tion of each day, frequently inspecting the work of the several details. He will make it a special object to note the character of the instruction given by the noncommissioned officers who should know their duties well, and who should be held to a strict account for any defective work that their details may do. He will rate the men as they complete their tasks by a detailed examination of their finished work and a more or less detailed course of questioning. In determining a man's "mark" regard will be had to the degree of intelligence displayed as well as to the mechanical skill with which the work has been done. At the close of each week he will submit a "proficiency" report of the detail and state what verbal or other instruction was given during the week. INSTRUCTION OF ENLISTED MEN IN PHOTOGRAPHY. 22. Two noncommissioned officers will be detailed each week for instruction in photography. Practice will be had in the following methods: Negatives by dry process; developers and intensifiers; silver printing, and finishing and mounting of prints; map printing by blue process and on bromide paper. II. The following assignment of instructors is made: Military engineering: Capt. R. L. Hoxie, Corps of Engineers. Civil engineering: Capt. William M. Black, Corps of Engineers. Military photography: Second Lieut. Henry Jervey, Corps of Engineers, battalion quartermaster. By order of Lieut. Col. King: ROBERT MCGREGOR, Second Lieutenant of Engineers, Post Adjutant. APPENDIX B.-INSTRUCTION OF ENLISTED MEN IN MECHANICAL TRADES. [Printed Orders, No. 35.] UNITED STATES ENGINEER SCHOOL, Post of Willets Point, New York Harbor, March 1, 1892. 1. Company commanders are requested to recommend to this office 4 company duty privates each, for instruction in mechanical trades. In making the recommendations the wishes of the men will be consulted as far as is practicable, and as far as they accord with the ideas of company commanders as to capacity and fitness. 2. The instruction of these men will be under the direction of Additional Second Lieut. John S. Sewell, Corps of Engineers, who will examine the men as to preliminary knowledge and the work for which they are qualified. 3. He will keep himself informed as to their progress and the assistance given them by the mechanics with whom they are employed, examine them, and give such theoretical instruction as they may need from time to time. For this purpose copies of the manuals used in the New York trade schools have been procured, and will be adapted as far as practicable to the needs of this school. 4. As fast as the men become sufficiently skillful in the trades upon which they may be employed the instructor will report the fact, when they will be replaced by others from the same companies, and will be enrolled in order of merit as mechanics, upon the list from which the mechanics are drawn for extra and special duty. 5. The men under instruction as above will report for duty, as directed by the instructor, during fatigue hours each day, and will be on the same footing as regards exemption from other duty as the men when under instruction at the post school. By order of Lieut. Col. King: ROBERT MCGREGOR, Second Lieutenant of Engineers, Post Adjutant. APPENDIX C.-PROGRAMME OF STUDY AND INSTRUCTION FOR SUMMER SEASON. [Printed Orders No. 74.] UNITED STATES ENGINEER SCHOOL, Post of Willets Point, New York Harbor, May 2, 1892. The following programme of study and instruction for the ensuing summer season, to commence May 9 and end November 14, 1892 (twenty-eight weeks), having been recommended by the academic staff and approved by the Chief of Engineers, will be carried into effect: A roster of the student officers will be kept by the post adjutant, who will make weekly details for the various duties so that they shall not conflict. I. MILITARY ENGINEERING. 1. Instruction by the company officers in the nomenclature, dimensions, and construction of modern siege batteries and saps. 2. A full course of trestle and pontoon bridge drill. 3. Instruction in building spar bridges. 4. Instruction in military mining. 5. Military map-making. Each lieutenant of Engineers, who has not already done so, and such noncommissioned officers and privates as may be selected from each company will make satisfactory foot reconnoissances about 4 miles long, in the vicinity of the post, the maps thereof to be submitted by company commanders to post headquarters on or before November 14, 1892. II. TORPEDO DRILLS. 6. After receiving such preliminary practice as may be necessary to acquaint them with the practical details of preparing and planting a torpedo, the officers of the torpedo class will be divided into details of at least two officers each, for the purpose of taking charge of the preparation and planting of a grand group of torpedoes, under the direction of the instructor in torpedoes, assisted by one engineer officer of the second or third winter's class. 