New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-27
GEN. CRAIGHILL TO RETIRE
HE WILL LEAVE ACTIVE SERVICE vOLUN-
TARILY ON SATURDAY.
LONG AND EFFICIENT SERVICES OF THE CHIEF
ENGINEER OF THE ARMY-TIIE cANDl-
Oh tbs FVN IIH I5NV-ts'
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE.l


DATES FOR HIS PLACE.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuNEl
Washington Jan. z6.-General William Price
Craighill Chief of Engineers OF the Army, VIII
voluntarily retire from active service In the Army
next Saturday. His decision to relnqulsh his i'm
portant office at this time is due almost entirely
to a desire for a short vacation. which he VIII inn
prove in looking for permanent employment
OF a congenial character In civil life He has been
in active military service for forty-three years
and In all that time he has not had over SIX
months leave OF absence. He will be sxty-four
years Of age on July !. and would be subject 10
compulsory retirement on that date. Another
statute however. provides for the retirement OF
officers who have served thirty years on their own
application and It is this privilege of which Cen
eral Craighill will take advantage To his friends
he has said that he Is good for several years more
of hard work. and his chances Of securing It, he
thought might be impaired should his record show
that he was retired for age"
General Craighill is most efficient officer and
stands at the front of his profession in this coun-
trv as n military and civil engineer He born
OIL July l. 1898. at Charlestown. w. Va. tfen Nir-
ania) and entered the Military Academy from
that State on July /. 1919 Four years later he
was graduated No. in a class of nfty-two men,
bers Among his classmates were Generals Sher-
dan schofeld Mcpherson, Sooysmith and Vim
erals Hood Chambss and Walker. OF the Con-
federate Army Appointed second lieutenant OF
the Corps OF Engineers he has since passed
through all the intermediate grades TO be brigader-
general and Chief OF Engineers. TO which last
Office he was appointed by President Cleveland on
Nav 10 1895 succeeding General Thomas L. Casey
In the War of the Rebellion he received the
hrevets of colonel and colonel for meri-
torious service At various times In the war he
had charga of the fortncations Of Washington.
baltimore Hampton Roads. Charleston. Savannah
the Dry Tortugas and Delaware River lie was
also on the special board to arrange deiehsss iop
san Francisco when the French were In Mexico
and threatened 10 invade California. and I'M
medately after the war he serN ed on noard 10 re-
wise all the Notifications of the United states OF
four years he was assistant professor OF military
and civil engineering at the United states Mll.ta r
craichI was assistant in the Engineer Bureau IN IN
the war Department. and again from 1850 10 1871
no was on duty in the Engineer bureau g.
In connection with river and harbor duty Cen
erai C,raighill has had active charge or many I'M
portant public improvements In various parts OF
he country and has taken an active part IN the
nrotects for many others. He has been profession-
a. ;h neisware and on the coasts OF Massachusetts
nd 5 soythern California and has directed the sur
for snip canals 6ssweea 5ne Of the Atlantic
Coast and the Mississippi valley oy way os one one
James Kanawha and ono consder nd the ne PROPOSED
S 81 rse o0 Bay Ship Canal milwaukee,
an important engineering missions for the Govern.
u ena and has five times visited the Pacific Coast
nn smilar service. He was president OF me BOARD
o"nn,nted TO select and recommend 10 congress
stes FOR manufacturing heavy guns on me r ,
a nJ chi, coasts was a member OF the Lighthouse
Board in Washington for several years and has seV
10 ,,noas heen asked to accept the appointment OF
er r,,', ardent OF the Military Academy at West
pin, For many years member OF the American
81 civil Engineers. he became the presldent
~ maj Organization in 1884 being the only ofrer OF
vb . ARMY Who has attained that distinction ne IS
the ~ ysr,her OF the American Association 70. the
6ancnment OF Science the Historical Society OF
Nar1iand and the American ECONOMIC Association;
IN sSI he complied THE Army oesrs b p0Gxei
oomph,i'19, "l,ours de Tactlque. and In CO.
oeeraton with Captain Mendell he also
o!enarai Iominis "Precs de rArt de ia SueIre;
tIe lord as chief OF Engineers has been higns
us and was signalized by the starting OF a
cfedliappie % system OF Notifications In all parts
GO ,b country and the beginning and cont,nuahuohh
on IN, tnror,nnt river and harbor works, TOT which
oi III, pnnroprations became available al the oe
Timing OF the present hscal year ,v circles az TO
General craishrs successor 1t s Is gene usnyv
,leveu m,y,sion Engineer OF the Northwest Dvisvs'
roper. l., ION al New-Yorh and Colonel John M