Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-28

SOME TESTS ALREADY MADE.
The board Of ordnance and fortifcation, re-
Gently in session in New York, adjourned on
Friday to meet on Saturday Of this week, when
Gen. schofeld, now on his way east on his
bridal tour, will attend the session. The
board. which convened July 49, was in session
for eleven days and devoted most of its time
to consideration Of the bids recently received
at the War Department from three private
firms for the construction of 100 high. power
guns for the army. These bids were referr ed
to the board by the department under
the terms of the ordnance and fortifi-
cation act Of 1890, which provided
for the issue Of proposals for these
guns, which, 1t went on to stipulate, ''the Sec
retary Of War is authorized and directed to pur-
chase under contract, after due advertisement
inviting proposals., and at prices which the
board Of ordnance and fortifcation shall ad-
Judge to be fair to the manufacturer and for
the interests Of the United states.'
THE GUNS MUST BE BOUGHT.
The board spent some time in q careful re-
view Of this provision, which not only author
izes but directs the Secretary to purchase.
Heretofore the board has acted merely in an
advisory capacity, but in this instance the law
places the expenditure Of a very large sum
v1,ooo,oOO-ulrecuS IN ltb cOntrOl. 1ue phrase
"at prices deemed fair to the manufacturer
and TO the best interests Of the United States
compllcates the case somewhat. as the prese nee
OF the Watervliet arsenal and factory ss a gov
srnment plant introduces an element OF unusual
complexity. For example. it will be quss-
Will be to the best interests Of the United
States to accept a low but fair bid from pri-
vate manufacturer with the Watervliet plant
Idle, and therefore causing useless consump-
tion OF interest on the vast sum there invested
This and other views of the financial aspect
Of unusual dellcacy. and the board.
after discussing it at length for three entire
sessions and during portions of other days.
decided to postpone final action until there
could be full attendance. Gen. Schofeld was
therefore communicated with by wire and ON
his promise to be in New York next Saturday
An adjournment was taken until then. It il ex-
pected that the matter will be definitely set
tied and an award made Of the contract soon, as
the board will devote the entire extra
session to this topic. It intends to make a
thorough investigation of the state Of affairs at
Watervliet, SO as to determine the ability of
that establishment to turn out guns at prices
bearing comparison with those submitted by
private firms
SOME TESTS MADE.
During the recent session of the board test
was made at the Sandy Hook proving ground
Of the new explosive, emmensite, as an explod-
ing charge for shells fred from pow
der guns. A shell filed with tho
explosive was placed in seven
inch breech-loading rifle and fred into tho
water. The test was quite successful. The
shell was fired from the gun intact and the ex-
perimen: developed the fact that, though this
substance is o high-power explosive of an in
tensity nearly if not quite equal to dynamite, It
can safely be subjected to the shock Of being
fired by the expansion Of powder gas and utii-
lied as an explosive for projectiles. The next
step taken viii, be to discover fuse for these
shells, and there is every prospec. that in a
short time emmensite will obtain an official re-
cognition as leading explosive for military
purposes.
Gen. B. F. Cutcheon of Michigan, ex-mem-
Der Of Congress, attended this session of the
board as member, having recently been ap-
pointed such by the President under the pro-
visions of the recent ordnance appropriation
act The military. members of the board
have welcomed his advent for he is
thoroughly posted on military matters,
particularly those relating to ordnance, which
he has especially studied. He is familiar with
all OF the laws on the subject and has an init
mate acquaintance with the state Of the coun-
try's defenses today. His presence on the
board, 1t is thought, will have a beneficial in
fluencs upon the minds of the appropria iux
powers of Congress, which have hitherto been
Suspicious Of the estimates of army oficers