Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-30
HERE'S A STORY OF
THE ARMY ENGINEER


IContinued from First Page.l
probably one of the most noted. He is
now division chief, located at Balti-
more, and a member of the Army
Board of River and Harbor Improve
ment, the Infanticide Board, as 1t is
generally known in Congress because
of the many pet and baby improve
ment schemes of congressman 1t Stays.
Colonel Beach also served on the
Mississippi River Commission.
The Army Engineers Job
Some idea of the varied knowledge
the army engineer must possess was
aptly illustrated by the speaker, who
pointed out u few of the jobs that are
all in the days work. For the army
engineer builds roads and bridges,
erects lighthouses and jetues, repairs
levees. changes the courses of some
streams, keeps others in their proper
channels. removes snags and sand bars
here. places buoys there, constructs
dam ond locks, dredges rivers and
harbors, grades hills and fills valleys.
All these things in time of peace.
In war times he helps Uncle Sam
transport his troops over raging rivers
and through swamps; opens and keeps
open lines of communications; strings
telephone and telegraph wires; recon-
structs bridges that have been >demol-
ished by the enemy; places camps and
bivouacing sites in proper sanitary
shape and sees that they are drained.
The Final Picture of Film of History
The pictures showed all sorts of in
teresting things from bamboo cor
duroy road in the jungle of the Philip
pines to an improvised ferry for troop
transportation in another section of
the world. His peace pictures in
cluded dams made and in the making,
locks. river and harbor work, dredg-
ing, etc. but none were more impress
sive. perhaps, than the series that
dealt with the raising of the wreck of
the Maine from Havana harbor. The
views showed the progress of the work
from the beginning of the construction
Of the great circular cofferdams to the
last picture of the raised old hulk with
the colors of the United States floating
above it being towed out to sea for its
final resting place in the waters off the
Cuban coast
Proud of Itself? \ Wee Bit
The Engineer Corps is just wee
bit proud of itself both officers and
men, and the speaker last night could
not quite keep a touch of it from
showing in his talk, In explaining the
makeup of. the army and the part
the corps takes Colonel Beach in
advertently mentioned that the high
est men in the class at West Point are
selected for the corps. Character as
well as mentality alone count in the
choice. One class. the class of 'S4,
established the remarkable record by
giving seven men to the corps. These
included Colonels Galliard. who died
in service at Panama, and Colonel
Sibert, who built the Gatun locks. And
one wondered whether or not Colonel
Beach wasn't also one of the seven.
His tales of the peculiar intelligence
,f INa fAI In I,,
thoroughly enjoyable He related one
incident to demonstrate one Sergeant
Dunn's resourcefulness and GOODNESS
in the Boxer uprising in China. In the
face of steady crOss-1ire from con-
cealed infantry the sergeant climbed a
railroad embankment and in bold re-
lief against the skyline he nonchalantly
took times and distances with pocket
seXtant in preparation for the days
mapmaking.
Brains as Well as Brawn
On another occasion the men of the
Engineer Corps readily won a shoe
picking race from teams representing
the other branches of the service
through their resourcefulness. The
contest was to start from a given point
to q barrel filled with shoes, select the
proper pair of shoes. put them on and
return to the starting point. First
place counted . points. second 8 and
third 2. The army engineers how
ever, discovered that one first place
was as good as a second and third.
So one man was delegated to stand by
while his companions searched for his
shoes alone. On another occasion q
tug of-war for mounted men was held
the men being privileged to select their
steeds. The cavalrymen naturally
picked horses-but the army engineers
selected mules. hitched tandem. They
won that event too.
For AuId Lang Syne
In explaining how river and harbor
are provided for Colonel
Beach went into detail about the
river and harbor BILL the so-called
pork barrel" bill of Congress. He
showed by the system of investigations.
reports, surveys. ETC., on the part of
the Board of River and Harbor I'M
provement Just what chance q con-
hope for improvement has
in getting into the bill.
"And If you could see the members
of Congress who come before the
board to urge their requests for i'm
you would hardly accuse
the army men of giving them pork"
said Colonel Beach.
The army officer was presented to
the engineers by President Farley Gam
nett and during the evening Theodore |
f.. Seelye. division engineer for the |
State Water Supply Commission, un-
civilian engineer under Colonel Beach |
in the South. recalled the days of Auld |
Lang Syne down on the Mississippi. !,
After the lecture Colonel Beach was |
the engineers guest at luncheon.