Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-13
ARMY AND NAVY

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Sept. -
Structural work has been completed
OH the three big iron towers back o.
Fort Myer that are to form the big
gest wireless station in the world. two
of the towers are $50 feet high anG
the last one that has just been finished
is 600 feet, but to look at il this tower
seems scarcely higher than the others
The power plant at the base is alst
nearly finished. Some of the ma
chinery has been installed and othel
pieces are ready to be set up.
During the completion of the big
tower, curiously enough, there has
been some trouble getting painters
who could endure the altitude while
painting them. There was no trou
BILE about the structural ironworkers
but many of the painters got chill
blains when sent up the big tower.
One of them the other day got VI
800 feet and, hastily descending, cut
across the fields for Washington, ii
is said, and did not even stop for any
of the wages due him.
The station is being built by the
Bureau of Yards and Docks. When
completed 1t will be turned over tc
the naval officers to work. The range
ordinarily is expected to be from 20Ol
to $500 miles, but occasionally what is
known as freak message" will be
picked up at much greater distances
One purpose of the station will be
to act as an experimental station and
laboratory for much of the navy wire
less work. H.
Through little proviso attached to
that section of the naval appropriation
act which was intended to prevent the
crew of a. naval vessel from doing any
work upon her while in navy yard
that might deprive the civilian shop.
men of employment, it appears that
no considerable increase in the navy
yard work will be available after all.
This proviso was that the provision
shall not apply to such ordinary du-
ties as are engaged in by the crew
while at sea.
Now, as matter of fact, while
i seeking to find a means to effect all
of the needed ship repairs within the
narrow limits of the available appro-
/ priations, the Navy Department Off
cials discovered that the duties in a
4 repair way that a modern ships crew
can perform while at sea" comprise
practically nine-tenths Of the work re-
quired to be done upon ship. Boil
ers can be retubed at sea, electric
wiring can be done, machinery can
be overhauled and new parts made,
and, in fact, save painting the ships
/ bottom, which must be done in dock,
and lifting off the big turret guns, the
| modern hluejacket can do most ey-
erything while afloat on the blue sea
that could be done in a navy yard.
So the ships mechanics will con-
tinue to keep their vessels in repair
without calling upon the navy yard
workmen more than they have done
| in the past.
Fireman Ben. p. Spindler, attached
! to the u. s. 8. Nashville, and Seamen
John B. Mcclure and Henry o. MAIN,
attached to the u. s.. S. Connecticut,
have, been officially commended by
the acting secretary of the navy for
heroism in rescuing from drowning
shipmates who had accidentally fallen
overheard. They are young men and
have been in the navy about three.
/, years. Spindler halls from Phillips,
wis; Mcclure from East Braintree,
Mass, and Main from Jamaica Plains,
Mass. 49,
Col Henry P. Birmingham of the
Medical Corps has been relieved from
duty in the surgeon generals office,
War Department, and placed in COM
mand of the Walter Reed General Hos
pital near Brightwood. He relieves
Col. Charles Richard, who is trans
ferred to duty in charge of the Army
Medical School in this city as the
relief of Col. Louis A. La Garde of the
Medical Corps. #.
Col. H. C.. Lauchheimer, adjutant
and inspector of the Marine Corps,
who was one of the officers of that
corps transferred from this city to the
Philippines as a result Of an inyesti-
CATION several years ago, and is now
at San Francisco, in charge OF the
Pacific inspection district, has been
ordered back to this city for duty at
HodQQudTISTS lAC COIPos 4AO
relieved of charge of the marine "a
cific inspection district by Col. H. c.
Haines, assistant adjutant and inspec-
tor, now on duty at, marine headQuar-
/ tiers in this city. :.. II
Lieut.. Col Peyton C. March OF the
9Th field Artillery, who has been de-
tailed for service in the adJutant gen.
erals department, has been assigned
/ to duty as adjutant general of the Cen
trail Division, with headquarters at
Chicago. He relieves Col. William A.
Simpson, who has been assigned to
duty at New York as adjutant general
| of the Eastern Division. =
Lieut.. Gen. s. B. M. Young, retired,
governor of the Soldiers Home, and
| Gen. George H. Torney, surgeon gen.
eral, have been ordered to make an
inspection of the United States mill