7. The senior officer will be in general charge, and will keep a daily journal of operations, noting particularly any difficulties encountered and any suggestions that may occur to him, looking to the avoidance of similar difficulties in the future. 8. The officers will frequently interchange duties so that each one shall have some experience in each part of the drill. 9. The electric light will be set up and operated. 10. The grand group being completed and the search light in position, the post commander will order an exhibition drill illustrating the operations of the torpedo defense against an attempted passage of the mine field by an enemy's vessel under cover of night. 11. The group will then be taken up by the same detail and the parts dismantled, cleaned, and conveniently grouped for the inspection of the instructor. 12. The detail will be instructed and exercised in automatic and judgment firing drills at such times as may be most convenient before the final exhibition drill. 13. The detail of enlisted men for each grand group drill will consist of 3 noncommissioned officers and about 12 privates. 14. The hours of work will be from 7 to 11:30 a. m., and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. In bad weather, when no work is done and the men are in barracks, the latter will attend the same company duties and roll calls as daily duty men. 15. Weekly reports of progress will be rendered by the senior officer of the detail, and at the conclusion of the work each officer will submit a report of the work done by him, mentioning difficulties encountered and any suggestions he may desire to make. 16. A detailed record will be kept of what each man does with the view of tracing out the author of defective work and determining the degree of proficiency developed by individual members of the detail. An account of the character of work done by each man will be submitted by the senior officer with his final report. 17. Occasionally, if practicable, loaded mines will be planted and fired as in actual service, height of jet, effect, on neighboring mines and other phenomena being carefully observed and recorded. 18. At such times as will not interfere with the drills above mentioned, the officers of the class will make practical experiments in calibrating commercial ammeters and voltmeters, testing efficiency of dynamos and motors. III.-CIVIL ENGINEERING. 19. A topographical survey of about one-half square mile of ground by each officer of the first summer's class. Time allotted, 5 weeks. 20. A hydrographic survey of about one-quarter square mile by each officer of the second summer's class. Time allotted, 4 weeks. 21. Practical problems in civil engineering by the second summer's class. Time allotted, 7 weeks. 22. While engaged in the field work in topographical and hydrographic surveys the officers will be assisted by details of enlisted men and will be excused from all other duties. IV.-FIELD ASTRONOMY. 23. All the lieutenants of engineers who have not already completed the course and been excused from further observations, will constitute the observers, being called upon by the officer in charge as wanted. 24. The following system will govern the observations at the observatory. The course covers two seasons-the first including theory and use of astronomical instruments, and sextant, transit, and telescope work with the instruments in the east wing and on the outer pier; and the second including sextant work, and transit and zenith telescope work, and with chronograph with the new combined instruments in the west wing. 25. Officers wishing to use the instruments for special observations or practice, must apply for authority to do so, and are not permitted to handle any instruments unless specifically assigned to them by the instructor. 26. In case of damage to instruments or apparatus, it will be promptly reported to the instructor for the action of a board of survey. 27. The following will be the ordinary routine of observations with the several instruments, after reasonable proficiency has been attained by prelimiary practice. SEXTANT. After becoming skillful in the use of this instrument upon the sun, observers will deduce at least one satisfactory latitude by observing a north and a south star, using the time deduced from an east and a west star-each based on ten altitudes taken on the same night. These observations for latitude and time must be made at the observatory. The observer may get "time" from an assistant, using a portable chronometer and will determine, by comparison, the error of standard chronometer at observatory. CHRONOGRAPH. Daily determination, by time signal from Washington, D. C., of error and rate of astronomical clock, by the officer of the day. TRANSIT. A satisfactory set of time observations will be taken by each officer on two nights, successive if possible, determining satisfactorily the error of siderial clock. The junior class will employ the eye and ear method; the senior class will use the chronograph. The observer will not receive any assistance. ZENITH TELESCOPE. Observers will first determine the level correction by daylight, using a distant terrestrial object, or at night using a slow circumpolar star. They will then find the value of a turn of the micrometer by observing Polaris at elongation. Lastly, they will observe for latitude, until they have obtained a satisfactory determination. 