New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-02
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
PENSIONERS WHO HAVE LOST LINBs-ON MN
IDEAs-oIL on TROUBLED WATERS.

ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
| PENSIONERS WHO HAVE LOST LIMBs-CNNNh
IDEAs-oIL on TROUBLED WATERS.
Washington March 1 CspeciaD.-The War Depart
ment will pay S525O00 this year to pensioners "ho
are entitled to Communication for the loss oil . h"o'
Ofhceis and men who have lost limb or us U.s. III
service arc entitled to receive every five years.
an artificial limb Communication therefor. Inc III"
was passed in 1870 and the year following large
number of pensioners recorded as entitled 10 ts
privilege Every five years since 1871 therefore Tue
communication greatly exceeds the usual Appropriations
| which last year, for instance, amounted TO ohiy
| 300 900. The surgeon General, before TINS years
concentrations became available demolished the attor-
ney system after hard fight. 1t meant over SoOOoV
in fees tho claim agents this year ana IL was de'el
mined that this should be saved to the pensioners.
| The pensioner has now only TO SEND MS name anu
postofce address to the Department and his claim IS
attended to without the expense OF attorneys lees
! or aindavfts. Tie Surgeon General has prepared
list OF these pensioners, from which list 1t appears
that there $4,000 entitled to commutaton Oi TINS
number 5000 have actually lost limbs as follows
$500 have lest arm 1000 one lce 10O one hand
20 one foot; 20 two arms 81 two legs; two hands
10 two feet 10 one arm and one Leg leg and one
| foot 1 both legs ard both hands. The latter pen
sioner is Benjamin Franklin at one time In the I'd
| Minnesota Cavalry. The commutatlon allowed for
the loss Of leg is $50 in all other cases $50.
/
| The experiments at a Pennsylvania foundry with
test cylinder, representing segment Of the Brown
segmenal tube wire gun, have produced no startling
results although official opinion Is withheld until after
the Government trial this week at Fort wadsworth,
| New-York. The ordnance experts claim that a seq
| ment may produce results impossible IN gun made
up Of number OF segmens, and there Is some doubt
as 10 the possibility of constructing efficient weapon
OF this character The results Of last weeks test do not
greater efficiency than that Of the present SER
vice guns The relative value Of the steel gun now in
| use aud the Brown segmental tube wire gun cannot
be established. say War Department people, until a
weapon Of the latter type is placed in direct compe-
| ttoD.
| The Board of Naval Bureau Chiefs meets semi
weekly at the Department. Most Of the time is con-
sumed in the consideration Of suggestions presented by
experts and laymen for the betteIment OF the Navy
incidentally the board discusses the details Of naval
architecture and reports its conclusions to the secre
tary to whom the members stand in the relation Of
the Cabinet to the President An interesting duty OK
the board is the consideration OF crank ideas which
the Navy particularly fortunate in inspiring
It was only last week that Washington man pre-
sented a plan for the utilization OF Kites in warfare
lie proposed the construction Of monster kites, to
which should he affixed dynamite bombs, capable OF
being released when the kites h0vePd over the heads
Of the enemy. Recently a New-loIk maa suggested
the contraction of outer shields over the present hus
of vessels His idea TO have the space between
the two huls divided into small compartments, giving
vessel two skins and essenng the liability OF sink
ing This scheme rejected as increasing the size
OF ships In most instances sufficiently TO close the
harbors Of the world to them.
Not unite so impractcablc bat as unsuccessful was
the plan OF Captain HOdgets, Of the English Navy.
lie proposed vessel with hull formed with three
leels or what he calls pair Of catenarian curves
inCtnV fpou1 n frptk ppIa
the outer extremltes into SIDE Eeels parallel to the
centre keel, and Of about the same depth lie taxes
his idea from the wings Of the abatross and claims for
his vessel the stability and steadlness of that bird
lie represented the Department that trials with
small boat so constructed showed a great Increase
Of buoyancy as compared with its apparent external
displacement Such vessel, be said. would be able
to carry a greater weight OF armament and armor
The board decided that the increase In the Size OF the
hull would call for n corresponding Increase In the
amount Of armor and that the steadness possible ,
power required u propel tue BODY through te WaSE
captain Iiodgetts has secured American patents on MS
plans further attention The Same theory Is IN use
today on the new cruisers Hted o WIN Pee Egs
hull; preventing 1t from rolling without interfering
The photographic Onice is giving wide circulation
to the value OF "oll troubled waters' Lieutenant
Clover the acting photographer Is In receipt Of many
beneficial results. Captain Rogers, OF the British
steamer Congo reports that his Ship took heavy
seas aboard during q hurricane; an oil bag was put
out on each quarter and the ship rode out the
hurricane splenddly without shipping any water
fourhour gale without shipping seas by using fish oil.
Captain Lesemon, Of the British steamer Miranda,
gale, and saved lives and ship. The commanding
officer OF the oceanic regards oil necessary as other
lfe-savlng appliances required by law. The Hydro
graphic Office Is endeavoring to have all vessels real
lie the valne OF this agent, and through It's bnlleuns
IS publishing evidence in support of the success Of oil
in storms at sea.
The new Naval proving ground at Indian Head on the
Potomac Is rapidly nearing completion. The rail-
way tracks have been laid bringing the gun platforms
IN communication with the pier. The tests and ex-
perments will take place In valley, and the space so
occupied VIII take up only small part OF the 600
purchased by the Government. There are to be
Eve gun platforms for the six, eight ten twelve ana
thirteenlnch guns, respectively, Opposite, 800 feet
distant, Will be the velocity butt between which and
the will be placed two velocity screens, 100 feet
apart These screens will have electric connection
with the chronoGqph house. where viii be recorded the
velocity Of projectles The house, already equipped Is
some distance IN the rear OF the guns 80 that the con-
bomb-pro house has been built and will serve as
shelter from which TO operate the ordnance Another
battery will be located nearer the river commanding
q range down the Potomac. This battery will be used
in longdistsnce firing sea-wall of logs has been
transporting ordnance from the Washington Yard to
the proving ground, will be used, carrying
Indian Head and deposited at will. Ensign Dash
iel, OF the Navy, who is experimenting the work. has
ordnance shops and is awaiting shipment to Indian
Head. it Is mounted on trucks. and from centJ.
cross piece hangs huge screw operated by hand
crank. 70 the base Of the screw Is affixed steel
shaft hanging from which four steel wire grderS
capable Of supporting burden OF sixty tons weight
This viii be used In shifting guns between the
cars aud the carriages. It Is ingenious mechanism
and completes system OF transportation which will
enable gun to be fired at Indian Head within three
hours after leaving the shop in Washington. Already
there have been tests at the proving ground
those Of gun carriage steel They are Of no public
interest however being one Of the Tequlremsns which
soon be detailed to assist Ensign Dashell at Indian
Head.
SGR0EkIA "A