The daily gazette., 1878-04-10
Increased Cost of War.

II war expenses continue to increase
over their present exborbitant amount,
nations may be compelled by principle
OF economy to maintain pacific relations
ith their neighbors. Science has been
perverted, during the last thirty years,
10 the destruction of life and property.
The cannon with which, within the pres
ent century, Napoleon |. obtained vic
tories on land and with which Nelson
triumphed on the sea, would be regarded
as mere pop-guns alongside of the eighty
ton and the one-hundred-ton ordnance
now preparing as part of the armament
OF mammoth ironclads, and one of these,
comparatively ranking with the old
seventy-four and ninety-tun men-of-war
OF The last century, is built and armed at
above seven times the former cost. The
needle gun which has superseded the
soldiers ''Brown Bess," is very expensive
and instead of the old-fashoned fireships
which eften proved destructive to the
hostile feets-'the veritable "wooden
walls" OF time not yet out ofthe mem
ory OF many living men-harbors, The
mouths OF rivers, and marine straits, are
made dangerous by having torpedoes
| secretly placed where they can do the
greatest mischief 10 vessels and men. All
oil these novelties are very deal. and their
varieties are numerous. 1t will require
long and well-filled purse ere long 10
indulge in them, yet it seems that they
are necessary if war is to be carried on.
ln guns the expense, has rapidly run
up OF late. The rifled Armstrong-gun,
for the cons ruction of which its maker
was knighted, besides selling 1000 of
them to the British Government, there
by making vast fortune, was not per-
fecLed until Decembef, 1854. II has
since largely int reased in calibre and
cost. and nations that fight, must have
II, or ordnance of somewhat equivalent
size and power. One Of The English iron
turreLt-ships, Obe Inflexible, not yet
completely, is TO carry four eighty -one-
ton guns, each capable OF firing 1856
pound shot, with charge OF 300 pound.
of powder, But Italy, youngest of al
European nations, ambitious of making
a great naval display, though she h a,
only fourteen armor-clad vessels, is con
slructlng Two first class war ships, the
lDuilio and the Dandolo, each of which
has 1900 horsepower, with 10,650 ION
4 mage. These vessels cannot be complet
ed before 1880, but each is to carry foul
one hundred-Lon guns. OF course, ono,
this was proposed, England would not b,
left behind. So, The War-Secretary late
ly stated in Parliament, that The British
Government has four one hundred-Jol
guns, tue price of which would appea
in the war estimate, that there was n,
armor afioat, belonging to any country
which can resist the thlrty-five and thir
Ity-eight-ton Woodwich guns, forming tn,
armament of several British war vessels
that there are vessels at this monen
being built by foreign powers which i, il
understood will be able TO resist thos
lguns; that there was no intention on tn,
Ipart of the British Admiralty TO make oi
buy two hundred-ton gun, and ther
was no ship in,the British navy tina
could carry such piece OF ordnance
The cost Of an eighty-one ton gun ha
been variously estimated at from $50
600 to 100000. The Armstrong; all
The Krupps became millioaai ries uut
this competition among the nations fo
instruments of destruction, but the pay
ment falls heavily Oh the unfortunal
taxpayers. out of whose hard labor I'll
money comes.