Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
ENGINEER BATTALION
DID GOOD WORK IN PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS.
Many Detachments Sent Out for Sur.
veys All Over the Archipelago
What Was Accomplished.

The I'd Battalion of Engineers was or
ganized from Companies c and D of the
(old) Battalion of Engineers, by virtue of
act of Congress of February =, 1901. The
battalion was designated for immediate
service in the Philippine Islands. 1t was
hastily recruited up to near full strength
as possible, drilled and trained as rapidly
as possible in the limited time available for
its service there. Trade schools We're estab-
lished for teaching carpentry, masonry
plumbing and other trades, in anticipation
of any work that might arise in it's future
station.
1t left Willett's Point, where it had been
oil ganized and recruited, for the Philippines
on June Is 1901 and arrived in Manila
bay on July 16 1891.
The entire battalion here took station a.
Malate barracks in the city of Manila,
awaiting assignments of duty. About six
weeks later Company F was detached for
service in the Department of the Visayas,
with station at lloilo, and Company was
detached for service in the Department of
Nindanao and Jolo. with station at Fam
bCanga. Companies +, and II remained in
Manila for duty in the Department of Luz
ZOll.
The first and most important duties of
the companies were to open up roads and
communications in their respective depart
ments. The civil commission had appropri-
ated S2OOo,OC0 Mexican for this purpose to
be diSburSed under the engineer DEPART
ment. The captains were the department
engineers in general charge of the work,
and the lieutenants had responsible charge
OF districts. The nOn-COmmissioned officers
| and pr!Vates of engineers were in charge of
the working parties, consisting OF native
laborers paid from the funds above mem
toned. RoaC5 of every kind were repaired
opened and built from mere trails to ma
cadam highways. Nearly all bridges We're
down or in bad condition, and these were
rebuilt and repaired. Bridges of all kinds
were built. from simple pile bridges to long
spanned trussed and suspension bridges
Sent Out for Surveys.
Many detachments We're sent our for
surveys. Surveys of all kinds, from mere
road sketches to accurate contoured maps
of large areas, were made; sometimes
under the direction of an officer but more
often by a sergeant or a corporal and
few privates
WharVes were built photographic sur
VeyS were made, plans and specifications
for the improvement of some of the more
| important harbOrs We're drawn up, forti-
! fCatiOn sites were selected and surveyed
| sites We're selected and surveyed for
military posts. and a great deal of the
| actual work of constructing them fell to
| the engineers.
Some Of the more important works of
| the battalion We're as follows: Calamba-
! Batansas road. Bay-CaIauan road. Mala-
| bang-Camp Wears road MataIing river
| bridge IIigan- Marahui road, Agus river
! bridge IlOilO-Pototan road Aganan river
! bridge, survey of fertilization sites at
! Manila, Cebu. Iloilo; Camp Jossman mac
adam road, wharves at Camp BOSNIAN,
/ Parang- Parang, Zamboanga, Jolo, Higan,
/ CalbdyOg.
Surveys of military reservations at
/ Fort VIM. Mckinley, near Manila Camp
/ JOSsman, MarlVeles, Batangas, uoilo,
/ Laguan. CalbayOg, JoIo, Cebu, Ormoc,
| Malabang, TacIoban, Dumaguete.
| Survey of Anarri river a norton of
! Island Of Guimeras and of Negroes.
| Assisted in the construction of military
| posts at Fort VIM. Mckinley and Camp
| JOSSman.
! In addition to this. Companies F and G.
| engaged in the Lake Lanao expedition in
| 1902, in Mindanao and to these two COM
| panies belong the credit for the two
! great military highways to that lake.
| Company + did practically all the pioneer
work for that from Malabang to Camp
! Wears and Company @ that from Iligan
! to Marahui. Company f participated in
| two engag ements with the Moros while
| on this work. Company g was relieved
| from duty on the Iligan-Marahui road in
| May. 1903. by Company E, which re-
| NAMED there constructing the Agus river
| bridge and other work until October,
! 1903. Company F was relieved from the
! Mala bang road in November, 1903 and
| returned TO Iloilo, where it was engaged
| princi palIy in work at Camp Jossman,
| Guimeras, until its departure from the
] islands
| companies u ana II anu battalion uedu-
| quarters returned to the United states
! in June 1903, taking station at Washing
! ton barracks, d. c. Companies and F
| left Manila on November Il. 1908, and
| reached Washington barracks December
"a, 1903.
Since that date the battalion has been
| engaged in the usual sengineer work,
! training it's personnel both practically
| and theoretically.
The battalion took part in the fall ma
| neuVers at Manassas except Company G.,
| and attachments from the battalion sur
| Neyed the maneuver grounds and as
| sisted in the preparation OF the camps
| for their occupants.