Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-26
MAJOR MAXFiELD'S REPORT
WORK OF THE SIGNAL CORPS AT
FORT MYER.
Instruction Given to Recruits-DepOt
for Supplies-Needs of
the Post.

| commanding the SlSnal corps post 1t oIt
Myer. Va. has made report to the chief
signal officer of the army regarding the
| operations at that post during the past year
and the condition and needs Of the post
| During the year the following buildings
] have been completed: Administration
| building, balloon house and small tempo
| rary store house.
1.-The administration building" says Ma
| jor Maxfeld, lis sufficiently large to give,
in addition to the necessary offices, a large
| room used as lecture and recitation room
| for enlisted men, Photographic room with
dark room, and a small room used as
| recitation room for officers. In the base
ment of the annex to the administration
building has been mounted a ffty-horse-
power oil engine and dynamo sufficiently
| large to light the post by electricity should
this seem desirable. The upper moor OF the
annex is utilized as machine shop.
Owing to the fact that the site OF the
post is covered by a dense growth OF trees
and brush and is very uneven, the balloon
house cannot be utilized for the purposes
for which 1t was built until large space
in front of it is cleared drained and graded.
Plans for this work have been drawn up and
will be submitted. The clearing and grading
of this ground is also advisable in order to
give sufficient space for the drilling OF the
command At present there is no space at
the post where even thirty men can be
properly drilled at one time.
Instruction TO RECRUITS
Zone of the objects for which this post
was established was understood to be to
give the necessary instruction to recruits
and other enlisted men in the signal corps
before they were put upon duty in the field
or at posts. During the year 25S enlisted
men have received instruction at this post.
The average length Of time that men have
remained at the post after reporting here
has been two and one-third months. On
I 1t -I,1 i4I ~ cto oV16
also the uncertainty to the length Of
service of any man at the post, arising from
the constant drafts upon the force here for
service in the Philippine Islands and Alaska,
1t has been impracticable to formulate
hard-and-fast system Of instruction. All
men, however, have been instructed accord
ing to their needs in teIegraphy, signaling,
telephony and the use Of instruments en-
ployed in signal corps work.
"Until the middle of May the number OF
officers on duty at the post was SO small
that no systematfzed course OF instruction
for officers was possible. After May 10
course of instruction for officers was in
stituted embracing instruction in army reg
ulations, customs Of the service, military
law, electricity, telephony, photography
and other subjects connected with signal
corps work This course was continued I'M
til the end Of the year.
Depot for Supplies.
During the year a large amount OF sig
nal corps supplies and material not needed
In Porto Rico, Cuba. the Philippine Islands |
and posts in the United States has been |
shipped to this post. Much Of this mate |
RIAL particularly instruments, has been re- |
ceived in an unserviceable condition. These |
Instruments, especially telephones and tele- !
graph Instruments have been put In thor |
ough state of repair and made ready for re-
issue.
THE store house available has been in
sufficient for the proper storage Of all sup |
plies received, but by the utilization OF !
buildings designed for other purposes loss |
has been avoided. At the end Of the year !
a large part of the material and supplies |
received here had been reissued. Since the |
close of the year the property pertaining to
the signal corps depot in the city Of Wash
ington has been removed to the post, and |
it has since been practically the sole depot |
for storage and issue of signal corps sup |
plies. To enable this additional work to be |
carried out in the best manner possible the |
building of additional storehouse of the |
size Of that already at the post is recon- |
mended.
During the year Photographic room. |
fully fitted with the proper appliances, has |
been established and large amount Of |
work in this line connected with the various |
departments Of the army performed.
Experiments With Automobiles.
During the year experiments have been |
made with the view of determining the |
value of automobiles in the military service, |
more particularly In the work of the sig |
nal corps. Two types of electric automo- |
bi1es have been thoroughly tested during |
the year and the conclusion arrived at that !
they are not adapted to military use. Bids |
have been invited for the furnishing of one !
steam automobile and two operated by ex- |
plosive engines using gasoline as the mo-
tive power. Upon their arrival further |
tests are contemplated which will enable !
a satisfactory conclusion as to the utility of |
these vehicles.
Needs of the Post.
IF the post is to be maintained as a sig |
nal corps depot for supplies, an additional |
storehouse, as already recommended, is be- |
Heved to be necessary If, further, the post Is !
to be maintained as a school of instruction |
for officers and enlisted men it Is believed |
that the following buildings are urgently |
needed: guard house, quarters for at |
least six non-commssioned officers; stable |
which will accommodate at least fourteen |
public animals and six private horses |
owned by officers; at least one double set Of |
officers quarters. All Of these buildings |
have been recommended during the last |
two years by the inspectors who have made |
the annual inspection Of the post.
IF the post Is to be maintained as |
school of instruction, it is further recon- |
mended that definite course of instruction |
be decided upon covering not less than four |
months for enlisted men and not less than |
six months for officers, and that officers |
orl1 hove h. u -