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 regiments.&rdquo; 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 &ldquo;academy&rdquo; 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.

 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, bounded on the N. by the Baltic, on the E. by , on the S. by 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. 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.

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 and.

 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