The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-23
HEAVY ORDNANCE.
Progress Of the Big Guns for
Fort Point.
Difficulty In Obtaining Perfect Working
Disappearing Carriages.
Three New Systems to Be TeSted-Rep9rt
on the Condition of the California
and Oregon Wheat Crops,


of construction at Wateryiiet Arsenal, and
according to a report received to-day at the
department, work is going along quite salts
factorily. The main trouble is experienced
in getting suitable disappearing carriages.
The guns for the point are 10-inch. 30-call-
Der, and the department has disappearing
carriage which work, an S-inch gun very
successfully, but it is not at all certain that
it can be relied upon for 10-inch guns, and
after the matter had been considered by the
Board of Ordnance and Fortifcations it was
decided to give three systems n test before
making any recommendation for a 10-inci
gun carriage. About the last of May the
pneumatic gun-carriage will be tested at
Sandy Hook with . 10-inch gun. The Cor
don carriage being made by the Morgan
Engineering Company will be ready to test,
according to assurances given to the depart
ment, about the 1st of September. The
Burlington & Crozer carriage is yet in em-
bryo bat is regarded with considerable ia
vor by the department. The plans have
just been completed. and work has not yet
been commenced. 1t is thought that it viii
be ready to test by the last of this year.
THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS.
The last two systems employ counter
weight TO bring the gun TO the battery,
while the first relies upon compressed air.
About the first of next year the Board of
Ordnance and Fortifcations expects TO have
before it the result Of the experiments of
the three systems. and will be prepared to
recommend to the Engineering Department
the one which can best be relied upon to
handle the 10.inch guns at Fort Point. As
soon as a selection is made the work will be
pushed forward, and it is calculated the
carriages will be ready for use early in 1893.
perhaps little sooner. The San Francise0
contractors have good chance to capture
the work Of making carriages. 1t is not
regarded as especially difficult, and in every
prominent city in the country there are
plants quite well enough equipped to do the
work. The Pacific Rolling-millS could
handle the work very nicely. 1t is thought
at the department tnat the carriages will be
made on the Coast, in order to save the cost
of transportation if for no other reason.
ORDNANCE OFFICERS HOPEFUL.
Some OF the officers in the Engineering
Department are quite hopeful as to the
prospects Of getting a carriage that can he
relied upon to do the work required. For
twenty years the department has been mt
work upon the matter and while they have
succeeded as we'll as other countries they
have not been abe TO mount a gun In a sat-
isfnetory way. Captain Smith EXPRESSED
the opinion to-day that the board in making
experiments this year would be greatly
pleased with the Improvements so far made
and that the new guns at Fort Point would
be mounted on the best disappearing car
riage known in the history of ordnance en-
glneeTlng.
SEIZURE OF OPIUM
The Collector of Customs OF Portland,
Oregon, having seized a package of un-
and b. Nj. Thumas, they filed stfidayiIs
claiming that the seizure was made in viols-
tion OF the law. The package was purchased
of a San Francisco firm and was being
shipped to Jam Lee at Bozemau, Mont, per
Wells, Fargo Express Company. Assistant
Secretary Spaulding observes that if the
opium was manufactured in the United
States or imp orted prior to October 1, 1890,
it is not liable 10 seizure and should be re-
leased aud stamped with the proper import
stamps, provided the Collector has no reason
to believe that the merchandise is liable to
seizure under some other provision of the
law.
LAND DECISIONS.
In the case OF Francis Nj. Stovall VS.. Nor
ris j. keenan,, involving land in the San
Francis co District, the decision of the Com
missioner is affirmed. The decision sus-
pends the proof of Stovall, holding his
homestead entry subject to the right of
keenan, to make proof on his pre-cmption
deciaratOry statement.
The application made for writ of GER
tiorari, directing the Commissioner TO send
to the department the papers in the case of
Paul McNaly vs.. William Brown, involving
land in the Humboldt District is denied.
CALIFORNIA AND OREGON WHEAT.
The Department of Agriculture Spring
d. Il sox- =.
of California and Oregon winter wheat by
counties. rs follows: California-Ssnta Cruz,
the condition is good and the growth rapid
since the big rains; Placer, the condition Of
early sown is very good and as forward as it
has ever been, later S0wn did not make SO
good a stand; Fresuo, unusually fine;
Marin, looks very fne; Mariposa, very
good; San Luis Obispo, little backward,
but in fine condition; Tulare, excellent,
later rains have been abundant and the
plant is vigorous and strong; Tuolumne,
good; COlusa, never better, some of the
early winter Sown is rather too rank;
Merced, while somewhat later than usual,
the condition is good and the growth all
that is desired to insure good grain; it is not
SO rank, but better 1eeding and filling in the
stock is expected; Nevada, heavy, owing to
the late rains; Santa barbara, the early
s0wn has made too much growth for a first
class crop; it may fall or lodge, as it is
bountiful crop-more than an average;
Yol0, very favorable: early sown is stand
about one foot high-good color and good
stand; Lassen, the present growth is fine;
Monterey. the condition Is fine, have not seen
better In thirty years; Sacramento. winter
sown is backward, the condition is fair,
summer fallow is in fair condition and grow
ing raf afidly; Ventura, The present groN til Is
thrifty ana favorable; Butte, the condition
is backward, with prospect of im proving;
Caaveras, early growth is fine, late is good:
El Dorado, the condition and growth was
never better; Lake. very fine; Tehama, the
condition is fine, growth good; San MateO,
looking well, growth is improving; San
Bernardino, quite promising; San Joaquin,
exceedingly good, grain is not very
forward ON account Of the dry January but
later rains have brought it out and made a
healthy gro with; Trinity, good, better than
usual; SOnoma, both above The average; /;
Contra Costa, good. The ground is covered
already; ample moisture would make crop
without more rain, but with spring showers
the yield would be increased. The danger,
If any, is from too large growth Of straw,
with the consequent liability to lodge and
perhaps rust.
OREGON.
Gillian County, it is difficult TO say, as 1t
is partially covered with snow; Marion,
short, but bright and vigorous; Washington,
growing rapidly; Multnomab, the crop
looks exceedingly well; Douglas, condition
and growth is good, rather late; klamath,
looking fine; Union, very good, it was well
protected by snow, and the spring, though
late. has been damp and favorable; Linn.
the plant looks well, though not as far ad-
vanced in growth as usual; Columbia, look
ing very well; Umatilla, the present condi-
tion is good; Benton, the condition is fairly
good, the ground is we'll covered with early
sown of good height; Clackamas, fine ap-
pearance; Polk, about the average; Lane,
the condition of the present growth is very
good.
CALIFORNIA LIVE STOCK.
California live stock entered the winter
season in poor condition, owing to the
drouth of last fall, but are now generally
healthy and doing well. Diseases have been
few. Some isolated cases of glanders in
horses have beer reported, but the animals
were promptly killed, thus preventing the
spread of the disease. Live stock, especially
horse and cattle. have been very much i'm
49,