New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-08
CONTRACTS FOR LIGHT UNIFORMS

THE LONG DELAYED AWARD no BE MADE To
DAY-HEAvY SHIPMENT OF ORDNANCE.
The award OF the contract for the lightweight
uniforms for the troops who sweltering In
the South In heavy winter-weght wooen gar
ments will be made to-day the ONCE Of tho
Acting Chief Quartermastor. in the Army Building
The exasperatng delay has boon due 10 various
causes the nna complication having resulted from
the effort substitute cotton drilling for canvas
The result has been that the greater part Of the
suits Will be made OF cotton duck. which has been
found superior 20 both Of these. and In some re-
spects better than the imported Khaki cloth, which
has been highly recommended
When the question OF equipping the big volun-
eer army after II was called by the President was
first considered. the subject OF clothing
ferred 10 the Clothing Bureau. in Philadelphia
which had been in tho habit Of turning out about
thirty thousand Regular Army uniforms IN year.
many OF them being made by the widows and daugh-
tiers Of soldiers OF tho Civil War for whom this en-
ployment was furnished by act Of Congress
The only suits known were the heavy and light
blue kersey cloth. the former twenty-five ounces
TO the yard and the latter sixteen ounces.
The pressing demands were first supplied by the
issue Of thirty thousand suits on hand. and then
contracts were made. chiefly In this city. for a
large quantity OF the lighter weight suits But
General Miles had seen In Germany a lightweight
canvas uniform which he deemed the best pos
sibe thing for wear. especially in
hot climate. sample suit obtained
and an effort made TO have large
number made through the Philadelphia Clothing
Bureau. But the delay and tho siowncss with
which the attempt to secure the letting OF a
tract was made great that finally the
matter turned over to the Deputy Quarter
ma ster General. In this city HIS first order
TO obtain bids for forty thousand canvas suits
But when the bids secured last week II was
ascertained that they were not what wanted
el he We refeC ted nt
for cotton drilling. technically called drill weave"
The best OF the suits submitted IN response was
not drilling at all. but cotton duck. question
was left open until after n conference held In
Washington on Monday at which Quartermaster-
General Kimba. OF this city. was present Tho
test to which the different materials including
canvas drilling. Khaki cloth and duck. were sub
mitted showed concusively that the duck tho
best. II is stronger more impervious 10 rain and
more flexible than the others under the same
thousand suits II cotton gu X. six and half ounces
a fair aold test TO the 'drili weave there viii be
twenty thousand suits Of It ordered and put along
side the others II is fully expected tina; there Will
be nifty thousand OF the duck suits contracted
for. the contract VIII Gail for the delivery OF fyc
contract is made. As fast made they VIII be
sent 70 he troops rhoss fSrthesi South getting
e enf and before he end Of this month ZACH
'qq ds y pcned for h
of eleven big rihed cannon. weighing in me aggre-
Sandy Hook Proving Grounds Two Of Pinch bore
VIII go TO Nantucket Head: two OF s-inch to Hilton
Head Port Royal. ;. C.; two Of Snch to Jerry's
Point Portsmouth. y. H.; ono OF l2-inch TO Fort
alliance. Ohio. aud one OF s-inch Cleveland.
Tho shipment il the largest single one ever made
from Sandy Hook.
tic following additional applicants for commits
in The Read H Of weT Fails sAa%ned
an electrical engineer and graduate OF Lehigh
University; II. II. Esseisyn. an architcct and
graduate OF Rutgers College; Abner J. Haydel. an
architect OF this city; Warren ID. Brown. an cleo
frIcal en;;ineer who has been employed In Edison's
laboratory. and William II. Wilson. a mining
cinccr OF this city.
Army orders have been issued allowing all or
dained clergymcn the privilege Of conducting e
ligious rervices at the various camps where they
are stationed chaplains.