28 Suitable blank forms will be provided, both for observations and computations; and all problems must be submitted, complete in every detail, upon these forms. The original records, after inspection by the commanding officer, will be returned to the officers as their personal property. 29. Hours of attendance at the observatory will be, for both classes, daily except Saturday and Sunday, from 8 to 10 a. m. from 2 to 4 p. m. and from 8 to 10 p. m. Evening hours will be extended when it is necessary to secure complete sets of observations. V.-MILITARY PHOTOGRAPHY. 30. The officers' laboratory will be opened daily from 1:30 p. m. to 4 p. m. 31. The building, apparatus, chemicals, etc., will be under the charge of the battalion quartermaster, whose duty it is to furnish any desired assistance, and who will be held responsible for the judicious use of the property. 32. Officers are invited to avail themselves of the advantages of the laboratory, making such arrangements with the officer in charge as shall insure no confusion in his official duties, or in those of the men under his instruction. 33. The instruction of enlisted men will be restricted to a weekly detail of one noncommissioned officer from each company. 34. The battalion quartermaster will submit to this office weekly reports showing the nature of the instruction given, the results attained and the progress made. By order of Lieut. Col. King: ROBERT MCGREGOR, Second Lieutenant of Engineers, Post Adjutant. APPENDIX D.-TESTS OF STONE. REPORTS OF LIEUTENANT A. M. D'ARMIT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS. 1. WILLETS POINT, N. Y., January 16, 1892. SIR: In compliance with your request I have the honor to submit the following report of the tests of two specimens of sandstone forwarded by Capt. Fiebeger, Corps of Engineers, for the purpose: The specimens were cubes, 2 inches on the edge, and very accurately cut. The bed of the stone was not marked, however, and this is a serious oversight in preparing stones for testing. By mere chance I managed to get the cubes properly placed in the machine, and they were broken, as they should be, "on bed." Sketches of the fractures are not given, as the stones broke into small fragments with a loud explosion when the breaking stress was reached. In structure and general appearance when crushed this sandstone compares very favorably with the best specimens that I have tested. For definite and reliable results, however, not less than four samples from a given quarry should be tested, and they should be carefully sawed into cubes, as the blows of a hammer are decidedly injurious to small specimens. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. W. R. KING. A. M. D'ARMIT, Second Lieutenant of Engineers. The COLONEL: In compliance with the request contained in the inclosed letter, I have the honor to submit herewith the results of tests made in the usual manner. tabulated results explain themselves, and seem to call for no comment. The crushing surfaces were pasteboard. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Col. W. R. KING. A. M. D'ARMIT, Second Lieutenant of Engineers. REPORT OF LIEUTENANT A. M. D'ARMIT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS. WILLETS POINT, February 10, 1892. COLONEL: In compliance with your instructions, I have the honor to submit herewith the following report of the tests of wire rope made by me to-day: The rope was of galvanized steel wire of the ordinary form of cross-section adopted for the mooring rope in our torpedo system. Three samples, 3 feet in length each, were prepared, although but two were tested. These broke at 26,000 and 25,000 pounds, respectively, the breaking in each case being just over the top of the thimble, where the outer strand parted. I am inclined to think the breaking was due to the excess of stress brought on these strands by the sharp curvature of the thimble. This view is further supported by the fact that between marks on the rope 14 inches apart the yielding was less than one-sixteenth of an inch, showing that the rope as a whole had been strained to nothing like its elastic limit. The holding of the new form of shackle was particularly satisfactory, and had two of these been obtainable the rope would doubtless have showed a very high breaking strength. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. W. R. KING, Corps of Engineers. A. M. D'ARMIT, Second Lieutenant of Engineers. MEMORANDUM.-The same piece of rope was afterwards, February 19, 1892, fitted with another of the new shackles and stood a pull of 33,000 pounds, or about twice the breaking strength of the ordinary iron mooring rope of the same size. W. R. K. |