Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-09
Want your monstaehe or beard beautiful
brown or rich black? Then use
BUGKINGHhM'S DYEtShisslEs |
GEN. SMITH WILL RETIRE.



The United States Engineers ONCE In This
City Is to be Abolished.
Gen. William H. Smith, United
States engineer 10 charge oil river and
hSrbor work for the Delaware and
Maryland peninsula, has resigned, and
he has been ordered by the Secretary
of War to. turn his affairs Over to the
government engineers 10 Philadelphia
and Baltimore. That menus that the
offios in this city Ia to be abolished.
unless the people Of Wilmington sue
Decd in having that portion of the
order revoked. Gen. Smith has besn
10 poor health for some time and for
that reason decided to reIinquish his
position, and his resignation has been
accepted, to take effect July LIST. He
has been given a leave OF absence
covering the months OF May aud June.
Under the order accepting the resig.
nation Of Gen. Smith the general is
instructed to turn over all of his work
and effects pertaining to the Delaware
River side of his district TO Col. q. W.
Raymond, the government engineer for
the district OF Easter Pennsylvania,
station in Philadelphia, and that per-
tanning TO the Chesapeake Bay and
tributaries to Dol. Oswald II. Ernst
of Baltimore, Nd, thu government
engineer 10 charge OF work in that
district. This arrangement will divide
the work of the Peninsula between the
Philadelphia and Baltimore offices,
which Is not at all to the liking of
Ieople having commercial interests
here, and steps are to be taken at once
to get the Secretary of War to recon
slider his action and allow the office to
remain here l.st .re
The Wilmington office was estat-
lished IN 1884, with Gen. Smith 10
charge, and be has remained in charge
ever since. Formerly the work was
looked after by the Philadelphia and
Baltimore offices, but 1T became SO
important that IL was deemed necessary
10 have an independent district for the
Peninsula, With an office in this city.
Gen. Smith became thoroughly familiar
with the work and accomplished the
very best results possible with the
funds at his command and his retire
ment is regretted.
Gen. William F.Smith is a native Of
Verm ont, from which State he entered
the West Point Military Academy on
July 1st, lS41. In 1916 he graduated
aEd became lieutenant in the army.
On March Sd, 1863, he was appointed
maIor-general of engineers and on
March lstg 1889, was retired. Since
that time he has been regarded as a
civilian employe IN the government.
although having charge of the Will
mington Office and being here most OF
the time, his actual residence was and
now Is in Philadelphia, lie came to Will
mington nearly every day. lie has
son and daughter, the sun being an
officer in the navy. ~
1t is felt, in fact it Is natural, that
IL an officer is stationed here and his
sole duty is to look after this district
he can do 80 much better than some
body who has large district on his
hands in addition to part of the
Delaware Peninsula. The entire PENN.
sula is interested 10 this matter.
When appropriations are made by the
government the large rivers. as rule,
receive first oons Iteration and the
smaller waterways onme atterward,
The interests Of the Delaware and
Christiana Rivers instead OF being
identical appear to be antagonistio, SO
far as the commer6e OF the two stu cams
IL concerned, hence the necessity for
having an officer on the ground ali the
time.