The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-30
{ FORT DOUGLAS NOTES. !
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The long-talked-of cover for the breech
mechanism of the new army rifle has at
last been made, but is rather disappoint-
! ing. as it is made of canvas instead of
metal, as was expected. The expectation
was that a metal cover would be made
to be fastened permanently to the breech
mechanism of the rife TO keep out the
dust and moisture. The Following order
dated Headquarters of the Army, Adj
jutant Generals office, April 20, 1884, de-
scrlbes the new cover:
u.-By direction of the secretary of
war, the following is published for the
| information and guidance of all con-
ce-ned:
Breech mechanism covers for the United
States magazine rifle and carbine, cali
Der so. will be supplied, one for each
rifle and earbine, by the ordnance depart
ment on requlSitlon by company COM
manders. The cover is regarded as a use
full though not indispensable aDDendage
for the arm; it will afford good protec-
ton in storms of sand, dust or snow, but
will not exclude moisture from the
breech mechanism, and its use will not in
any case obviate the usual and necessary
cleaning of the arm. The cover is not in
tended to be worn at all times, but only
e case of exposure. 1t is made of can
vas, of light weight and plant material,
so that it may at other times, when
necessary, be carried on the person of the
by command of Major General Miles
GEO D. RUGGLES, A. G..
@ 81
A board consisting of Colonel ]. F.
Kent. Twenty-fourth infantry; Major A
c. Girard. surgeon; Captain Henry
Wygant Twenty fourth infantry; Cap
First Lieutenant f. j. Kirkpatrick, jr.,
assistant surgeon. and First Lieutenant
A. A Cabannis, recorder, is appointed to
meet at Fort Douglas for the eXamina-
ton of officers for promotion.
On Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock the
Noah's Ark lodge of the l. o. o. f. of
the post, will assemble al the post hall in
full regalia and parade around the circle
to the Rapid Transit platform. They
will then countermarch to the chapel,
where will be held the usual lodge cere-
monies, with a sermon Dy Chaplain AL
lensworth and other exercises. After the
rites at the chapel, they will again form
and march to the band stand, where the
band will be stationed, and thence march
to the post hall where they will disband.
These ceremonies are to celebrate the an
nual thanksgiving of the lodge.
Postmaster Dickinson's application for
money order system IN the post has
been granted by the postoffice officials at
Washington. This will be a great con-
venience to the people of the fort, as it
will save the time and trouble of having
to go to the city every time they wish
money order.
Work on the telephone system in the
post is being rapidly pushed along.
Eighteen telephones have already been
placed in position and the switchboard
has been put in place. Connections are
rapidly made with the new phones, and
it will be but a short time until the new
system will be in working order.
g y
The position of wheelwright in the
post. which has so long been held by Mr..
army headquarters. On the LIST of May,
Mr.. Alcorn will step down and out, and
in the future the work will either be done
by the post carpenter and blacksmith or
in the city. 1t is said that all the wheel
wriehtS in posts near city will also be
forced to quit, as the position is abol-
ished.
8 q @
A great many people from the city were
very much disappointed on Wednesday
on account of there being no dress
parade, as was advertised on the street
cars and through the papers. There was
a large crowd up from the city, but no
parade was held on account of the in
clemency of the weather. However, next
Wednesday evening the regiment will be
paraded at the usual time, weather per
hitting. The parade will be the first
time the regiment has drilled together for
about 50 years.
Lieutenant J. P Seyburn has been or
dcred to report TO Colonel j. f. Kent,
president of the examining board. for ex-
amina ton instead of to the president of
the examining board at the Preside OF
California. as was formerly ordered.
g
Second Lieutenant R. S. thurman. who
will be remembered as having been pro-
NOTED from the ranks of the Sixteenth
infantry, has been ordered to Vicksburg,
Miss. to assist in the distribution of sup
plies to sufferers from the floods.
o 9. 90
Major General A. Med. McCook. U.S-A..
was offered the position of police COM
missioner by Mayor Strong of New York
last week. but declined. This was the
position Mr. Roosevelt occupied. 1t is
possible General McCook did not wish it
said: He's on the police force now
g % g
Word comes from Fort Sherman that
the post is in danger of being flooded.
The river has been rising at the rate of
about nine inches in a night. and at
times rises an inch an hour. The soldiers
are all kept busy building dykes, but it
it feared that they will be of no avail.
The soldiers expect to be sitting on the
roofs in a few weeks and fishing down
the chimneys.