The Portland daily press., 1884-11-29

1Ho lotaA huIhoer OF ueabnS IN the army during
the last fiscal year was 272. of which 1913 were
from disease and 70 from injuries. No casualties
from actual warfare were reported. Four officers
and 81 enlisted men, and II others were sent to
the government insane asylum.
Surgeon Charles Smart is at work on the third
and last volume of the medical history of the war
OF the rebellion long delayed by the illness of Sur
geon j. j. Woodward. lately deceased. 1t will be
ready for issue in about one year.
The library of The medical department of the ar
my contains 65,738 volumes and s6, SOB pamphlets.
Inc increase of the appropriation for this library
mas enabled arrangements to be made to receive
promptly every new medical work from every coun-
try. suitable fre-proof building for this library
and the Army Medical Museum is urgently recon-
mended.
Secretary Lincoln strongly recommends begin
ming the construction of defensive works for the
harbors of the principal seaport cities, and says
truly that steel forts and turrets to resist guns
which can send projsctile weighing a ton through
sixty feet of sand, aud which must themselves have
like guns with steam machinery to load and manip-
ulate them cannot be built in the short time which
would be given us by an enemy for preparation af-
ter the cessation of diplomatic intercourse" He
quotes the remarks of tue Chief of Engineers that
"The contribution which could be levied fl ON New
ASAn etAOhO HVuo PlOOdOty lOul VI nfo-lDlu euO
cost of all the fortcations of the important har-
bols of the country
The difficulties encountered by the Chief of Ordi-
nance in procuring steel from abroad even for ex-
perimental guns, makes manifest, without lengthy
comment, the necessity for home production. 1t is
hoped that the very pressing needs of the depart
ment and the difficulties under which it now labors
IN attempting to secure suitable materials for gun
construction may be relieved through the prompt
and energetic action of Congress at its next session.
Ihe steel-makers of this country win not under
take the production Of steel scale adequate TO
our wants without the inducement of being fairly
remunerated for their outlays; and the Importance
OF immediate action on the part of Congress for
holdng out such inducements, by liberal appropri-
at1ons cannot be overestimated. The truth of this
statement is apparent when it is considered IL st
even after ample encouragement has been afforded.
considerable time must elapse, say two years or
more before the requisite plant can be designed,
constructed and set up and the production of steel
IL masses OF sufficient size and of suitable quality
for gun construction become practical success.
Then the manufacture and test of the experimental
or typical guns will require at least two years more,
even for the more moderate-sized calibres, before
the manufacture of guns in quantity can be pro-
ceeded with
Several pages of the report are occupied with the
affairs of the Weather Signal Bureau for the judg-
ment Of the head of which, the Secretary appears
to have little respect. Under this head the Greedy
relief expedition is considered and Secretary Lin
coin ably and clearly defends his action against the
presumptuous criticism of Gen. HAGEN. That Sec
retary Lincoln is able to be severe with dignity is
apparent by the crushing force of the following ex-
tracts from this part of the report:
The Secretary of War knows Of no one whose
opinion would be considered except the Chief Sig
nal Officer, whe would not have regarded such an
expedition not only as substantially hopeless for
any relief earlier than actually given but peri
lous fu the extreme, if not foolhardy =
10 some of the criticisms made by the Chief Sig
nal ofcer in his report no reference seems to be
quired beyond saying that tue "Proteous' court of
inquiry called, had the merit of basing its CON
clusions as to the officers with whom it dealt upon
suck Information of facts and conditions az was at
tainable by the officers themselves at the time of
their scton, as well as by the court. But the ex-
preston Of the Chief Signal Officer, above referred
to- ia an intrusion of an official opinion as 10 the
pfopriety OF the course of the Secretaries of War
and OF the Navy ia not hazardng lives in 1883
In nearly hopeless adventure upon his telepraphic
requests This excursion into OH cial jurisdiction
beyond his own and his dictum upon the exercise
OF superior responsibility which he was net in
ViGed to share are ex x.raordinory in their time and
place. and are hardly excusable even under what
ever of irritation may have been caused by the fn-
ings OF the "Proteous' court Of inquiry. Waving,
however, that consideration, if there had at the
lime been gwen more weight to the views of that
branch OF The public service under whose manage
ment there had been enc futile and one disastrous
expedition In The northern seas in two successive
years. than to the views of men having experience
In such matters 1t s now hardly to be doubted that
We would have had last summer the news of two
Arctic calamities instead of one.
vi the Records of the war of the Rebellion, there
nave bsen published within the past year, volume
10 In two parts, and the first and second parts of
volume IL. The index of part three of that volume
Is now being revised; volumes IL to 1S, inclusive
have been stereotyped; volume 19 is now in the
hands of the public printer; and the manuscript of
volumes 20 to a. incusivei ready for the printer.
The monument of Yorktown, Va, to commemo-
rate the surrender of Lord CORVALLIS, the corner
stone of which was laid on the centennial anniyer-
ssry of the surrender, October 10, 1881, has been
completed at an expense about $4,000 less than the
100000 appropriated by Congress. The cost of
the north wing of the building for the State war
and navy departments, completed the past year was
81, ,094.92. Work is proceeding on the west
wing, the masonry of which win be completed to
the level of the second story floor during this nan
cial year and $500 900 is asked for continuation
of the work next year. the building being greatly
needed for the security of many valuable records
now dispersed in unsafe buildings.