New-York tribune., 1908-05-18
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
Supplies and Men Needed for Both
Services.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau.


admirals of the navy to meet in Washington be-
lore July 1 to select out officers of the commits
stoned personnel in order create the requisite
number of yearly vacancies. The return of Rear
Admiral R. D. Evans Washington makes it
possible again to detail that officer for this duty,
but his health may interfere with his performing
such task. In that event, it is probable that
rear Admiral c. F. Goodrich commandant of
the Brooklyn navy yard. will be detailed
senior officer of the board 1t is not made known
how many officers will selected out The sub
| 1ect is creating the usual keen interest among
ali naval officers 1t means promotion for most OF
them and transfer to the retired list under most
| unattractive conditions for of them.
| EXPLOSIONS IN TURRETs.-NavaI officers
| who have been interested in adding to the pre-
| cautionary measures board ship in the hand
| ing OF ammunition disappointed that Con-
gress failed to appropriate $4,000, which
| De used In installing trunks certain parts Of
| the ammunition hosts. BY this means still greater
protection could be given to those features the
turrets and urgent recommendation for the
allotment has been made by the Navy Depart
| and was provided in the bill as it was reported
from the Senate Naval Committee In conference.
however the item removed This due
| to some reports which received from the
officers attached to the Atlantic fleet and which
were to the effect that the present system was
sufhc1ent in the of protection. At the
time the Navy Department acting upon the rec
| ommendation of the chief of ordnance will renew
/
Of having it incorporated in the navy bill of next
session In the mean time. a type of ammu- /
milton hoist has been adopted for the four battle
ships under construction batteshfps ,
which authorized in the latest naval appro- !
priation act. This is two-stage hoist which inter
rupts the passage of the ammunition from the .
handling room to the turret and involves the opera
ton of two which half way. This
English system and has been recommended to our
naval ordnance officers adding the rapdity
of fire. Some of the American experts entertain
considerable doubt TO this advantage and
claim that the single straightaway hoist is suf-
fciently speedy, the loss of time is in the
duction of speed in starting and stopping hoist.
There will be four instead of two such dininu-
tons of speed in the of the two-stage hoists
However. 1t is regarded offering a greater
curity in that particles of ignited powder cannot
descend through the ammunition hoist to the
handling room and thus endanger a ship by explo-
sion.
YOUNG DOCTORS wANTED-The reorganzed
and increased medical corps of the army has SO
many vacancies in the junior grade that second
examination will be held at the principal army
posts throughout the country. This will take
place August, and a circular is shortly to be
issued by the surgeon general Of the army giving
full information to prospective candidates. The
chances of promotion with the increase Of army 10!
pay is expected to attract many graduates Of the
medical colleges. and the examination held in
August will find eligible TO take such examination
Z
sent themselves An examination has just been
completed at Fort Jay n. Y, and other army
posts. Some eighty candidates were authorized
to report before the examining boards. Many of
these failed to appear. and large percentage of
those who did present themselves were found {
physically disqualified Those who took the pro-
fessional examination will not know of the result
until the papers marked in Washington by a
special board which has been convened at the
army medical school Those who passed the =
cent examination and who are found qualified in
the examination to be held in August will be
Professionally appointed and will be ordered to the
army medical school here for training preliminary r
to final commissioning.
VORACITY FOR PLUG-One of the purchases 7
about to be made by the Navy Department is +
other lot of O0O0O pounds Of chewing tobacco. 7
which is sold at slight advance the contract G
price to enlisted of the navy. A contract :
was recently awarded to firm which had never c
bid before for what considered years sup
plv OF that article. 1t is found, however, that a
the demand for tobacco is the increase, due G
perhaps to the encouragement by the army n
geons of cigarette smoking against which deter r
mined efforts have been instituted by the medi- Il
al officers attached ships Of Then too. Il
he increase of the navy by six thousand men, T,
which IS authorized by the naval appropriation u
let just approved. and which it is expected will 81
axe place in the present calendar year will make
ecessary an addition TO the stock of tobacco. IL
=
er general of the army is in the market for sew
raj million dollars worth OF clothing equip pI
nent required for the army. This is in anticpa pc
ion OF the appropriation Of nearly 100000 which de
available for the acquisition of this material in
he next fiscal year The supplies will be issued
the service and will replenish the depleted stock
T the Guartermaster's storehouse. Bids will be W
pened for this material at New York and other I ar
laces where there are Quartermaster depOts on OIL
une Il. There is also available for use in the Pc
m Hscal of 10
egin establishment the stock of at
Military clothing and equipment. 1t recon- / in
lended that Congress make an appropriation of So
yo q half millions every year for four years tin
order TO obtain reserve supply. Less than MI
lis allotted but prompt advantage will
taken of the appropriation to obtain the sup
lies. which will consist of articles of outer uni
,rms. such hats service coats trousers shoes bo
Id leggings well blankets. vo
tor
NAVAL STATION.-When the At del
ntic fleet arrives Honolulu of officers the
which Captain Seaton Schroeder, L. S. N is the yet
resident, will convene for the purpose of ma
dering plans of establishing and developing wi
e navy dock yard and repair station at Pearl WI
arbor Two members of the corps of civil eng- sec
,ers will by that time be on the ground and Will
I'VE made the survey and completed the borings
the proposed site of the big dock These civil Y
gineers will report the Schroeder board and hoi
rnish such information they have obtained. Ca
ID which will a basis OF the Th
endatons be made to the authorities in Wash shi
yton. The government will expend about S. typ
900 in the construction of this station of which
m 81 10000 is already available. Steps will be at
ce taken select site for the dock which will
of the granite concrete type and the largest OF be
of the naval docks. having length of nearly Re
feet maximum dimension. This in prospect nav
the of the dock by tie largest battleshps In
ticpation Of further increase OF displacement. rel