Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
BIG Guns for Coast Defense.

Big Guns for Coast Defense.
Preparations are being made at sana!
Hook for testing the hrst OF Ihe mn.
fourteen-inch sea coast guns auti'oi nc"
n, Congress The test will accomplish a
double purpose as the prolectlies VIII oe
fired at a new. form of reinforced con-
crete Notifications. This design was I'M
dertaken by the Engineer Corps to pro-
vide for the strengthening of I'll fraiie
Island. opposite Corregidor Island, at the
mouth OF Manila bay. vt the suggestion
of Gen. Murray, Chief of Coast Artillery
il was decided to employ two large moo
ern steel turrets that island, each car
rying two tt-inch guns. AS Iouilud-
ton for these turrets the island IS
10 be made practically solid mass Oh
concrete, reinforced with steel me tui
rets will stand about forty feet above ths
water. and an armor protected iire-controi
station somewhat higher will be pro-
vided Two more of the 14-nch guns
are TO be placed on Cabello lsialio
Two others are to he placed III fort
Ruger to protect Pearl harbor.'
Ships Names to Be Displayed.
When the NAVY Department adopted
gray as the color for all vessels of war;
even the names of the ships. which are In
raised letters, were painted gray. Whiie
river for the Hudson-Fulton celebration
,Ie letters were painted black, and with
glass il was easy to identify the various
vessels from the shore. The names OF the
British ships there at the same time were
i'll gilt. The Rhode Island. Cohhec.icu.,
Ohio and Nebraska were subsequent!
fitted out at the New York navy Haru 10.
winter cruising When they steamed
away the names upon their stefns az
peared in gold letters In fact, III tne
nf al u
navy will be gilt.
Hard to Get Musicians and Mess
The naval service is somewhat embar-
raised by the increasing dlfhcutH III
filling vacancies among the musicians and
the cooks and stewards on Warships.
These men were formerly recruited from
aliens. but they. having lost hope OF pet
Ter nav or advancement. are returning
tn civil life According to Rear Al
ni,al Potter chief of the bureau OF nav
iyation. Americans cannot be induced 10
accept these places. He says that the
present rates of pay of musicians anu
the messman branch must be waterway
Increased If the compliments are to be
filled The act of May IL. 1905. provo
ing that enlisted bandsmen shaii not pray
off of government reservations. ne says
Iow-grade musicians for the meager pay
allowed
Passing of the Conical Tent.
The disappearance of the conical wall
tent in the army is one of the events
of the immediate future. Reports OF the
practical test of pyramidal tents show
them to be superior to the conicai type.
and they have been adopted by the army.
The new tent accommodates eight regu-
lation cots cd provides considerable
room for equipment The conical tent
was invented by a cavalry officer. VINO
cot the idea from the Indians teepee.
Ills tent was light. easily pitched. erected
on Il tripod holding Il single pole. ana
accommodated twelve men with their &C
,our,arments. The inventors idea was Tor
the fire to be built in the center of the
tent. the occupants sleeping with their
feet toward the blaze.
Vacancies in Coast Artillery.
There are now upward of thirty va
cancies in the grade of second lieutenant
in the coast artillery. Beginning January
an examination will be held or desiS-
mated candidates to secure eligibles from
which to make appointments to NIL these
vacancies There are now over eighty
applications on file.
Aluminium Cans and Canteens.
Al the instance of Gen. Crozier, chief
of ordnance, a new aluminium meat can
has been adopted for the army. This can
is made after the pattern of the old tin
meat can. about six ounces lighter. and
X intended to overcome the difficulty ex-
uerienced with the former model on &C
.ount of rust. It's advantages are that
il IS more easily cleaned, does not rust
is not affected by the heat, ts more DUR
able does not faint the food az TN uoeS,
and II can be cleaned with paper, grass
or cloth If water is not available. A new
aluminium canteen also mas Deen auopteo
for the service. This canteen IS mace
after the pattern of tine old canteen, but
is slightly smaller and is about two
ounces lighter.
fantry troops the detachable canteen
strap has been dispensed with, and IN
stead q web strap for fastening the cam
teen to the cartridge belt is sewed to the
canteen cover. The snap nook Tor Iasten-
inns. the canteen to the belt Is retained.
In the new model of canteen FOR cavalry
tro,ps experiments are now being made
with leather strap attached 10 the
cover, with a view of doing away with
the soldered triangular loops now at
rached to the canteen, which rust very
rapidly The new method of attachment
will also prevent the loss of the canteen,
which sometimes occurs when snap hoops
are used.
Naval Orders.
Capt. l.. Young, from navy yard. Mare
Island Cal, TO home and wait orders.
Lieut. J. Downs, jr, from Louisiana
10 Dolphin.
Lieut. C. $ Mcdowell. from Georgia
and wait orders.
Ensign ii. Delauo. from st. Louis ana
wait orders.
Gunner r. I. Montgomery, from navy
yard. Puget sound, Wash, to New Or
leans.
Commander II. o. Bitter, to Helena
Comman der w. w. Buchanan, from
Helena to home.
Lieut.. Commander A. Crenshaw, from
Chattanooga to Colorado.
Lieut.. &. F. Snyder, from Cleveland
10 Maryland.
Lieut.. L. y Wallace. from Pennsyi-
wanna TO West Virginia.
Iieut H. q Wallace from (niorodo