Evening star., 1901-10-22
ENGINEERS IN PHILIPPINES
COL. sANGER'S REPORT TO THE
ADJUTANT GENERAL.
InsurrectfOnist Shelters Destroyed
Numerous Maps Made - Many
Miles of Road Restored.

The adjutant general Of the army has re-
cefved report from Col. j. p. Sanger of
the inspector generals department in re-
gard to an inspection made by him of the
affairs Of the corps Of engineers in the
Philippine Islands
Commencing with the reconnaissances in
front Of the Spanish army in July, 1898,
conducted by Colonel Potter and Lieutenant
Connor," says Colonel Sanger, 'the officers
and enlisted men Of the Engineer Corps
have been constantly on duty up to this
time, rendering most valuable service The
work performed by them generally has
been the repair and construction of roads,
bridges and ferries. the preparation of OBJ
structions, the demolition of walls and
other obstacles sheltering the insurrectos,
reconnaissance and map making, and the
repair and operation of the Dagupan rail-
road All expeditions against the insurrec-
tos of any Importance have been accompa-
MED by detachments of engineers
"A large amount Of field work has also
been done by other officers and detach-
mentS of the line, both volunteer and regu-
lar, under the direction of engineer Off
GERS. The field notes, sketches and jour-
nails of the marches and "Reminiscences
which have taken place have been compiled
at these headquarters in the preparation of
suitable maps for the various provinces,
those of Zambales, Pangasinan, Tarlac,
Pampanga, Bulacan, Manila, Morong, Cav
1te, BauangaS, l<aSuna, Batadn, IdyapaS,
Nueva Ecija, nocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, the
Island of Martinique and the Island of
Panay having been traversed with compass
and more or less completely mapped. Up
ward of 5000 of these maps have been pre-
pared and distributed throughout the divi-
sion during the past year.
Many Miles of Road Repaired.
"There have also been constructed and
repaired about 700 miles of road, 27S
bridges, measuring about Il, ,146 feet in
length; 26S culverts and 10 ferries, chiefly
for military use. Added to what had been
done in the two years previous, we have
a total Of $50 miles Of road constructed and
repaired and $50 bridges constructed and
repaired, aggregating approximately 13, 746
feet in length, although these data are in
complete, the length Of many bridges not
being stated.
up to the establishment of civil govern
ment, July 4, the civil work of the Engineer
Corps was carried on pari-passu with their
military work, under the supreme d1rec-
tton of the division commander as military
governor. Consequently no attempt has
been made to separate them in this report.
With the inauguration of the civil governor
work on the port of Manila heretofore per-
formed by the engineers by military orders
passed nominally under civil control, and
although work roads and bridges in
progress on that date will be continued by
the engineers until the present. appropria-
ton Is exhausted 1t will then be trans
the CIVIL pTODdDly, or
as soon thereafter as they are able to as
sumo it.
River and HarbOr Work.
Among the important civil works which
have devolved on the engineers has been
the preparation of plans for dredging the
Pasig river and for the improvement Of the
harbor of Manila. In order that the en-
gineers might retain supervision over this
work after the transfer of the civil gov
ernment the acts of the civil government
making the necessary appropriat tionS pre-
the direction of the chief engineer of the
division. Orders were accordingly issued
by the division commander placing Major
Sears in charge of the port of Manila, and
on July 81 additional orders directed him
to perform such duties in connection with
lighthouses as might be assigned to him by
the civil governor. 1t is understood that
this is the first step toward the establish
1nent Of a lighthouse board corresponding
to its prototype in the United States.
with the establishment of the Engineer
Battalion in Manila and the dscontinuance
of military operations on large scale there
will be a corresponding reduction in eX-
penditures from army appropriations for
engineering supplies. What reduction in
expenditures will be practicable, If any,
in the work carried on under appropriations
made by the Philippine commission can only
be determined as the work progresses. I
am satisfied, however, that this subject will
vision of Major Sears, an experienced and
able engineer officer, and that no expendi-
lures will be made not warranted by the
requirements of the engineer service"