The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-04


were held by the government
On the Both day OF November, 1888,
$312, 800 has been coined, $50 $40, 500
of the silver dollars were actually In
circulation, and $237 AIS ,346 in certif1-
Gates. The secretary recommends the
suspension of the further coinage of
silver, aud in such recommendation
earnestly concur. For further valu-
able information and timely recon-
mendations, SIX the careful attention
of the Congress to the secretary's re-
port.
| WAR DEPARTMENT.
The secretary of war reports that the
army at the date of the last CONSOLIDATE
ed returns consisted of 2,189 officers,
and 24,549 enlisted men. The actual
expenditures of the war department
for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1888,
amounted to Sal ,l65, 107.07, of which
sum SO, l58, 5l6.63, was expended for
public works, including river and
harbor improvements.
The board of ordnance and fortifi-
cation provided for under the act ap-
proved September 22d last, was con-
vened October 80, 1888, and plans and
specifications for procuring forgings
for eight, ten and twelve-inch guns
under the provisions of section 4, and
also for procuring twelve-inch breech-
loading mortars, cast iron Topped with
steel, under the provisions of section 5
of the said act, were submitted to the
secretary of war for reference to the
board by the ordnance department of
the same date.
Those plans and specifications hav-
ing been promptly approved by a
board and the secretary of war, the
necessary authority to publish adver-
tisements, inviting proposals, in the
newspapers throughout the country,
was granted by the secretary on No
vember 18th, and on November 18th
the advertisements were sent out to
the different newspapers designated.
The bids for the steel forgings are to
be opened on December 20, 1888, and
for the mortars on December Is, 1888.
GUN FACTORY.
A board of ordnance officers was
convened at Water Welt Arsenal on
October 4, 1888, to prepare the neces-
sary plans and specifications for the
establishment OF an army gun factory
at that point. The preliminaries of
this board, with estimates for shop
buildings and officers quarters, were
approved by the board of ordnance
and Notifications on November 5, 6
and s. The specifications, form of adj
vertisement, and instructions to bid
ders, have been prepared, and an ad-
vertisement inviting the proposals for
the excavation for the shop building
and for erecting two sets of officer
quarters, have been published. The
detailed drawings and specifications
for the gun factory are well in hand
and will be finished within three or
four months, when bids will be invited
for the erection of the building The
list of machines, etc., is made out, and
it is expected that the plans for the
large lathes, ETC., will be completed
within about four months, and after
approval by the board of ordnance
and Notifications, bids for furnishing
same will be invited. The machines
and other fixtures will be completed as
soon as the shop is in readiness to re-
1--WE them.
PNEUMATIC DYNAMITE GUNS.
Under the provisions of the army
dynamite guns, the necessary specifi-
cations are now being prepared, and
advertisements for proposals will issue
early in December. The guns will
probably be of fifteen inches calibre,
charge of about 500 pounds of ex-
plosive gelatine with full calibre pro-
jectiles. The guns will probably be
IniiI-a1-o1 in fraoo 81 -
from the date of the contract; so that
all the guns of this class that can be
procured under the provisions of this
law Will be purchased during the year.
EXAMINATIONS FOR PROMOTION.
l earnestly request that the recon-
mendations contained in the secre-
tary's report, all of which are in nv
opinion calculated to increase the use
fulness and discipline of the army
may receive the consideration of the,
Congress. Among these the proposal
that there should be provided plan
for the examination of officers to test
their fitness for promotion, is of the
utmost importance. This reform has
been before commended in the reports
of the secretary, and its expediency is
so fully demonstrated by the argu-
ment he presents in its favor, that its
adoption should be no longer neg
lected.
GENERAL SHERIDAN's DEATH.
The death of General Sheridan in
August last was national affliction.
The army then lost the grandest of it's
chiefs. The country lost brave ex-
perienced soldier, a wise and discreet
counselor and a modest and sensible
man. Those who in any manner came
within the range of his personal asso-
citation, will never fail to pay deserved
and willing homage to his greatness
and the glory of his career, but they
will cherish with more tender sensi-
bility the loving memory of his simple,
generous and considerate nature.
THE APACHE INDIANS,
whose removal from their reservation
in Arizona was followed by the capture
of those of their number who engaged in
a bloody and murderOus raid 6urinp a