Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-21

can be reduced 10 the MINIMUM. NeIIHeI
are they an experiment. nor can they be-
come useless, but they may be built with
view to further Strengthening II required,
and capable OF mounting larger guns II
necessary.
Two appropriations of $4,000 each for
the purchase of sites for fertilization and
seacoast defenses were made by the last
congress. Allotments have been made I'M
der these appropriations for sites for gun
and mortar batteries at Glover Cliff, in Bos-
ton harbor; Point Comfort, Fort Wads-
worth, Plumb island and Sand Point, in
New York harbor; Laguna MERGED, IN san
Francisco harbor, and Sheridan POINT, on
the Potomac. Proceedings OF condemna-
ton have been commenced to OBTAIN other
sites near Fort WaGsworth and Fort Ham
ilton, in New York harbor; Wllloughby
Spit. in Hampton roads, and Point Lobos,
III San Francisco harbor. Over one-half OF
the entire appropriation has been allotted
and about S350,O00 expended. Other pay
rnents are to be made as soon as the exam
ination of titles by the department of JUS
tice IS completed. The balance OF the APP
preparation will probably be expended dur
ing the next five months, but 1t will not be
sufficient to pay the awards of juries II
cIseS now pending. ! recommend that an
appropriation OF 100000 be- continued an
nually until the important sites are secured.
II will require this amount for several
wears to pay Tor sites as rapidly as they
will be needed for use, and 1t IS economy TO
acquire them as quickly as possible after
their location has been determined upon.
At its last session congress made an ap-
propriation for the addition of the south
wing TO the new gun factory at Watervliet,
and for the substantial completion of that
plant, except that space has been left 70
add machinery for finishing siXteen-lnch
guns if their manufacture should be deemed
advisable. The work of construction IS
now well advanced, and the machinery
under contract.
Certain provisions in the last two fortif-
cation acts were designed TO induce private
manufacturers in this county to cooperate
with the government in fabricating guns as
well Us in supplying the steel forglngs.
Advantageous bids were received and
contract made with the Bethlehem com
pany for supplying twenty-five eight-inch,
fifty ten-inch, and twenty-five twelye-inch
guns.
This contract, and the output of the gun
factory from fOTginpS already under con-
tract provides for the manufacture OF l9o
broech-loading steel rife guns of high
uower-sixty-ty7o Of eight-inch calibcr,
cichty-siX OF tcn-inch and fifty of twelve
iIch. -Four have been fnlshed-two eight
inch one ten-inch and one twelvc-inch-
twcuty-four more will be finished in 1892,
thirty-four in 1893, forty in 1894, when the
machinery at the gun factory will be nearly
complete. Thereafter there can be manu-
f.c,urei about fOrty-iive per year, and the
deliveries from the Bethlehem 1GO-gun con-
tract will be eight to fourteen yearly, ac-
cording to the proportion of small or large
caiber. Besides the l9S for which pro
vision has already been made, if forgingS
are supplied TO the gun factory $50 more
guns can be turned out within the next ten
years, and mostly of ten and twelVe-inch
caliber. ! believe these figures 10 be con-
servative and that the actual results will
be greater, for with experience in the
manufacture the work should progress
more rapidly.
Two batteries, each for sixteen Pinch
mortars, and emplacemeltS for two l2-inch,
two l0-inch and four S-inch guns are now IN
process Of construction for the defense of
New York; also one battery for sixteen y
inch mortars, and emplacementS for one 10
inch gun, with two more IN preparation,
ut Boston; and emplacements for two 10
inch guns, with one 1O-lnch and three u
Inch il preparation at san Francisco; for
two 10-inch guns at Hampton Roads, and
for two l0-inch guns ut Washington. Pro
prass has also been made in providing 4
suitable supply of submarine mines. y
considerable number are on hand or under
contract for the defense of New York, san
Franscisco Boston, Hampton Roads, Phil
adelphia, Washington and Charleston, and
some of the mining classmates for operating
them are completed or under contract at
these ports and st Portland, Me. Contracts
have also been made for the early delivery of
seventy-three l2-Inch caStiron rlled mortarS
hooped with steel, of pattern known to
be serviceable, though probably not equal
to an all-Steel construction now under test.
The department has been obliged, on ac-
count of the financial EN- barraSSment OF the
contractors, TO extend the time until Janu-
airy, April and July, 1892, for the delivery
OF the ten guns contracted for with the
Pneumatic dynamite gun company Tor
Sandy Hook, Fort Schuyler, Fort Warren
and San Francisco. One of these guns was
to be S-inch, and nine of them 15-inch cali
Der Three of the latter are, by law, to be
mounted on the Pacific coast. The chief OF
the bureau of ordnance states that
Reports furnished the department OF
trials made of q 15-inch pneumatic dynamite
gun manufactured in this country for the
English government are quite favorable to
tho performance of the gun and its pro-
!erti!e.
The point has now been reached when, by
the continuance of the present rate of APP
propriationS for coast defeuses, which have
been moderate, the work can be carried on
Systematically and iudiciously. To stop OF
check the work now would be to lose much
that has been done; to continue will be both
safety and economy. Each year some part
of it can be completed so as TO become
available, and thereafter every gun mounted
VIII ada 10 us elNCleuCy.
The board of ordnance and fortifcation
tn their report say:
Four years continuance of similar legis-
latiOn and activity and it can no longer be
said that the United States is dcfenseless
against foreign powers.
FIELD AND SIEGE ARTILLERY.
Good progress has been made in the pro-
ductiou of improved rifle steel ordnance.
32-inch steel field guns.-One hundred
have been completed and twenty-five more
are under manufacture. The ten regular
light batteries are nearly supplied with
these guns, and they are now being fur
nshed 10 the National Guard.
96iuch heavy steel field gunS.-A type
gun has been completed and proved by {
test to be satisfactory. The manufacture
Of twenty-four others and carriages fol
them will soon be commenced.
MAGAZINE sMALL-ARMS.
During the year board has beer
appointed, consisting of officers from tn,
ordnance, cavalry ana infantry, to consider
rest and report upon magazine small-arms
They have examined those in use In th'
principal European armies, but saitsfac
tory smokelesS powder is an essential ele
ment for consideration in fixing upon tn,
reduced caliber. Their experiments anc
reports of similar trials made abroad lndI
cate that magazine arms are still so ia
from orr pre- sent excellent single-loader Il
magazine system il too great haste.
DEsERTIOS.
Distortions from the army for the yea
ending September 50 have been less than il
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