Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-13

Current Events Cleaned from the
Army and Navy Register.

Current Events Cleaned from the
Army and Navy REGISTER.
The war department has sent out to Fort
Leavenworth the new signal corps motor
wagon recently designed by the Board OF
Equipment Of the army signal once That
branch Of the army recently purchased the
mechanism Of two types OF motor vehicle.
The officers found considerable dificulty
in obtaining just what was desired as most
OF the manufacturers devote their facilities
and ingenuity to the construction Of tour
, ing cars. One of the motor vehicles was
Winton wo-cylinder, 20-horse power chas-
sis, which has been converted for use with
the field telegraph train for carrying line
supplies and for general purposes In con-
necton with the field telephone and tele-
graph line. This wagon will be sent TO
Omaha where the army signal corps will
maintain a supply station, which will also
be the headquarters OF the balloon train.
| The other carriage is an to l0-horse
power Cadillac, single cylinder chassis, de-
signed for telegraph repair work, capable
Of carrying four men with the material
/ and the repair tools and equipped for max
ing flying trips, being a sort Of trouble
wagon Of the signal corps in the field.
/
ment regarding enlistments for the line
/ Of the army during the past month show
| a total OF 3,T12 Of which 2,O29 enlistments
| were made in the cities and the remainder
at military posts and In the field. They
are classified as follows: Infantry (white),
! 1892; coast artillery 409; engineer bat
| talions, 80: cavalry (white). 925; field artil-
lery. 90; United States Military academy
| detachments, 10; infantry (coioredD, lS2;
| cavalry (colored), 12s; Indian scouts, 3;
Porto Rico regiment Of infantry, s; Philip
| pine scouts, S
The quartermaster general Of the army
has issued the new locker to certain bar
| racks which have not been equipped with
! that useful receptacle for soldiers effects
The completed locker Is a fine specimen Of
workmanship. 1t is built OF steel, covered
| with a baked enamel of the conventional
| army olive drab shade 1t is six feet eight
| inches high, one foot seven inches deep,
| and one foot eight inches wide, with a
| shelf at the top and bottom. There are
| eleven hooks attached to the upper shelf.
There is ventilator at the top and bottom
of the door and others at the back, insur-
| ing plenty of air for the contents. There
is a sloping top which will facilitate the
inspection of the locker room and prevent
the accumulation of old material in that
favorite place Of deposit 1t will be i'm
possible to secrete cast-on clothing and
other refuse under the locker as it stands
on the floor without any elevation. The
door is secured by a paddock.
Captain George s. Gibbs OF the signal
corps has returned to duty in Washington
as the disbursing officer in the army sig
nal office after a vacation spent in Massa-
chusetts preceded by a period of service
| with the Massachusetts militia In the an
nual encampment at westheld. Captain
Gibbs will make a report based on his
observations The Massachusetts, signal
corps consists of a company Of ffty-four
men in command of two officers, the senior
being Captain Stevens. The command was
equipped with army signal corps appara-
tus which was used intelligently and with
good results. One interesting feature OF
the encampment was an automobile re-
connoissance, during which the devices
for visual signaling were used, the hello
graph by day and the acetyline lantern by
night BY this means of travel II was
possible to cover a long distance in a short
period OF time and send back to head
quarters full information Of the condition
of the roads, the repairs needed and
similar valuable information. 1t was found
that reports could be made in a much
shorter time than when parties were other
wise sent out to make use OF the field tele-
graph. Captain Stevens attracted consider
able attention on account of his enthusia sn
for his work and the ingenuity he displayed
In the invention and use OF a sort OF plow
which cut a thin furrow eight or nine
inches deep in the ground, and at the same
time imbedded and covered up the field
telegraph and telephone line, thus pro.
tectlng the wire from discovery or injury
There were obvious advantages OF this
method, which has its undoubted value
under some conditions, although It would
not necessarily be of value In the regular
establishment.
No changes will be made in the reRula