Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-01
EXPLAINS PROBLEMS
WORK OF SIGNAL CORPS FEATURE
OF THE ENCAMPMENT.
Gen. Corbin Inspects Camps in an
Automobile-Marine Corps OH
GERS to Get Instruction.
Special From star Correspondent.

ers on the conduct of the maneuvers IN
General Corbns tent this morning. The
meeting lasted more than an hour and
half and at it's conclusion General Corbin
entertained the officers at a luncheon.
In his address to the commanders of the
subdivisions that will have charge of the
maneuvers Colonel Wagner endeavored to
impress on his hearers the necessity of IN
tellgent consideration of the maneuver pro-
gram. He went over the problems and ex-
planned why they had been selected and of
what service they We're to be in the in
structon of troops.
General Corbin. accompanied by the chief
of staff and aid de-camp, paid visit to
the second division camp at Thoroughfare
this morning in the new white automobile,
which was brought here yesterday, MT.
Walter l.. White acted as chauffeur.
Preparations are being made at Thor
oughfare for the reception of a large num-
Der of officers % the Marine Corps who are
to attend the maneuvers as observers. Capt
Matthews of the quartermaster depart
ment of the Marine Corps has arrived IN
camp with detail of enlisted men to make
the preliminary arrangements. Gen. Elliott
and his officers are expected to arrive Sat
friday night or Sunday.
A tent has also been erected at Gen.
Bells headquarters for the accommoda-
ton of the Secretary of the Navy, who
will be here next week in the capacity OF
an observer. Col. Edgar T. Steever. senior
umpire with the blue army, and Col. Chas
G. Treat commandant of cadets at West
Point. who will be Col steever's principal
assistant reported for duty last night
Monthly Muster.
Yesterday was the day for the monthly
muster of the regular troops stationed here,
but it did not interfere in the least with the
program of preliminary work for the ma
neuvers which have been in progress since
-
diers in the regular army is done by regi-
ment. battery or corps. On this occasion
the inspecting officers were not so partic-
ular to clothing they would be in
barracks or garrison. but arms and accou-
terments had to be in apple-pie order. The
muster Of troops every month Is for the
purpose of ascertaining by authenticated
record the exact strength of the command.
so that the pay rolls and other records Of
the various organizations might be kept
straight. The ceremony was performed by
the organization commanders to suit their
own convenience, some of them mastering
their troops in the morning before starting
out for the days work and some of them
waiting until retreat was sounded at
o'clock. BY means of the muster the exact
number of officers and enlisted men in the
field can be secured. According to what
could be learned last night 1T would appear
that there are a few hundred less than
5000 men on duty here now.
Gen. Corbin announced tonight that Gen.
Chaffee would receive the review which is
to be held on September 10 at Wellington,
three miles east of here, as announced in
me star some time ago. The corps com
mander stated that this will be the only
feature of the maneuver that persons COM
ing to camp for day can very well wit
ness, and he advises all visitors who have
only that length of time to spend in this
section during the maneuvers to wait until
the 10Th TO pay their visit and they will be
amply repaid by the spectacle presented
Testing Automobiles.
Mr. Walter White, a well-known auto
mobilist, arrived in camp for the purpose
of testing his machine during the maneu-
Vers yesterday evening from Cleveland.
Ohio, in his auto. Mr.. White came over
the Warrenton pike from Washington in
three hours. The distance is forty-two
miles. but the roads are very bad and the
going was slow compared with what il
should have been. Shortly after the arrival
OF Mr.. White, Augustus Post of New York
chairman of the touring committee of the
Automobile Association of America arrived
In camp also Mr.. Post is here for the pur-
pose OF ascertaining the use that can be
made of the autos in warfare and will be
given every opportunity to make his inves-
legations. Both of these gentlemen are the
guests of General Corbin. who is much in
terested in autOmobilng, and intends to
take machine to the Philippines with him
when he sails in October to take command
of the troops in the archipelago There are
three autos in camp that are owned by the
government, and are to be used during the
maneuvers. One of these machines is with
the artillery battalion of the second division,
and was given a severe test on the road,
coming into camp from Washington. Each
battery of field artillery in the army is
equipped with the field forge and a machine
artillery wagon. In the former are all
the necessary utensils for repairing minor
breaks in the guns and gun carriages and
for shoeing the horses In the latter is car
ried a complete machine shop and such
nartS of piece OF artillery and its
carriages as can be practically carried on
the march. The artillery wagon is a very
heavy and cumbersome vehicle, and battery
commanders have difficulty in keeping it in
column while on the road. The artillery
automobile which is undergoing trial here
is designed to take the place of both the
forge and the artillery wagons, and In ad-
dition to this is equipped with an electric
light plant with capacity or twelve or
fourteen lights. The machine has both a
gasoline engine and electric dynamo,
and weighs IL 900 pounds. 1t will be given
a thorough trial. There is some little pre1u-
dice against il on account or It's great
weight. many experienced ohcers reserVlng
their opinion as TO Its adaptplllty Tor mill
tary purposes until they have seen II In
use on all kinds of ground and roadways.
The other two automobiles are being used
nv the Signal Corps to assist in the laying
of the wires about the camp and they are
said to be operated with great success.
The army has owned several automopies
of this type for months past and has SUP,
kinds of ground Many signal corps OF
fcers are enthusiastic in their praises OF
the machine. while others are more con-
servative, although they all admit that the
auto has certain features that make 1t a
most practicable adjunct to the corps prop
erty Within the past twenty-four hours
the machine that is assigned to the signal
company on duty with the I'd Division
has had the hardest kind of work to do
Yesterday the members of this command
were thrown into service reconstructing the
telegraph line between the Thoroughfars
camp and Gainesville. The reconstruction
was made necessary by the fact that the
insulated wire used originally was not
heavy enough to withstand the current
sent over it, In some places the insula
ton was burned away and ii was necessary
to put another line with heavier and more
non-conductive insulation.
Work of Signal Corps.
The work Of the Sgnal Corps throughout
the preliminary arrangements for the camI
has been In keeping with the high stand
ards that have been set for this particular
branch of the service. 1t Is no easy tasf
to put into operation large telegraph an6
telephone system In the short time the Sig.
nal Corps officers have been at work here
and yet they have surmounted the Difficult.