the accused demands a general court, and award suitable punishment, subject to approval of the General of the Army.

III. Allow minor offenses, now triable by garrison courts, to be tried, and punishment such as fine or confinement at hard labor, awarded by a field officer or captain other than the commanding officer of the prisoner, unless the latter demands a garrison court; the sentence to be subject to approval by the post commander.

The last two suggestions would, I think, tend to secure prompt as well as substantial justice, and thus save valuable time as well as give the prisoner a speedy trial. In the great majority of cases the prisoner pleads guilty and makes no defense; in fact charges are seldom preferred without a previous investigation. If the man don't even pretend that he is innocent, why should the legal farce of a formal trial be enacted? When any doubtful case arises the prisoner can secure his rights as at present by asking for a court, but in the general case he would prefer to be sentenced at once so as to avoid delay. A scale of punishments for the more frequent offenses should be prescribed in orders, to be used as a basis in awarding sentences.

DRILL AND INSTRUCTION.

During the year the Battalion of Engineers has been drilled and instructed as follows:

1. Infantry tactics, school of the soldier, company and battalion. 2. In target practice, during the month of June. In last target year 121 men qualified as marksmen and 7 men as sharpshooters.

In the rifle contests at Fort Niagara, five prizes of the available fifteen were won by the battalion team as follows:

In the Department of the East match: Sergt. Martin Doolan, Company B, won first prize, gold medal; and first prize, silver medal (skirmish).

In the Division of the Atlantic match: First Lieut. Irving Hale, Corps of Engineers, won first prize, gold medal; and first prize, silver medal (skirmish). Sergt. Martin Doolan, Company B, won fifth prize, silver medal.

In the rifle competitions at Creedmoor the battalion team took first prize for the third time in the Sheridan skirmish match, and second prize in the Hilton trophy match.

Second Lieut. Charles L. Potter, Corps of Engineers, won fifth prize in Stewart's match.

Sergt. George Doyle, Company A, won first prize in the President's match for the mid-range military championship of the United States; second prize in Stewart's match, and money prize in Governor's match.

3. In pontoniering during the months of August and September, including rowing and building canvas ponton and trestle bridges, as prescribed in the ponton manual.

4. In military engineering, including field fortifications, sapping and military mining.

5. Torpedo drills were had throughout the year, the winter months being devoted to indoor drills and practice in the loading room, and the summer months to outdoor drills and exercises.

6. Photography. Selected details of non-commissioned officers have. been instructed in military photography.

In compliance with telegraphic instructions from the Chief of Engineers, a detachment commanded by Capt. Eric Bergland, Corps of Engineers, and consisting of Second Lieuts. M. M. Patrick and Thomas

H. Rees, Corps of Engineers, 4 sergeants, 2 corporals, and 62 privates, left Willetts Point, at about 7 a. m., June 5, 1889, and proceeded to Johnstown, Pa., or vicinity, for the purpose of assisting in bridging such streams as might have been rendered impassable by the recent floods. This detachment was accompanied by a medical officer, Asst. Surg. Theodore De Witt, U. S. Army, and 1 acting hospital steward with medical supplies. The detachment was provided with 4 horses, 2 ponton and 2 chess wagons, 9 wooden ponton boats, with balk and chess complete, 9 canvas ponton boats, complete with chess, 7 bridge trestles with balk and chess complete, material sufficient to construct a bridge about 500 feet long, or, excluding the canvas pontons, 350 feet long. Also equipment of tools and material for repairs.

A detachment of 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, and 26 privates, of Company E, under command of First Lieut. John Biddle, Corps of Engineers, left West Point, N. Y., on June 5, 1889, with 11 pontons and proper complement, for similar duty, at Johnstown, Pa.

This detachment was relieved on June 17, 1889, and with 16 men, of the Willets Point detachment, under command of Capt. Eric Bergland, Corps of Engineers, returned and arrived at their respective stations on June 18, 1889.

The following resolution was adopted by the Finance Committee:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Finance Committee, on behalf of the citizens of Johnstown, be tendered to the United States soldiers, who have furnished to us most generously, and in full measure the means of communication between our communities divided by flooded and bridgeless rivers, thus enabling us to get back to our accustomed employments. We know that they have had a difficult and laborious tour of duty, and have in every way manifested their heartfelt sympathy with our suffering people.

Certified from the minutes.

CYRUS ELDER,

Secretary.

