The morning call., 1891-11-05
Report Of General Flasler, Chief
Of Ordnance.
Increased Facilities Required for the Man.
ufaCture Of Heavy Armament.
The Small Arms SatisfaCtOry-EStimateS Of
Appropriations Wanted POStmaSteTS
AppOinted-PanSlOnS Granted
Epecial to THE MORNING CALI

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-General Flagler,
Chief of Ordnance, in his annual report to
the Secretary of War, says: The labor in
volved and the difficulties to be surmounted
In supplying Notifications with the new
model disappearing carriages for large guns
is perhaps greater than that of supplying
the guns themselves. Unfortunately this
department is in great need of we'll
equipped sea-coast carriage factory for this
work, and the report recommends an ap-
preparation for further enlarging the facili-
ties for the manufacture of these carriages
at the Watertown Arsenal. The depart
ment has thus far completed two 8-inch.
one 1O-inch and one Pinch breech-loading
steel rifled gun. The first S-inch gun was
tested with German smokeless powder with
significant result, fifty pounds of the COM
pound giving the projectile higher velocity
with about the same pressure as 125 pounds
of black powder. The time allowed the
Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company for the
delivery of ten guns has been extended to
January 1st next for the frat delivery, and
July 1st for the last. Among the estimates
submitted is S326, 900 for the equipment of
the south wing of the Army Gun Foundry,
and 81. 122, 900 for Oii-tempered and annealed
steel for the s, 10 and u inch guns, includ-
ing the parts required for the manufacture Q
of type of 16-inch gun.
The recent Improvements in the resisting
power of ships armor would seem to still
further emphasize the already recognized
necessity for guns of this caliber. AS it
would be foolish to conclude that the i'm
prOvements In the resisting power of armor
has reached its final limit, and as much time
is required for completing tyDe-gun of
such high power as may have become an
absolute necessity for overcoming such re-
sistance, the sooner the work is commenced
the bet. er. The other estimates are: For
steel Pinch coast mortars, S725, 600
their carriages, SEQ; for carriages for
600; enlargement of the gun carriage
plant at Watert0wn. Mass, S15l 900; armor-
piercing projectiles, $40, 600; Drew piercing
12-inch shells, 100000: and for the altera-
tion OF the I5 and 16 inch carriages, 500, 600.
The report describes at length the ex-
haustve experiments made by the depart
ment with magazine small arms, including
the latest European models On this
subject it says: 1.-THE reports from our
army show that an expert soldier eau fire
the present service Springfield single-lOader.
with the accuracy. generally needed
minute. AS far as the rapidity of
firing alone is concerned these reports re-
duce somewhat the almost universally es-
timated necessity for an immediate change
to the magazine system. 1t is important to
state that up TO the present tine the invest-
cations made aud the kn0wle1ge gained by
this department has not demonstrated so
much excellence in the magazine arms,
which have been adopted by foreign nations
as was expected, and have not shown such
in nf
warrant its adoption for our service. 1t is
hoped this country can produce better
arm, and until it can, or certainly until it
has been demonstrated it cannot, it would
be wise to defer the change from the excel.
lent Single-loader now in service to the
magazine system. No efforts should be
spared TO arrive at a satisfactory magazine
arm" The new 80 calber Springfield gun
is said to have been very successful with
smokeless powder.
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION CONTESTS.
Notices IF contest of the seats of six
members-elect to the House in the Fifty
second Congress have been filed as follows
Henry T. Noyes VS.. Hosea Il. Rockwell
Twenty eighth New York District; John B.
Reynolds VS.. George ". Shouk, Twelfth
Pennsylvania District; Thomas II. Greevy
VS.. Edward Scull, Ninth Pennsylvania Dis.
trict Alexander K. Craig VS.; Andrew Stew
art. Twenty-fourth PENNSYLVANIA District
| Thomas Z. Miller VS.. William Elliott
Seventh South Carolina District, and Johr
| Y. McDuffy VS.. Louis Turpin, Fourth Ala
| bama District. In the Pennsylvania dis
tricts the c0nteStees are Republicans, anC
| in the other cases the contesteeS are Demo
| Gratis
CALIFORNIA PENSIONS.
Pensions have been granted to the follow
| ing Californlans: Aaron II. Gage, RicharC
A. Kendall. John London, John Blanchard
Jr, Orin F. Carpenter, James McGlon
/ .r.In NJ ~
McFadden. Charles A. Chandler, William
Cashin, David A. Brown, Emil Kellner
William Scollard, Moses Davidson, Isaac
! A. Graham, Adam Bair. John w. Dewey
Jerry Denning, Peter Gahr. William T
Armstrong, Nancy A. Rouse and Nancy A
| Rockwell
A REPORT PRONOUNCED FALSE.
The dispatch stating that the three Com
| missioners for the Worlds Fair in Chill,
| Iad been withdrawn by order of the Di.
rector-General is pronounced at the head
| quarters of the Latin American Bureau il
this city as absolutely false in every par
| ticular.
| LANDS OPENED FOR SETTLEMENT
The Secretary of the Interior issued al
| order to-day opening to homestead entr,
the surplus lands of the diminished For
| AssiDiboine military reservation in Mon
taua, aggregatng 81 200 acres.
| ILLEGAL IMPoRTATIoNs.
The Treasury Department has directed
that lottery matter seized in violation o
Postal Union Convention shall be held
Illegal imporations. and for the presen
treated as unclaimed merchandise, but ex
cluded from sale until further orders.
PosTMAsTERs APPOINTED.
A Postoffice has been established a
Caruthers, Fresno County, Cal, will
! james j. Truman as Postmaster jaime
Raymond has been appointed Postmaste te
at Union, Oregon.
PERSONAL MENTION.
Representative John L. Wilson and wife
Of Spokane Falls. Wash. arrived here to
day, and have taken quarters at the Rigg
| House.
| MEXICAN CONSUL RECOGNIZED.
The President has recognized Carlos Fer
nandez PasalOgna as Consul for Mexico a
Deming. n. Mex.