regiments.” Three buildings had been erected here to house a library, an engineers' school and a laboratory, and practical experiments in gunnery had been begun here in February 1780 In 1783, at Newburgh, Washington laid before his officers the matter of a military academy such as Knox had suggested. A school for artillerists, engineers and cadets of the corps was established here on the president's recommendation in 1794, and continued until the buildings were destroyed by fire in 1796. In July 1801, Henry Dearborn, Jefferson's secretary of war, directed that all cadets of the corps of artillerists, a subordinate rank which had been established in 1794, should report at West Point for instruction, and in September of that year a school was opened with five instructors, four of them army officers. On the 16th of March 1802, President Jefferson approved an act establishing a military academy at West Point, and on the 4th of July it was formally opened with ten cadets present. Acts of 1802 and 1808 authorized 40 cadets from the artillery, 100 from the infantry, 16 from the dragoons and 20 from the riflemen. But few of these were actually appointed, and for several years instruction was disorganized and desultory. In 1811-1812 instruction was practically abandoned, and in March 1812 the “academy” was without a single instructor. Up to this time 88 cadets had been graduated, but they had been admitted without any sort of examination, and at any age between 12 and 34. An act of Congress of the 29th of April 1812 reorganized the academy, and laid down the general principles and plan on which it has since been conducted. A maximum of 250 cadets was then authorized. Under the able superintendency of Major Sylvanus Thayer this plan was perfected and put into successful operation. Up to 1843 no territorial requirement was necessary for appointment, but in that year a custom that had grown up of providing for one cadet from each Congressional district, each Territory and the District of Columbia, was embodied in the law.
By acts of 1900, 1902, 1903 and 1908 the Corps of Cadets as now constituted consists of one cadet from each congressional district (appointed on recommendation by members of Congress), one from each Territory, one from the District of Columbia, one from Porto Rico, two from each state at large (on recommendation of the senators), and 40 from the United States at large, all to be appointed by the president. Four Filipinos may also receive instruction and become eligible on graduation for commissions in the Philippine scouts. The maximum number of cadets under the apportionment of the twelfth census was 533. Candidates for admission must be between 17 and 22 years, unmarried, and at least 5 ft. 4 in. high. For entrance there are physical examinations, and examinations in algebra, plane geometry, English grammar, composition and literature, geography and general history. In 1902 the entrance requirements were raised and the actual amount of work done in the academy was thus decreased. The principal courses are: tactics for all classes; civil and military engineering (first class); practical military engineering (fourth, third, second and first classes); mechanics and astronomy (third and second classes); mathematics (new cadets, fourth and third classes); chemistry, mineralogy and geology (third and second classes); drawing (third and second classes); modern languages, i.e. French and Spanish (fourth, third, second and first classes); law (first class); ordnance and gunnery (first class); military hygiene (second class); and English and history (new cadets and fourth class). The course is four years, and academic instruction continues from the 1st of September to the 5th of June. The summer months are devoted to field work and encampments. Each cadet while in attendance receives pay at the rate of $600 a year and one ration per day, or commutation thereof at thirty cents per day, amounting to $709.50. The number of graduates from 1802 to 1909 inclusive was 4852. The superintendents of the academy have been: in 1802-1803 and in 1805-1812, Jonathan Williams; in 1812-1814, Joseph Gardner Swift (1783-1865); in 1815-1817, Alden Partridge (1785-1854); in 1817-1833, Sylvanus Thayer; in 1833-1838 René E. De Russy (1796-1864); in 1838-1845 and in 1856-1861, Richard Delafield (1798-1873); in 1845-1852, Henry Brewerton (1801-1879); in 1852-1855, Robert E. Lee; in 1855-1856, John Gross Barnard (1815-1882); in January 1861, P. G. T. Beauregard; in 1861-1864, Alexander Hamilton Bowman (1803-1865); in 1864, Zealous Bates Tower (1819-1900); in 1864-1866, G. W. Cuilum; in 1866-1871, Thomas Gamble Pitcher (1824-1895); in 1871-1876, Thomas Howard Ruger (1833-1907); in 1876-1881, J. M. Schofield; in 1881-1882, O. O. Howard; In 1882-1887, Wesley Merritt; in 1887-1889, John Grubb Park (1827-1900); in 1889-1893, John Moulden Wilson (b. 1837); in 1893-1898, Oswald Herbert Ernst (b. 1842); in 1898-1906, Albert Leopold Mills (b. 1854); in 1906-1910, H. L. Scott (b. 1853); and, 1910, T. H. Barry (b. 1855).
