New-York tribune., 1908-06-28
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
fFrom The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Jul

TO SAVE MARE ISLAND-Much interest at
taches to report which Is shortly to be expected
from special board of experts which has been IN
session at the Mare Island California; Navy idlu
for months. This board includes in i's COM
position army engineers and representatives OIL tns
navy corps OF civil engineers, and the duty hds
been to show the vexatious and costly prooien,
of maintaining sufficient depth In the approaches
to the Mare Island Navy Yard to admit of the en-
trance to that establishment of the largest ships
Of war Unless something of this sort Is done Mare
Island will have to be closed, except TO the ssnaler
ships, since none of the battIeshps can reach the
yard under the most favorable conditions OF
tide, and then only with some risk of srourlilnS-
Various plans have been tried in the hope that
permanent relief would be effected. Even the
annual dredging, which costs considera9ie. fas
failed to effect any permanent Improvement Inc
latest scheme tried that which was suggested
by Civil Engineer H H Rousseau. u s N. whose
prouised success in this direction gained Tor MIN
the appointment chief of the bureau or Vards
and docks and later Panama Canal Conlmis-
sfoner in which capacity he is now serving on the
stbuus The Rousseau plan adopted the system OF
securing In order to remove the silt which formed
tbe obstruction to the channel. The new pian
which has been the subject Of report by the spe-
cial board which has just completed It's iaoofs IS
not divuIged, and will not be until 1t IS acted upoi'
bv the Secretary of the Navy 1t may take a spe-
ciai annropriaton for the construction of dams and
removal of locks with otner dredging, In whlcn
event the work &c done under the army ensi-
neers who have charge of the river ana narpoF
work In San Francisco. The results Of the invest-
CATION are of great Importance to the Mare Isianu
NAVY Yard since upon the existence Of that es-
tabishnlent depends the prosperity or the tc"n Oh
Vallejo If Mare Island is to oe abandoned an
effort will be made TO establish anotner navy Ea-u
In the immediate vicinity of San FRANCISCO
ARTILLERISTS IN CONTROvERSY--Conside
able trouble has been caused by rival bidders VINO
have been seeking the War Department contdcI
for the range finders which are to De 1nsIaiied III
considerable numbers at all the coast fortihcatons-
r,,,atitive tests to determine the relative mef1ts
of the instruments were held some weeks ago at
Fort Wadsworth, and were supplemented oy eN
neriments conducted at Fort Monroe The result OF
the tests was the adoption of the range nnoer oe
signed nv Major I N Lewis, of the coast artillery
corns who is now in charge of one OF the Depart
ments at the artillery school at Fort MONROE
,.,nfsct,rer who was interested in rival instru-
rnent supposed to be the design OF another army
officer has filed a protest with the war Depart
,,,snf claiming that the specifications IN the Lewis
instrument have not been compiled WITH Inc re-
sult IS that the work on this instrument mas Dee
s,spended pending further hearing Inc SITUATION
is one which aggravates the military authorltles'
I.oI,, on account Of what they regard as need
Ices deIay in equipping coast defences with these
roree finders The incident has LED 10 tle duop-
+ion of a rule which will be rigdly enforced nele-
.ftsr in competitive tests, especially In thdI oL an
o+ber tvne Of range finder which is 10 pesln at
80 ,r,nroa on Monday. AT the conclusion OF the
rest the various competitors viii De requireu 70 si
ACCOMPLISHMENTS that the test mas oeen stI-s-
+or,, o- If not satisfactory to state IN WFIUhs
,+1y IN what respect the dissatisfaction eAisIs'
This acknowledgment Is 10 c7 '-ii@-7
who sign the paper.
r,~rscEs FOR MIIITIAMEN.-f the rec
.-,.n5ations of the recent natlonai nuitla po8I1 W
- snnroved by the Secretary OF war 1t VIII u
o xor q member of the national militia OF
80 stste to appear for inspection at any guaIo
Tasdo1arters within the state limits ms - -
tda for such members as may not oe aole %
raros.nt themselves for lnspectloh "neh 'A -
p.tion is being inspected. Their ansence
80 nome will not mitigate against tneF st3u9' -,
rd for the purpose of funlhng thsI 49, uuV -
th militia they will be allowed 10 attacH ..
ti -. .n1, organization in their respective st1to
for such purpose
ORDERS 1ssUED.-The following orders nave
been issued
Major o5ction Fort benjamin Harrison September
,o.sr 7, ,wsoN NJ FULLER, ordnance department. Is
retired. -.
instruction. Chckamausa PARK
Captain .t,dn d f9GHBlDsER Pof, b q russell seh7-
c.+atr IsyFs H MRAH General staff, TO camp Oh
instruction Leon Springs nut ..-..
ro,+atn Joseph L. KNOWLTON, coast artliery eoaP'
detailed to fill vacancy in quarterrnasers
Captain ERNEST SCOTT .t 0th agE1s5 Flsa 1S af'is'S
r.
Captain tain 4L!HHF g. sh FeIa ID rtlilei5
r-r=t Iiauteuauts MAHION ASHFORD. ARTHCE =;
| TASKER GARFIELD L. MKINNEf ana Cans 80 L,'
D. CowLES. Jr. medical corps to Company - nus
pitaI corps -
r,-+ ,sn+ensnt JOHN r BARBER. medical corps as
sfg1aed assistant curator. Medical Museunn NasLHie
utrs+ 1ia,+enants JOSEPH A wORTHINGTON. HOW
scs ARR nS sorps y conpany g. hosps corps
Contract Surgeon GEORGE B. JONES. from san fran
cisco to Fort George Wright
ordnance
months leave
yard Portsmouth; vice captain J. r. EDWARDS. to
the Philadelphia
Lieutenant w T. CONN, Jr.. and Ensign ". H. Las
SING from naval hospital. Mare Island, TO medcai
school hospital, Washington
Midshipnnan K HERON. from naval hospital Annapolis
to the Idaho
snrgeon I F UeIE detached the Pennsylvania:
Island. examination for retirement then
to naval hospital, that place.
MOVEMENTS OF wARSHIPS.--The following
movements Of vessels have been reported to the
Navy Department:
June 25-Ths Sioux at Boston. - r
June Dubuque Tompkfnsville the New Jersey
and the Washington San Francisco; the May
flower Oyster Bay; the New Hampshire al Colon
SAILED.
June 26-The Dubuque from Tonpknsvus for Ports
". H.; the Fox and the Davis from Portland
for Astoria: the Mckee and the CnlokasaW from
York. Newport. the washington
Island light for San Francisco