It has often been suggested that discharged engineer soldiers, and under special conditions some of those still in service, might be employed to a greater extent than at present on the various public works carried on by our officers. During the past few years, I have been able to secure employment for quite a number of deserving men, and this has almost without exception resulted in substantial benefit to the public interest as well as to the men. In a letter dated May 16, 1889, Cap. tain F. A. Mahan, Corps of Engineers, proposed a detailed plan for placing deserving non-commissioned officers on a kind of supernumerary list, and employing them on various works for which there were appropriations as overseers, draughtsmen, time-keeprs, etc., and this pa per has been sent informally to a number of our officers who have had experience in such matters for an expression of their views on its feasi bility. Several replies have been received, from which it appears that the subject has attracted considerable interest, and when they are all in the matter will be forwarded to the Chief of Engineers with a special report and recommendations.

ENGINEER DEPOT.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTIONS.

I. The new library has been provided with suitable book-cases made by the soldiers from such lumber as remained on hand after the completion of the building, and the books have been transferred to it and properly arranged.

II. The soldiers' laboratory, 40 by 60 feet, and two stories high, has also been completed and occupied. An addition to this building 20 by 30 feet, and one and a half stories high, for the boilers, engines, and dynamos required for the electric search-light, fish torpedo, and other purposes, has been built and occupied. The machinery has been set up in this building, substantial piers and chimney having been built for the purpose, and the entire structure has been found well suited to the purpose for which it was designed. The cost of the building with the addition referred to, and including boiler and pipes for steam-heating, has been $6,500, or exactly the amount of the appropriation. With exception of the tin roof, all this work, including the setting up of the boilers, engine, and dynamo, has been done by engi. neer soldiers.

III. Having been unsuccessful in getting any satisfactory proposition from the contractors who built the steamer Bushnell for making the necessary repairs and alterations referred to in my last report, it was decided to undertake the work ourselves, getting such parts of the machinery as required special skill and appliances at different machine. shops and foundries, where they could be procured most advantageously. The engines and other parts needing alterations have been taken out and are now being replaced in their new form with every prospect of successful result. The main shaft, with the propeller and rudder, will soon be in place, and the hull has been painted preparatory to launching. The engines have been adapted to the new position of the shaft, and are being set up as rapidly as possible. A "Lighthall" surface-condenser has been substituted for the exposed pipes formerly attached outside of the keel, and which were easily damaged whenever a torpedo or other submerged obstacle was struck. This work is being done under the superintendence of Ordnance Sergt. William H. Brown, who has shown great intelligence and ingenuity as well as industry in carrying on this difficult undertaking.

IV. Considerable work was done in repairing some of the old ponton boats for use in the ponton drills during the summer. Although they have been on hand nearly thirty years, most of the time exposed to the weather, some of these old boats are still in a tolerable state of preservation, and some of them even stood the rough journey to Johnstown, Pa., and return, without serious damage. Of course, they could never be relied on in an active campaign, and they must soon be replaced, even for purposes of drill.

V. Lightning-rods.-The frequency with which trees and other objects in this vicinity have been struck by lightning, suggests that some protection should be provided to all the more important buildings on the post, and it is thought that some of the unserviceable torpedo cable can be used to advantage for that purpose. The armor and core together would make a conductor of sufficient cross section, and it can be put up at trifling cost. During one storm, a few weeks ago, two large buildings were struck, but fortunately the damage done was slight, and was easily repaired. In one case, a man stood within 20 or 30 feet of a cornice that was splintered and thrown a considerable distance, but he was not even knocked down. In the other case, the gable of a large store-house was struck, and the track of the lightning apparently passed down across a window to the earth, and then struck off some distance through the grass, and finally into the ground, apparently on its way to a pipe line, some 3 feet below the surface.

VI. The roof of the officers' laboratory was repainted. The roofs of some of the ponton sheds were repaired from materials obtained by pull

ing down some of the other sheds that are no longer needed, and other necessary repairs to the depot buildings have been made.

VII. An additional derrick was erected on the long wharf, to give additional facilities for handling torpedo materials.

DEPOT PROPERTY.

The surveying, astronomical, and other instruments in the depot have been properly cared for, and the following additions have been made during the year by purchase, viz:

Two sextants, 4 transits, 2 engineer levels, 11 metallic tapes, 10 steel tapes, 5 binocular field glasses, 10 steel chains, 8 leveling rods, 5 hand levels.

The following instruments have been received in depot from officers on public works, viz:

Eight theodolites, 3 engineer levels, 1 plaue table, 2 gradienters, 1 astronomical transit, 10 prismatic compasses, 6 odometers, 1 barometer ancroid, 3 sets drawing instruments, 3 pocket compasses, 1 sextant, 3 steel chains.

