The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-11-01
Report 81 Chief Of Onan.r..

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-Bripadier.
General Benet, Chief of Ordns"oa =,
Inc army, submitted his annual re.
port OF expenditures of the denart.
ment during the year, includipa
tnose attending the sales of con-.
oemned stores. and amounted to So.
Via, 700: The report of operations al
nocK Island arsenal is submitted
Inc erection of shops and store
houses has been conducted ecooom.
lcaily and thoroughly. The last ap>
preparation of $500, 100 for genera
care. etc., ia not deemed adeuu ate ia
the necessarieS of the arsenal. Dur.
ing the year IS, 1873 rifles, carbinee
and shot guns have been manufae.
tured at the national armory. Much
has also been done in manufacturing
magazine guns. General Benet
says the condition of our coast de-
lenses is matter of great concern
and calls for immediate act on, and
he hopes before the end of the ensu-
ing session that Congress vii! shcw
TO the country it's appreciation ot
these national wants by liberal and
permanent annual appropriations.
The department was greatly embar.
rassed in its work of constructing
several experimental guns for arm.
ament Notifications by the back
wardness of foreign manufactures
in meeting their engagements
for furnishing steel forgipgs and by
the inferior quality OF some material
received and submitted to q test by
the department. After describing
these matters in detail the report
continues: The difficulties encoun-
tered in procuring steel from abroad,
even for experimental guns, makes
it manifest without lengthy CON-
ment the necessity for home produc-
tion. It ts hoped the very pressing
needs of the department and the
difficulties under which 1t now Ia
bors in attempting to secure suitable
material, foreign construction may
be relieved through the prompt and
en- erge.ic action of Congress ut its next
session. The steel makers OF this
will not undertake the pro-
duction of steel on q scale adequate
with our wants without inducements
of being fairly remunerated for their
outlay, and the importance of i'm
mediate action on the part of Con-
gress for holding out such induce
ments by liberal appropriations can
not be over estimated. The truth of
this statement ls apparent when it is
considered that even after ample en-
has been offered con-
slider able time must elapse, say two
years or more, before requisite plant
can be designed, constructed and set
up and the production of steel in
masses of sufficient size and suit
able quality for gun construction
can become practical success. Then
the manufacture and test of expert
mental or typical guns will require at
least two years more, even for more
sized calibres, before the
ofguns in quantity can
BE- proceeded with. The report says
have been made by the
board in firing shells
charged with explosive gelatine
from service guns and that the prac-
of making such firings by
using ordinary gun powder as the
prOpelling agent with safety and
seems now almost assured.
Some 8-inch steel shells have been
ordered with 8 view to increasing
the penetration in iron plates
and with the exception of
the explosive effect gelatine
will thereby be considerably
An estimate has
been submitted and an appropriation
is asked for to enable the department
to arm the light batteries Of our army
with modern breech-lOadiDg field
guns. The passage of the Senate bill
now pending in the House relating
to the formation of volunteer militia
is recommended in the
strongest terms.