The Washington herald., 1908-07-29
REAL WORK BEGINS
AT RIVER FORTS
GuardSmen Dc Patrol Duty
and Handle Guns.
OFFICERS learn FIRE CONTROL
Instructed by Regular Officers in
Fire Command Towers and at
Morning Lectures, They Quickly
Pick Up Rudiments of Modern
Coast Defense-Work short Hours.

From star Correspondeut-
Fort Washington. Nd. July 2S.-To-day
has been an ideal one for camp life. and
militia and regulars encamped at Forts
Washington and Hunt are for the first
time really at home.
Everything is coy in each OF the
camps. and the men are enjoying them
selves immensely.
The first practical work OF instruction
has begun. and the guardsmen are work
ing with such enthusiastic zeal that they
win repeated commentator The many
camp scenes and the military life are
most picturesque and hold a fascinating
/ interest. So real is the work and fun OF
/ interest that even the regular army men
are deeply interested and are putting as
much enthusiasm into their work as the
militia The entire organization Of both
forts is now working as a whole. but
owing % the rapid progress made in
coast defense instruction, they VIII soon
be enemies" and the rivalry viii be in
tense
Officers Families Enjoy II.
The families Of the regular. officers Sta
/ toned here regard the eucampment as
/ holiday. and they are enjoying II keeniy.
i One OF the most popular features with
/ them IS the band and the corps OF held
/ music At guard mount. morning and
/ evening. the entire corps Of field music
turns out Nothing could give the en-
/ campment a more realistic touch than the
various buEle calls echoing from camp TO
camp through the hills. and being thrown
back across the river by those on tn.
H
from the guardhouse. and each Of the
camps takes II Up and repeats II down the
line 20 the very limits Of the post These
calls echo through both posts at regular
intervals throughout the day. bat no
other Of them creates the interest and en-
/ thusissm that the mess call begets Many
minutes before this is sounded the men
are on the tip-toe Of expectancy. and
when the call sounds every man joins in "a
rush for the mess tents This is the one
call that IS answered when il IS sounded
at the guardhouse- No man within hea--
ing distance needs a second summons.
Working Hours Are short.
The working hours at the forts are
short; or. rather, while the hours are
long-f-om IN the morning 20 Il al
tnight-much Of this is play time The
real working hours are short. and regu-
lars and mnitiamen have practically ali
the afternoon TO themselves some o-
them sleep. but the vast majority find
abundant amusements 10 occupy theH
time This afternoon there were Two
baseball games. one between rival teams
in Company II. First Regiment. and ths
other between teams from the regular
artIlerymen and the militia. The latter
excited great deal of interest
I one n the features Of the encaupmenr
is the friendllness between the regulars
and the militiamen- They are usually like
oil and water. and have but a poor opin-
, ion Of each other. but az Forts Hunt and
/ Washington Il IS different Much Of IA,
rapid progress made by the miIitiamer
is due TO the fact that regulars and
. militia mix freely. and AT times some o
. tire camps are indfstinElishable- The
militiamen are deeply interested and en-.
crossed with coast defense. and the regu
: lars are happy and proud to explain
Not only Is this true in the work. bur
r al the messes they mingle freely. and ar.
together in all amusements. They ex
change hat cords and other insignia. and
tokens
RevefIIe at > O'Clock.
r AS usual. reveille the first call. Wa.
sounded at Forts Hunt and Washington
) at o'clock, and assembly at 5.20- Mes
[ call Is sounded ten minutes later. An hou
{ later real work begins with fatigue duty
At S O'Clock the artillery drill call {
sounded. At Fort Hunt the reserves wer
instructed in coast artillery nomenclature
They worked at the guns all morning
the regulars working them as freely a
possible. 50 that the names OF the vari
p Gus parts could be picked Up througl
= their action and association with tn
whole. The regimentaI and battalio
D staff were in the fire command station
e and there they worked the instruments
d range and position finders. and all tn
S other intricate paraphernalia Of the fir
control system.
With Capt Seaborn G. Chiles and Firs
! Lieuts. William Z. ". Mckinley. ATorri
= I F. Locke. Clarke H Chandler. and Sec
= oEd Lieut. LOrenz Grieves. the companie
q acting as supports were taken out o.
e patrol duty. going over the entire reseT
4 walton and the surrounding countr1
r. learning the lay OF the land and obtain
n ing a general knowledge Of map-mal kin
i and map-reading- They were out II
Continued on PAGE 3, COIumn n