See G. W. Cullum, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy (4 vols., New York, 1891-1904); E. C. Boynton, History of West Point (ibid. 1863); J. P. Farley, West Point in the Early Sixties (Troy, 1902); Morris Schaff, The Spirit of Old West Point (Boston, 1907); and the annual reports of the superintendent.
WESTPORT, a market-town, seaport and seaside resort of County Mayo, Ireland, near the mouth of a small river in Clew Bay. Pop. (1901) 3892. The town is 160 m. W. from Dublin by the Midland Great Western railway, Westport Quay at the river mouth being served by a branch line. There is a small export trade in grain. The beautiful demesne of the marquess of Sligo enriches the neighbourhood. Clew Bay, thickly studded with islands and surrounded with mountains, is one of the most magnificent of the great inlets on the W. coast. Near the S. shore is Croagh Patrick (2510 ft.), an isolated conical hill of singularly perfect form, in wide repute as a place of pilgrimage.
WEST PRUSSIA (Ger. Westpreussen), a province of Prussia, bounded on the N. by the Baltic, on the E. by East Prussia, on the S. by Russian Poland and the province of Posen, and on the W. by Brandenburg and Pomerania. The area is 9862 sq. m. The greater part is occupied by the low Baltic plateau, intersected by a network of streams and lakes, and rising to the Turmberg (1086 ft.) near Danzig. East of Konitz is an extensive moorland, 70 m. long, called the Tucheler Heide. The lakes, though very numerous, are not large. The Vistula, here of great width, and subject to destructive floods, enters the province near Thorn, and flowing north in a valley which divides the plateau, enters Danzig Bay by a large delta, the Werder. The other rivers are chiefly tributaries of the Vistula, as the Drewenz on its right bank and the Brahe on its left.
In general physical characteristics the province resembles East Prussia, but the climate is less harsh and the fertility of the soil greater. Arable land and gardens occupy 55.6% of the area, meadows and pastures 12.9%, forests 21.7%, and the rest is mostly waste. The valley and delta of the Vistula are very fertile, and produce good crops of wheat and pasturage for horses, cattle and sheep. Besides cereals, the chief crops are potatoes, hay, tobacco, garden produce, fruit and sugar-beet. Poultry, fish and timber are important sources of wealth. Cavalry horses (especially at the government stud farm of Marienwerder) and merino sheep are reared. The minerals are unimportant, except amber, peat and clay. Shipbuilding is carried on at Danzig and Elbing, and in various places there are iron and glass works, saw-mills, sugar factories and distilleries. Much of the trade passes through the ports of Danzig and Elbing.
The population in 1905 was 1,641,746, showing a mean density of 166 to the sq. m. Of these 567,318 or 34.5% were Poles, a larger proportion than in any other Prussian province except Posen. They are increasing somewhat faster than the Germans, and the efforts of the colonization commission have done little to promote the immigration of German farmers. The Kashubes (q.v.), nearly all of whom (less than 200,000) live in W. Prussia, chiefly in the west, from Putzig to Konitz, are here reckoned with the Poles. The Poles proper chiefly inhabit the centre of the province, and the borders of Russian Poland. Among the Germans, who are most numerous in the north-east, Low German dialects are spoken, except in a Swabian colony round Kulmsee. Roman Catholics number 51.4% and Protestants 46.6% of the population, and there are 16,000 Jews. The Poles are almost all Roman Catholics.
The province is divided into the governmental departments of Danzig and Marienwerder. It returns twenty-two members to the Prussian Lower House and thirteen to the Reichstag. Danzig is the capital, and the only large town.
West Prussia, with the exception of southern Pomerania (around Marienwerder) which belonged to Prussia, was a possession of Poland from 1466 till the first partition of Poland in 1772, when it was given to Prussia with the exception of Danzig and Thorn, which Poland retained till 1793. The present province was formed in 1808, but from 1824 to 1878 was united with East Prussia. For its history see also Prussia and Poland.
See K. Lohmeyer, Geschichte von Ost- und Westpreussen (part I., 3rd ed., Gotha, 1908); Vallentin, Westpreussen seit den ersten Jahrzehnten dieses Jahrhunderts (Tübingen, 1893); Ambrassat, Westpreussen, ein Handbuch der Heimatkunde (Danzig, 1906).
WEST SPRINGFIELD, a township of Hampden county, Massachusetts, U.S.A., on the Connecticut river, opposite Springfield. Pop. (1890) 5077; (1900) 7105 (1501 foreign-born); (1910) 9224. Area, about 18 sq. m. The township is served by the Boston & Albany railway, and by interurban
