, 1880-11-06
@feklp Statesman.
James Madiean's Inv.ntioue,

The readers Of the SrATEeNay ase aware
that Mr.. James Madigan. an old and re-
spected citizen Of walla Walla. haa perfected
some very useful and valuable military in.
ventions, which will be the means OF saving
much money 10 the government When
General Howard was in the city lss, summer
he was so well pleased with wha. Mr.. Madi-
gan showed him that he Immediately ordered
Q board of officers TO examine and report
thereon. ant their opinion Is annexed:
With regard to the FIRST, two Of the boxes
are packed on one mule the two are ar
ranged 10 contain 240O rife tall cartridges,
cal AS, a. packed in paper boxes. Zach
OF the uddigan boxes is divided into two
compartments, each compartment having q
door which can be opened and cartridges car
be taken out, or others put in, without dis.
fnrbing the pack IN any Wy. When the
ammunition box il used for transporting
Hotchkiss mountain rife, the divisions OF
thu interior should be made of suitable size
For cal. As cartridges. they ere made to
Mold three paper boxes, sixty lG0) cartridges.
II the paper boxes were made with rectansu-
lar cross section, the Kadigan box could be
made two inches shorter and somewhat
lighter.
The board is of the opinion that this box
will be of much value in active service. both
for the present and prospective wants Of the
Amy, and It earnestly recommends its adop-
ton and that every command Of troops on
the march, in Indian or other campaigning,
be furnished with them; At the rat. Of four
pack-muies. with eight tSI boxes for sixty
t5Ol armed men, 100 rounds per man, to be
.erieS'- ned as occasion requires, from the
ordnance train.
The board has no doubt th-t troops, in
line OF battle or skirmishing, can be much
Liore quickly supplied with ammunition by
this means, than by the present plan Of send
ing men to the train to carry up the heavy
boxes OF cartridges, which require most val
liable time after reaching the line, to un-
screw the covers ; and cause waste of am
munition and Of packing boxes
With regard to the second and third in
ventioIs-the pack-saddle has advantages
0vef any heretofore made. and is commended
by the board as valuable adjunct To the
dPar1o; with the latter, it presents the best
means known 70 the board, Of packing the
mountain howitzer, and the Hotehkiss noun.
tain rife
The pack-ssddles, heretofore issued to the
army for This purpose, have two defects :
the load is Too high, and the fixed filling OF
the permanent pads used, does not permit any
change, when on the mar h, so a. to relieve
sore places on the animals back
The aParcjo remedies the latter, by ena-
bling the packer t. adjust the filling. 50 that
pressure Is removed from tender spots. The
Wadiyln pack saddle which rides on the apa
Tejo, brings the load closer to the mule $ back,
aud the pressure Is carried down 10 lines
about SIX inches lower than the backbone
aud parallel with t. Packers in Arizona
and IN this department always throw aside
the pack saddles issued by the Ordnance
Department for carrying howitzers, prefer
ing to inprosise means of lashinS the gun 10
the dpdrgO, getting It down closer TO the
mule.
Any pack, riding high above the back, Is
extremely difficult TO carry up or down steep
incllnes; and the board recognizes IN tins
fact. the one serious objection to Mr.. Madi-
gans Application of his saddle for packing
the Calling gun and its tripod, on a mule
The box, in which he places the articles, is
bulky, and it throws the load tao high
1t would probably he hest to dispense with
the box; encaSe the gun in heavy canvas and
leather and carry 1t on the MddiJan pack.
saddle. adding lighter articles, as side packs.
to make up n load for the animal The gun
alone weighs l40 pounds, the triped and ap-
= purtenanCeS weigh To pounds
Pack animals, on the march with troops
IN amounta'"ous country, should not carry
ofgr ZII pounds, including dparGo-
The board recommends that the packing
b,N for sn.%S>,ym ammuuition and the
NGiigaR pack-sNlle be manufactured and
sued by the Orarance Department., and
that t pack-sa ldlfs h>re,ofore issued 70,
carrying light guns IN moLatain service. b.
dispensed with.
These recommendations are naseI.- :,
extensive service III the mountain ranges ui
this coast. hr the President and Recorder.
confirmed by sinilar information received b,
Captain kress from many other officers.
tSignedl EDWIN c. Mason,
Major, 2lst Infantry,
JoBS A. kRESs.
Captain Of Ordnance,
JoHS =. ADAMS,
lst Lieutenant. lst Cavalry.