The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-02

.HE WHEELING DA
than s9,OOo,opo,.'o i ShIch reduction s., 200,
900 was affected In the expenditures 10
rivers and harbors and S2JW,o0in :e1
penditures for the Quarternaster's De
partment. Outside OF that department
the expenses Of all, the army bureaus pro
per except possibly tho Ordnance Bureau
are substantially fixed charges which
cannot DO materially diminished
without q change In the numerical
strength o. the army. Tho ex
penditures In tho Quartermaster'l
department can readily DO subjected Il
administrative discretion, and 1t Is report
ed by the Secretary Of War that rs d result
81 exercising such discretion In the dlrsc'
ton Of the number Of pack animals In ths
army, the cost Of supplying and caring FOL
such animals which 10 nowSl, l0S,0S5 *
less than II was In 1882.
Tho reports Of military commander
show that the last year has been notable
for its entire freedom from Indian out;
breaks. =
In defiance OF the Presidents proslama'
ton OF July first, 1854, certain intruder.
sought to make settlements Ia the Indian
Territory. They were promptly removed
by q detachment OF troops. =
During tho past session Of Congress O
bill to provide a suitable lrs proof build
ing for the Army Medical Museum and
the library OF tho Surgeon Generals Office
received the approval Of tho Senate. A
similar bill reported fayorably to the
House Of Representatives by one Of its
committees. Is stiff pending before that
body. Its hoped thst during the coming
session the measure may become q law,
aud thereafter Immediate steps may be ia,
ken TO secure q place OF sale deposit fol
these valuable collections now in a state
Of insecurity.
RIVERS AND nARDORs. iy1 ~
Tho funds with which tho works for tho
improvement Of rivers and harbors we're
prosecuted during tho past year were de.
rived from the appropriations Of the act
Of August 2, 1882, together with such few
balances as were on hand from previous
appropriations. Thebalance In the Treas.
ury subject to requisition July /, 1883,
was Sl0l02l,B $40 IS. Tho amount appro.
priated during the fiscal year 1854 was
81 ,3lO,634 ", and the amount drawn from
Treasury during the fiscal year was S..
222S. 703 pa, leaving O balance OF SHE.
$50 03 In the Treasury subject to requisi.
ton July ], 1884.
Tho Secretary OF War submits the re.
port OF tho chief OF engineers as to the
probability of projecting our important
cities on the seaboard by Notifications and
other deienses, to repel all the modes OF
attack. The time has come when such de-
lenses can be prepared with the cont
dence that they will not prove abortive,
and when the possible result OF the DELAY
making such preparations is seriously
considered, the delay seems inexcusable.
the most important cities, those
those whose destruction or capture
would be q Standardization, ADEQUATE
defenses inclusive Of guns may be made
l6,y the gradual expenditure Of sixty mil.
lions, a sum much less than a victorious
enemy could levy rs a contribution. An
appropriation Of about one.tenth Of thut
amount is asked to begin the work, mud |
concur with the Secretary of.War in urg-
ngtlati it be granted.
The War Department is proceeding with
tho conversion OF ten.inch smooth. bore
guns into cight-inch rifles by tying the
with tubes Of forged or coiled
wrought iron. FIFTY guns will be thus con.
verified within the year. This however,
does not obviate the necessity Of provid-
ing means for the construction Of guns OF
the highest power, both for the purposes
Of coast defense and for the armament OF
war vessels.
THE U fouSDRY-yArAL CONSTRUCTION.
The report Of the gun foundry board,
appointed April ., 1883, in pursuance Of
the actof March 3, 1883, was transmitted
to Congress in Especial message OF Fcbru.
1854. In my message Of March 90,
1854, ! called attention to the recomncn.
,lation OF the board that the Government
should encourage the production OF private
steel works OF the required material for
heavy cannon, aud that Two Government
factories, ono for the army, and one for
the navy should be established
for the fabrication Of guns from such ma.
terial. No action having been taken the
board was subsequently r%cconvened to
determine more fully the plans and csti-
mates necessary for carrying out its rec
concentrations. 1t lias received informa-
ton which indicated that there are re-
sponsible steel manufactu rers in this coun-
try who, although not provided at present
with the necessary plant, are willing TO
construct the same and to make bids for
contracts with the Government for the
supply OF the requisite material for the
heaviest guns adapted to modern warfare,
If a guaranteed order Of sufficient macni.
tude, accompanied by apositive appropri-
alton extending over a series Of years,
shall be made by Congress. All doubts as
to the feasibility Of this plan being thus
removed, I renew my Recommendation
that such action be taken by Congress as
will enable the Government to construct
its W ordnance upon its own territory,
and SO to provide the ornaments BY the
consideration Of National safety and
honor. u
The report OF the Secretary Of the Navy
exhibits the progress which has been made
on the new steel cruisers, authorized by
the acts Of August 5, 1882, and March 5,
1889. OF the four under contract one, the
Chicago, Of 1900 tons, Is more than half
finished. The Atlanta, OF 5000 tons, has
been successfully launched and her ma
chinery is now fitting. The Boston, also
OF 5000 tons. and the Dolphin, a dispatch
steamer, Of l,5o0 tons, are ready for deliv-
cry.
Certain adverse criticisms upon the de-
signs Of tho cruisers are discussed by the
Secretary, who insists that the correctness
Of the conclusions reached by tho Advis-
DRY Board and the Department has been
demonstrated by recent developments In
ship building abroad. The machinery Of
the double turreted monitors Puritan,
Terror and Amphitritc, contracted for
under the act Of March ), 1851. is in pro.
cess Of construction. No work has been
done during the past year on their ar,nor
for lack of the necessary appropriations.