New-York tribune., 1907-05-13

Act|rity Manifested in Both Military
.Ser1ices.
from The Tribune Burcau.l

tor duty at the naval establishment at Brooklyn.
The guess IS hazarded that these estimates will not
he competitive In the sense that they VIII be less
than the lowest amount named by private ship
builder. 1t may easily happen that the influence on
the Pacific Coast concerned in Keeping things alive
at the Mare Island Navy Yard will insist that Of
the hatteships shall be constructed at that plant
coast can handle the work. This state of affairs
will undoubtedly introduce new element in the
situation it relates to the construction Of
the next hattleships to be built for the navy. The
influences one way or the other in order to have
the ships built at navy yards or under contract
In the mean time the attacks which have been
made upon private shpbuilders, notably by Con
cal notice of the Navy Department. and it is prob
able that Secretary Metcalf will address conf
the statements which Mr.. Waldo recently made in
Boston.
SURGEONS NEEDED IN NAVY.-Notwith
standing the inducements which naval career Of
fers for young physician. the medical corps of
the navy has not found it possible to get enough
naval surgeons 10 meet the needs Of the service.
Admiral RiXey. surgeon general Of the navy, has
adopted extraordinary measures to meet the case.
going far to send circulars to many Of
the best medical colleges soliciting applications
from the graduates for appointment naval sur
geons. And to make the offer more tempting. the
surgeon general has undertaken to give temporary
Young men who pass a satisfactory preliminary
summation and come to Washinston FOR instruction.
Ihey VIII receive six months special training at
the naval medical school and hospital recently
tStdD!Sned mere or AZ the Mare Island naval nos
Coast At the end of that the graduates
with an annual salary Of $I766. suPpemented by
mens. The difficulty in securing applicants Hes
In the fear OF the examination to which they must
submit Admiral RiNey insists that this fear IS
unfounded If the applicant has been properly
grounded in The principles Of medicine The short
T,,d four I@Ganfes & IN corps that at its maximum
be supplied normally before the end OF the calen-
dar year. Congress will be asked 10 add to the in
ducoments now held out TO applicants by consider
ably increasing the pay Of naval surgeons.
COMMIssARIEs OF FOREIGN ARNuEs.-The
commissary general of the army, Brgadier General
Henry C. Sharpe has applied FOR permission TO go
abroad on leave for several weeks and will take
advantage of this opportunity next month 10 make
an extended inspection trip. visiting such places
London, Paris and Berlin and examining the
organization and equipment Of the supply depart
ments OF the European armies with special refer
ence TO the commissary system. He IS particularly
interested in the cooking schools % foreign armies
having estahIlshed several such institutions In the
and another at Washington barracks. D. e. lie viii
abroad in preparing the soldiers food in the iied
including tho mechanical contrtvances FOR baking
bread and cooking meats for troops on tho march.
There have been many army officers TO visit Eu
rope for one reason or another. but this IS the
occasion when a member Of the commssary de-
partnent OF the army has been sent abroad FOR
the purpose Of observation.
CIVIL. ENGINEERING CHANCES. Unusual IN
ttIest attaches 10 the examination which IL Is In
tended 70 hold 1T New York and possibly in Chi
July to M the six vacancies I'm the grade
OF assistant civil engineer I'm the navy. Great diff
cultZ has been encountered by the authorities In
obtaining candidates who in all respects quail
fed for the positions and those in charge have be-
gun TO fear that Il would be necessary 10 lessen
the severity OF the examination I'm order to hH the
positions This will not he done, Of course. and II
is believed that this year, by virtue Of the special
efforts which are being made in the Navy Depart
tract l.,
nical schools, enough candidates Will be found
qualified to fill the six positions j. the mean time
line officers, MIdshIpman v NJ. Smith and En-
sign r. S. Furber. have been transferred to the
corps of civil engineers. The former has already
gone TO the Rensselaer P9iytechnc institute where
he Will stay two years before reporting for duty
ton 10 pass the physical examination and win be
sent TO Troy in few weeks
ONE ILLUNINANT ENOUGH.-An artillery Of
fcer stationed at one of the forts near New York
has applied for allowance of lamps and mineral
oil for his quarters which happen to be- lighted by
electricity. The War Department has decided that
such allowance is possible for quarters where
the electric light IS installed. 1t is the intention OF
the army regulations to furnish a uniform system
OF illumination for each army post and not to de
part therefrom unless under emergency. Some
posts lighted by electricity and gas. this being
installed i'm each set OF quarters The Secretary of
War having authorized the dual installation,
officer will he entitled to have part OF his allowance
in electricity and part in gas, both being
by meter. This is the only variation from the rule
known. The qartermaster generals office in pass
consistently ask that he be furnished with an
acetylene gas lamp, and thus place upon the quar-
termasters department tho obligation of furnishing
carbide TO this station
ARMY BALLOONIST EXPERT.-An army sig
nal officer. Captain Charles de +. Chandler will
make balloon ascensions whenever and wherever
the opportunity is presented This is part of the
plan OF General Allen, the chief signal officer of the
army. to obtain all possible information i'll regard
to ballooning with the idea of possessing at first
hand data which would be of service in aerial OBJ
servations Captain Chandler is an enthusiast
military balooning and has already made
two ascensons, the last being within a week or
so ST. Louis. Whenever it is possible to
company an aerouaut his trips. Captain Chan
der Will be detailed TO attend.
COMPETITION TO SUPPLY THE NAVY.-The
paymaster general OF the navy Tuesday viii
open bids for the largest amount of government
contracts for general supplies represented in
one opening of proposals The schedules include
l.OS1 separate classes and provide for all sorts Of
material including the annual supply of provisions.
ice fuel etc. for the navy yards. The amount
involved in the contracts will be more than $500
900. 1t is expected that there will be fully twelve
hundred bidders, and that the supply men of New
York will be largely represented In the awards
GREAT LAKES TRAINING STATION.-Much
difficulty has been encountered by the Navy. De-
partment in placing the contract for the construc
ton of the $4,000 900 naval training station which
is to be located the Great Lakes near Chicago.
Bids for this work opened on the 1st inst.
when il was found that the proposals far exceeded
the amount available. difference due 10 the fact
that the estimates upon which the appropriation
was based and the plans and specifications for the
buildings made two years ago Since that
time the cost of material and labor has greatly in
creased and il Is found that the construction
of such station as is desired with all its build