New-York tribune., 1906-10-29
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
rFrom Tn. Tribune Bureau

| -. 80, tho navy ward at Brooklyn concerning
the docks of that establishment one OF the pis
/ docks is settling badly at its entrance anu mag
| have to be placed out of COMMISSION Inns - W
old trouble experienced with the structure sohie
wears ago, Just after the war with SPAN "i'en ~
| was found necessary to support the oooA' anu
| due to the insecurity of the land upon which li9
dock is located Another of the docks Is reported
in had way bv reason of the cracking of the con-
crete altars which recently supstltuIeu aie5 t
the wooden work This will have TO Somewhat me en-
IS a lack of funds TO meet the emergency There
has been this year an extraordinary DRAFT t upon
the contingent funds Of the Navy bepn sire Than
this the excavation for the new large dock Kat al
B@Gkfn n Gf reSanE IS ggp Gent to that
repair. 1t is estimated that the eNII@ ~ e Cent
Much extra labor is entailed upon the yard force rec
chine shops and the necessity for carrying ma
terial forth around the excavation 10 srIb b
berthtng facilities are bound TO be somewhat Inn
tied while the deck is in of T 6eE year a
geek to obtain still another drydock impresses @
creased cost doing repair work Those s y5o} Whq
specially interested in the s1tuafon % lear repar
funds by Congress will give the people who are IL
the chance to urge the better and economical
faceS Of another plant tnan 1 That a,s al shiDs
TURBINES FOR NEW WARSHIPs-The 10000
or more ton battleship which the experts OF the
Navy Departmsnt-to say nothing OF those outsioe
Of the department-are making plans for VIII prop
ably carry turbines instead Of ordinary reciprocal
ing engines as tho motive power THIS ls the re-
suit of information which has come from England
lately regarding the Dreadnought The reports m
dicate that the turbines operated on ths FIlsiaS
perfs that they could be run economically with the
ship going at low speed Ihs mas p PEI 4nrbine @ for
0r own ra o SO far Convinced of the efficiency and
of turbine
have been decided advantage to have nag a tur I
bnes the battleshps recently contracted Tor IN.
stead Of rcciprocating engines. The change cannoe
be made Of course since II wGuIu p rrnnossG
to furnish turbines and whose BIDS were Te!scteo'
II IS St the gt trbne or the new
inghouse turbine. the latter being described as an
Dreadnought and manufactured in this country Il
is certain. the naval engineers the tu1one mas as
equipping the next big ships planned for this gov
signed will carry turbines.
SAFER POWDER FOR ARMY.-The adoption
OF new and severer specifications for smokeIess
powder had an impressive sequence at the army
ordnance Office this week, when bids were opened
from four firms, in different parts of the country
for supplying the army about 100000 pounds OF
that material Interest attached to the bidding Tor
the reason that the smokeess powder makers hao
at first informed the department that 1t would be
difficult if not impossible, to meet the new require
ments 1t was realized that this condition
would make 1t necessary for the manufacturers 10
obtain special machinery and to conduct extensive
experiments before they could comply with the re-
quirements. The four bidders presented identical
bids, at So cents pound; with the usual allowance
If the government supplied the alcohol as Is the
said however, that the firms will not be able to
supply the powder within less than two years,
crcumstances 1t is an interesting question there
fore, whether the contract will be placed with any
all of the bidders in view of this delay in OBJ
tanning powder which will be needed before the
expiration of the time named. 1t is serious mat
officers whose duty it is to keep the service sup
piled with smokeless powder.
ARMY APPLICATION sCHOOLS-Important
changes have been made in the school OF apploa-
ton for cavalry and field artillery at Fort Riley.
Kansas. More officers of those two branches OF
the service will attend the school than has been
the case hitherto In addition to twentyfour lieu
tenants of cavalry and twelve neutenants of artil-
lery selected by regimental commanders and by
duty at the school there viii be detailed as stu
dent officers such field artillery and artillery off,
available. OF course, all Instruction has been in
creased and practically represents an entire year
of the school will be accepted in lieu OF certain
tion for promotion. Army officers view with much
interest If not real apprehension the extension
ing up a feeling in some quarters that there is
too much Of this sort Of work imposed on the
much of the work outlined is of a practical sort,
away from the real work and become Theorists
The advocates of military education claim that
no reduction in the amount OF study required Of
commissioned officers.
HEALTH MENACE AT NEWPORT-The hy-
genic conditions in the naval training service htNe
been such to occasion considerable alarm, and
1t is with the idea OF giving greater protection to
the enlisted personnel and preventing the intro
duction of epidemics at Newport that the navals
surgeons have succeeded in convincing the depart
ment Of the need of some special precautionary
measures. This will be done by the construction
at Newport of q series of detention buildings TO
which will be sent their arrival at the training
SIatlon the apprentice seamen newly recruited
There they Will be Quartered under surveillance
and examined, with a view to determining whether
any Of them are destined to bring into the service
typhoid or other infectious diseases. 1t has been
shown that some OF the trouble in this direction
mas been caused by the admission TO the training
station of boys who were thus afflicted, and Of
whose condition there opportunity to ascer-
tam before the contagfon had spread The
detention buildings will be erected under contract
for which bids will be Opened early In December
In the bureau OF navigation.
DESERTER CATCHERS' REWARDS of
the most troublesome questions periodically enrag-
ing the attention oftEe military authorities is the
determination of the recipient OF the legal reward
Tor the apprehension of deserters from the army
So much difficulty has been encountered In this re-
spect and such expense involved that some of the
officials are asking whether ii would not be we'll to
discontinue the custom OF giving rewards for the
return OF deserters on the ground that Just as
well to let such persons their way. unless they
can be caught by less costly methods 1t is doubt
ful, say some of the army officers whether the re-
ward really prevents desertion and certainly
enough men are willing to the risk of capturs
IN order to get away. The questions which come
troVersy 10 no special advantage. and where local
ponce authorities are concerned. sometimes lead 10
evade the payment OF the reward since fhe a1o no
p'ys ot law ralseu are not always appreciated by