New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-15
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
Plans for MiHtiamen at NeSC York
Forts.
From The Tribune Bureau. /


| Washington. May a.
| NEW YORK OFFICERS HERE.-Colonel Ly-
! decker. commanding the 18th Regiment n. G. n y.
and Major Underwood. of the same regiment. came
TO Washington to-day and called the acting
chief of artillery. Colonel Weaver. learn the de-
tails of the coming service of their with the
coast defence artillery. Colonel Lydecker will serve
with his men ut Fort WadswOrth and Major Under
wood at Fort Hamilton Colonel Weaver carefully
explained the character of drill proposed by the
chief OF artillery. and the New York officers ap-
peared TO be much interested. He also urged them
to call on Colonel Crawford and Colonel Crimes
who In command of Forts Wadsworth ana
Hamilton, respectively. to make their acqualntahto
then, IN co,naSytion wh the arrangement OF the
camps. The work which has been laid OUT Ior Ide
miitamen at the coast defence forts is of an espe
cialIy interesting character The first few DAYS OF
with the guns they are to serve me names oi ,e
ammunition and general paraphernalla ana the az
will be followed by actual gunnery practice WIN
sub-calibre charges which VIII IRE Pro}}efGI[ Jew
manoeuvres stimulating actual warfare including
and by waller ship tracking, etc The last few
as they Will be interesting
PACIFIC COAST DEFENCES.-The government
has decided to spend more than 100000 in in
sta!ng fire control apparatus In forts on tho "a
cinc Coast. This Is tho largest allotment when
tas been made for vicinity, and Will equip all
the defences OF San Francisco and at the entrance
OF Puget Sound. For the former $4,000 has been
allotted and for the latter sSO.0S The Puget
Sound installation has been planned and the work
of installing a standard system has begun lie
plans Of the San Francisco work are now being
drafted and that there may be delay or any
question in the work OF the ASSISTANTS OF the
chief OF artillery Captain johnson fiaBoo1, t1s
left Washington for san Francisco ana seall!e' ne
Will spend d few weeks on the Pacihc O0aSt con
sultng with the artillery officers ana AftdH6-
ing for the work OF installing this important aP-
paratus controlling the fire OF the guns OF lae
seaboard Notifications Much of the work neces-
sary be done the Atlantic Coast mas Deeil a.
compshed- notably at tho entrance OF Cnesdpesne
Bay and at Pensacola. where the hTst "o'A was
done In experimental way.
TROUBLE WITH DRYDOCK BUILDERS.-The
Bureau OF Yards and Docks OF the Navy Depart
ment is preparing to invite bids for the construc-
ton OF a masonry drydock over seven hundred feet
in length. to be built at the navy yard at Puget
Sound The plans have been drawn In Washing
ton and will provide for dock large enough 10
IN the largest ships. Considerable interest at
taches TO the transaction. for tho reason that
the government has had trouble with the dry
docks which have been constructed lately I'M
der contract Indeed So much difficulty has been
encountered with the contractors In tho docks putt
at League Island. Pennsylvania; Mare Island Call
fcrnia and especially ut Brooklyn. that il was at
one time under discussion whether not the dock
at Puget Sound should be built by the government
BY hire Of labor. In which case. OF course. II
contract and have the work conducted by the civil
engineers duty Mt Bremerton Wash. OF course.
the government surrounds itself with all possible
protection against defAuItns contractors. ana IN
the end money is lost to the government by the
cancellation Of q contract AT the same time,
there Is loss Of much time, and in the OF the
contract the navy has lost the use OF the docks
when they were greatly needed.