Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04
ARMY AND NAVY, NEWS


negative will require from ten to fifteen
seconds. depending upon the density of
the negative.
Tightening the Soldiers Burden.
, Importance of lessening the baggage
carried by the enlisted men of the army
is forcefully set out in various reports of
the department comman ers to the Sec
rotary of War;, made public last week
Various articles now carried by the SOL
der. it is suggested, might be very profit
AMY dropped to the end of tightening his
burden without sacrificing anything alb
solutely necessary for his comfort and
convenience.
Good Record of Troops in Cuba.
In his report regarding the United
States Army in Cuba, Gen. Barry says
that his command continues to be what
It's name implies-an army of pacifcation
and no occasion has arisen to resort to
force. The discipline Of the command. he
says continues to be excellent and there
nave been few charges preferred for Of
lenses against the Cubans. The admins
trat1on OF the medical department has
been most efficient and the fact that
since the troops came to Cuba they have
had lower non-effective rate than troops
IN the United States. he says, speaks sutti-
GENTLY for the efficiency and thoroughness
of the sanitary department of the pro-
visional government
Ammunition Hoist for Warships.
Reports received at the Navy Depart
ment indicate that the new pneumatic
ammunition hoist made by the Lamsen
Company has been successfully tested.
The hoist, which is applied to lifting
eight-inch shells, was installed at the
company's works, near Boston. 1t is re-
nurtAd ha hnic nn1x-
vents powder from getting into the hand
ling room, but greatly increases rapidity
of fire. 1t works on the same principle as
the pneumatic tubes used in posi- offices
Tor shooting packages upward. The
charge laid on the receptacle at the lower
end of the hoist is shot upward by pneu-
matte force at whatever speed desired.
This speed depends solely on the pressure
applied, which can be varied Because of
the air suction upward from the bottom
of the hoist it is practically impossible to
get the smallest particle of powder from
the breech Of the gun to the handling
room below.
Proposed 6OO-Foot Wireless Station
The President having fatty dis-pproved
the proposition to use the apex Of the
Washington Monument for a wireless
telegraph station for naval purposes, adj
vocates of that plan, all Of whom are at
tached to the naval bureau of equipment,
will recommend that Congress appropriate
the sum of $4,000 for the construction of
steel tower 600 feet high on the banks
of the Potomac near this city. Plans to
that end are being prepared by Lieut..
Commander Cleland Davis and Lieut..
George G. Sweet of the bureau Of equip
ment They are looking about for the
best available site for the proposed tower
grounds of the old Naval Observatory site
on the north bank of the r.vef at the foot
of I'D street. now occupied by the Naval
Hospital and Medical School.
Plan of Naval Target Practice.
Elaborate plans have been made by the
Navy Department and transmitted to
Rear Admiral Sperry. in command of the
Atlantic fleet. for the target practice of
the ships Of that command, which will
occur in November. while the vessels are
at Manila bay. The ships on . e Pacific
coast will conduct similar practice at
Magdalena bay. while those on the At
ranges off Cape Cod. The third torpedo
f1otilla and second submarine f1otilla will
operate in Chesapeake bay, beginning Oc-
tober 10. This year unusual conditions
will attend the gunnery tests. The
marksmen will have target practice I'M
der conditions which would confrc them
in actual warfare. They are not to know
the range or the speed of the ships. as
has been the case hitherto. and with these
disadvantages 1t is desired to ascertain
what degree Of proficiency in marksman-
ship Will be maintained.
Walking Test for Army Officers.
Twenty-Five officers in the Department
of the East expressed a preference for
taking the test of walking fifty miles in
three days to the other prescribed test Of
riding ninety miles in three days Mai
Gen. Grant, commanding the department,
has ordered that the walking test be con-
Quoted the 9Th. 9Th and 7th instants in
small groups from each of the posts where
the officers are stationed. He has directed
also that the officers wear field dress, con-
sisting Of campaign hat, service or khaki
coat and breeches with leggins, and rus
set shoes. Each officer will be subjected
to physical examination before the start
OF the test and after it's conclusion The
test by walking Is new. All officers of the
artillery, except those in the mounted
service, are required to take 1t, as are all
officers of staff departments who preferred
not to take the riding test Three DAYS
are allowed to cover the required fifty
miles, 1t being expected that on each day
seventeen miles be walked at a minimum
time limit Of ~ miles an hour. twenty
hours being allowed for covering the en-
tire fifty miles.
The walking groups will consist Of from
two to six persons. and the senior officer
in each will be expected to see that all
the conditions of the test are strictly OBJ
served. The list of officers to take this
test is as follows:
Lieut.. Col. E. M. Weaver Of the Coast
Artillery Corps. Lieut.. Col Charles j.
Bailey of the Coast Artillery Corps and
Lieut.. Col. Isaac w. Littell of the quar-
termaster's department, at Washington,
d. c.
Col. Charles D. Parkhurst, Coast Artfl-
lery Corps; Col. Frank Baker ordnance
department.; Maj. w. E. Ellis and Mai.
w. c. Davis. Coast Artillery Corps, at
Fort II. G. Wright, New York.
Col. Henry l.. Harris. Lieut.. Clarence
Deems and Maj. George F. Barney of the
Coast Artillery Corps and Maj. c. c.
Jameson of the ordnance department, at
Fort Hancock, New Jersey.
Col. John r. Williams and Maj. Charles
A. Bennett of the Coast Artillery Corps,
at Fort Dupont Delaware.
Lieut. Col. William G. Rafferty, and
Maj. E. w Hubbard of the Coast Artil-
lery Corps. at Fort howard Maryland
Col. William II. Coffin apd Majs
Thomas Ridgway, Isaac n. Lewis. John
D. Barrette. Thomas w. Winston and
Charles S. Walkley (chaplain). all of the
Coast Artillery Corps. at Fort Monroe, Va |
Corps. Majs. G. T Holloway and Della
mere Skerrett, Pay Corps. and Maj. \. S
kimball Of the quartermaster's depart
ment.
Maj. Edgar A. Mearns, Medical Corps. |
and Majs. Writ Robinson and Archibald
Campbell. Coast Artillery Corps, at Fort