The following instruments have been transferred to officers of the corps and to acting engineer officers on public works, viz:

Six engineer levels, 3 sextants, 1 gradienter, 1 plane-table, 4 current meters, 2 odometers, 6 theodolites, 1 standard yard, 2 surveyor's compasses, 11 hand levels, 9 pocket compassess, 3 Abbot's protractors, 1 boat compass, 5 level rods, 6 aneroid barometers, 7 thermometers, 4 steel chains, 13 prismatic compasses, 2 sets of pins, 2 metallic rulers, 1 metallic triangle, 6 metallic tapes, 4 steel tapes, 3 binocular field glasses, 2 sounder instruments, 1 circular protractor, 2 sets drawing instruments.

Most of the repairing of the instruments during the year has been done by detailed enlisted men of the battalion, and the cost has been very much less than it would have been if the instruments had been sent out to private shops, while the character of the work done has been satisfactory.

The following instruments have been overhauled, cleaned, and put in good order during the year, viz:

Sixteen prismatic compasses, 2 engineer levels, 1 standard yard, 1 plane-table, 4 steel scales, 1 gradienter, 2 current meters, 2 transits, 3 steel chains, 1 sextant, 2 steel tapes, 3 theodolites, 2 engineer levels, 1 hand level, and a number of smaller instruments, and minor repairs on instruments not mentioned above.

Electrical test instruments have been also repaired in the depot repairshop to advantage, but such instruments as could not be repaired here were sent to private shops, and the expense during the fiscal year including bills paid for repair of instruments at distant places, paid in accordance with instructions from the Chief of Engineers, amounted to $165.80.

As no electrical instruments have been bought for several years, during which time many new and improved forms have been devised, it was found necessary to purchase quite a number of these instruments for use in the laboratory as well as to illustrate the progress now making in these matters both in this country and in Europe. Some of these instruments have been received and others are daily expected. Among these instruments are ammeters and voltmeters of some of the most approved paterns, adapted to all measurements likely to be required.

EXPERIMENTS.

The appropriation for continuation of torpedo experiments was not available until November 5, 1888, and, as explained in former reports, there had been no appropriation for this purpose for the two preceding

years, so that all the experiments that could be attempted were such as could be made with the materials on hand or that could be improvised without much expense. During this time we were also greatly crippled, both in making experiments and in the instruction of soldiers in planting and operating torpedoes, by the failure of the steam-launch and the propeller Bushnell, both of which gave out last fall and could not be made ready for this season's work. By borrowing a steam-launch from the Navy Department, the difficulty has been, in a measure, overcome, and it is hoped the Bushnell will soon be in use again, but the other boat will not be worth repairing and can only be used as a raft for carrying materials.

I. Tests of explosives.-The apparatus for testing high explosives was repaired and other preparations were made early in the spring for such tests as might appear desirable, and samples of emmensite were ordered for trial, but an accidental explosion occurred at Dr. Emmens' works just as he was ready to ship the explosive, destroying the works as well as the samples, and he has not been able to replace them. He states, however, that he expects to be able to furnish some of his powder at an early day, and it will be tested as soon as received.

Samples of roburite were also promised, but have not been received. In this connection it may be proper to state that, although the num-· ber of different explosives has nearly reached three hundred and fifty, none have been discovered which give any great promise of superseding gun-cotton and dynamite for sea mines; and for all purposes, both military and industrial, only a very limited number of the so-called inventions will probably ever be brought into general use.

II. Crater gauge.-Some additional experiments were made with the crater guage, and it was intended to take it into deep water, but owing to the breaking down of the Bushnell this could not be conveniently done, but will be tried later.

In addition to the conclusions given in my last report, it has been found, or, at all events, "the indications are":

1. That for each charge there is a depth at which the crater will be spheroidal in form, while at greater or less depths it will be "pear shaped," the smaller end being downward for less depths, and upward for greater depths.

2. The surface (not the volume) of the crater appears to vary about with the weight of the charge, the latter being of musket powder.

3. It makes but little difference whether the slides are set close to the ring at the center, or at considerable distance, provided, of course, they are inside the limits of the crater due to the given charge.

Four additional wires and slides were inserted near the vertical wire in order to get a more accurate record of what takes place in that direction.

It should be explained that the apparatus in question consisted of a wooden frame 15 by 20 inches square, with radial wires running from a thin iron ring at the center, the whole figure being something like a spider's web, with wooden slides on the wires so arranged as to be of the same density as water, and to leave a small rubber washer at the extreme point, to which they are carried by the explosion. The charge (which is necessarily small, from to 5 pounds) is placed in the center of the ring, and the whole frame is lowered vertically into the water to the desired depth just before firing. Plate I shows some additional results obtained with this apparatus.

III. Pressure gauge.-Another apparatus for accurate measurement of small pressures, such as would result from the explosion of a small