Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-11-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

who have teStlneu III the ScnIey court
of inquiry had severe attacks of stage
fright when they first took the witness
chair. The attack is manifested by
their stumbling over chairs, dropping
their caps or gloves or grasping spas
medically for their swords. Some of
the men who have received mention for
conspicuous bravery have had the most
serious attacks. Admiral Dewey and
his colleagues on the court are very
lenient with officers thus afflicted. 1t
took the admiral himself three days to
get used to the craned necks and star
ing eyes Of the background Of specta-
tors. At first he had a terrible time adj
ministering the oath to witnesses. He
could not keep his eye on the type
written copy Of the oath which had
been provided for him and on the spec
tators at the same time. Now the ad-
miral can rattle off the oath like a
clerk of a naturalization court. One Of
ficer who was mentioned for his heroic
action during the battle Of Santiago
foundered up to the witness chair and
landed in it after saluting the court,
the counsel on both sides and finally
the audience. When the admiral asked
him to rise and take the oath, he rose
to his feet in daZdd way and reached
out blindly for the Bible. After he had
made two or three unsuccessful at
tempts to get his hand on it Admiral
In, 1,n l. INN uiy n n q
said, "Here it is, lieutenant" and
reached out and steered the unmanage-
able hand to the sacred book. Then the
hero of Manila beamed sympathetically
down on the embarrassed officer while
he recited the oath.
The New Committee Rooms.
Work is being rushed night and day
on the twenty-eight new committee
rooms which cover the space in the
capitol formerly occupied by the old
Congressional library.
These committee rooms have all been
assigned and will be furnished and
ready for occupancy not later than
Nov. Is. it is said.
The house committee in charge OF
the arrangements has ordered the fur
nitIre, and much of it is already stored
in different parts of the capitol and
ready to be put in place. Representa-
tives Cannon and Richardson of the
committee have given much personal
attention to the details of identifying
and furnishing the apartments which,
it is intended. shall be model commit
tee rooms.
Work is also being rushed on the
supreme court chamber, but as it can
not be completed in time it has been
decided that the sittings of the court
temporarily shall be in the room
where the supreme judges hole their
Saturday conferences. This apartment
Is in the basement Of the capitol, d.
rectly beneath the office of the clerk
of the supreme court.
The Engineer School.
The engineer school of application
was established at Willets Point, n. Y,
many years ago and has proved a
most valuable adjunct to the army.
1t is postgraduate school for the hon
Or graduates Of the Military academy
assigned to the engineer corps and oc-
cupies the same relation to that corps
that the artillery school at Fort Mon
roe and the infantry and cavalry
schools at Fort Leavenworth and Fort
Riley, Kan, do to the line of the army.
One of the reasons for the transfer
of the school from Willets Point to
Washington was that the former post
was needed for the artillery in con-
nection with the scheme for the better
protection of New York harbor An
other and more important reason was
that the national capital was consid-
cred better place for military educa-
tional instructions because of the man
fold advantages afforded by the Con-
gressional library and the scientific in
situations of the government.
Chinese Firearms.
The National museum has received
as a gift from Colonel w. II. Carter
of the United States army, just return
ed from China, 4 large collection of
firearms taken from the arsenal in
tt tsn. The collection is one Of the
n t extraordinary ever received by
til !useum, containing as it does. al
N t everything in the way of guns,
fl n matchbox up to the latest fire.
arms. One gun is twenty-three feet
in length and was operated by five
men, four holding it in position. while
the fifth did the firing. Another meas
ures eighteen feet in length and is
hammerless. This gun was fired in
the same way. three men holding it in
place. one aiming and fifth striking
the cap with small hammer attached
to the stock by Il chain and hook.
Census Office Clerks.
To clerks who labor from ten to
twelve hours day some Of the griev-
ances Of Washington government clerks
must seem very amusing. There are
two shifts Of clerks in the census office.
one Of which quits at o'clock and is
followed by shift that takes hold at
5 and labors for seven hours. or until