The San Francisco call., 1898-04-15
TO DIRECT
 FIRE OF
 ARTILLERY System to Control All the Stations Defend ing This City. A Board Appointed by General Shafter Will Convene To-Day. Five Hundred Tents to Be Sent From Here to St.
 Louis. INSPECTION AT BENICIA. Strict Regulations at tho Presidio. Recent Desertions From the
 Garrison.

Recent Desertions From the
 Garrison.
 The following special order was is- sued yesterday:
 Headquarters Department of Califor-
 mia:
 SAN FRANCISCO, Cal,
 April IA, 1898.
 Special Order No. 31.
 (Extract.)
 IA board of officers to consist of Colonel Marcus P. Miller, Third Ar tillery; Major Edward Field, Second Artillery, artillery inspector; Captain Sedgwick Pratt, Third Artillery, and First Lieutenant Eugene T. Wilson, Third Artillery, will convene at these headquarters at Il a. m. tomorrow, the 18th instant, for the purpose of formulating a fire-control system for the artillery stations in San Fran cisco harbor. The system will in- clude all the batteries at present completed and in the process of con- struction, and will also keep in view the extension of the system to in- clude all projected batteries. The board is authorized to confer with Colonel Charles R. Suter, corps of engineers, for any information that he may give that will be of service to it in the performance of the duty assigned to it. It is important that this work be completed with the least practicable delay.
 Upon notification by the president of the board, the different post com manders will afford all facilities for the prosecution of the work enioined by this order.
 The junior member of the board will act as recorder.
 Such journeys as may be made by the members of the board in the exe- cution of this duty are necessary for the public service.
 By command of
 BRIGADIER GENERAL SKATER.
 J. B. BABCOCK,
 Assistant Adjutant General.
 Official.
 Some beautiful theories about con- centrating the fire of the mortars. twelve-inch breech-loading rifles. the ten-inch breech-loading rifles. and the dynamite guns on an enemy's yes sel will doubtless be presented to the board. Firing according to the range finder, the charts and at signals con Veyed by telephone to electricians may be all right for long range work, and particularly applicable to the mortars and dynamite guns for any range. but at short range it may become neces sary to train the ten and twelve inch rifles directly on the floating object of attack
 General Shafter may decide to test the new-fangled theories on some old hulk before adopting any arbitrary system for fire control. The old-fash- toned way of training a gun directly on a ship works remarkably we'll at close range. The members of the board are practical and experienced of ficers and will doubtless submit scheme for firing that will render the cannonading highly effective.
 Preparations for war continue with undiminished vigor. Yesterday Gen. eral Shafter received orders from the Secretary of War to send five hundred tents from the quartermaster's stores III LodIl IdilCiSCO IO LOUIS. The tents will probably be shipped to-day. The purpose of General Miles to con centrate large force of the regular army in the vicinity of Chattanooga and Atlanta will probably be carried out. Private intelligence from Wash ington indicates that there has been some little difference of opinion be- tween General Miles and the Secretary of War regarding the scheme of mo- hiliZ9fi0n If ia General Miles has persuaded the Sec retary to authorize the concentration of the troops at Chattanooga or At lanta- The tents ordered by wire yes terday will probably be used for the troops that will assemble at some point south of the Tennessee River
 The First United States Infantry is still awaiting the order to go aboard the train. Everything that comes to light indicates a determination on the part of General Miles to utilize the services of this regiment at some other point than San Francisco.
 Recent orders have been issued en- joining secrecy as to the plans of the military arm of the service. The fol- lowing circular was issued yesterday by Colonel Miles, commanding the post at the Presidio:
 PREsIDIo, SAN FRANCISCO, Cal,
 Apri! IA, 1898.
 Circular: Hereafter the gatekeep- CTS will keep the gates of the reser- vation locked from 9 D. m. until 6 a. m. The gates will not be unlocked for parties to enter or leave except by order of the post or department commander.
 Whenever the gates are unlocked after hours the facts will be reported to the post commander. By order of
 COLONEL MILES.
 E. E. BENJAMIN, Adjutant. Orders received yesterday from head. quarters of the army direct Second Lieutenant Frank A. Wilcox, Company C, First Infantry, stationed at the Presidio, to proceed at once to Fort AIcr,Lan ,i,,