt
/ soft-nose or mushroomng bullet, which
would spread out when it struck an AM
mate object and thus nflict more dan
gerous wound than the harder bullet of
the same caliber and weight.
Recently experiments have been con-
Quoted with this bullet at tile Frankfort
| Arsenal, but the results Were not SO salts
| factory as expected, and unless some ini-
provements are made in the bullet the
! army will retain the present hard one for
its rifle. The experiments proved that the
muslrooming effect of the soft-nose bullet
is offset by the so-calied explosive effect
| OF the hard pointed bullet at short ranges
| The soft-nose bullet was inferior in ac-
curacy, and especially inferior i'll its ability
IT, penetrate hard substances used for de-
fensi We purposes, making 1t useless To
reach troops under cover that would be
dislodged by the present bullet
AS result Of the experiments the war
Department will probably retain the pres
| ent hard bullet and depend upon its putting
men out of action il ii does not kill them
outright,
MILES CYCLISTS.
The Miles Cyclists have at last secured
! their signal flags and have organized
signal squad. The boys got tired of wait
Ing for the flags to come from aeadquar-
ters, SO they pitched III and procured them
themselves. The squad is under command
of Capt. Virgins and consists of Lieut..
Sorreli. Sergts. Gibson, Frech, purfec and
jackson and Corporals Weaver. Alexander
| and Eckslein.
The squad is drilled two hours every
afternoon and 1T is the intention, as soon
| as proficiency is secured, TO have them
| drill the entire company. A signal sta
| ton has been erected on Columbia Heights
at the head OF Twenty-second street. A
| similar station has. been arranged on NJ
| street, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth
An examination for non commissioned
officers was held last night and an election
| for first lieutenant will soon be held.
just as soon as he can arrange 1T, Capt.
| Wiggins intends to have his company run
relay race 10 Frederick and return.
Twelve recruits We're mustered in satur
day night. Eight members of the company
have been discharged in the interest Of the
| service.
meeting OF the commissioned officers
| Of the brigade is called for Wednesday
evening, November s, the lecture rooms
| at the National Grand Armory, at O'clock
| sharp, to consider the plan for promoting
| the efficiency Of and interest in the Ma
| tional Guard, as suggested by Lieut.. j.
| b. Webb.
Capt. England, Company D, is in com
| mand Of the Fifth battalion, Capt. JeI-
| kins being on the sick list. ID Company
put up good drill Monday night and
| is after the battalion prize. An election
will soon be ordered In Company b to
fill the vacancy caused by the resignation
| Of Capt. Phebus. First Lieut.. Smallwood
| will be his successor The officers of
| this battalion will meet tomorrow night
to discuss the affairs of the command
Second Lieut.. Mellach will succeed First