The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-07
THE NEW FIELD GUNS AND CARRIAGES.
The Need OF supplyi.e More OF Them to
the Army aud the Miiitia-The IO-iueh Cuu

@Hb VIEW FIELD GUNS AND CARRIAGES.
The Need OF supplying More or Them to
the Army aud the Niiitis-The 10-ineh Gun.
WAsH1SoroS. July 6.-Ons OF the items in tho
Estimates for the Portincations bill. as drawn
UP by the ordnance authorities, was TINT OF
SZo.ooo Tor twenty-five steel guns OF 32-inch
oaiiore such as are used by light batteries in
the regular service and with 1t was an item OF
soi.ooo to provide the carriages, limbers. and
caissons Tor these guns. and also six COM
pined battery wagons and forges with tools.
In pursuance OF q general policy OF reduce
ton. tho House cut down the gun appropria-
ton to $4,000. which will supply fifteen
guns, and the carriage appropriation to $780,
900 But at least sixty guns are required for
the regular army at the present time. The
Held artillery has had to be renewed. in order
TO correspond with modern requirements.
one hundred OF these field pieces have al
ready been completed. and twenty five more.
TOT winch an appropriation was made In last
years Dill. are under manufacture at Water
vliet. The plan was to mako twenty five q
year the moderate annual manufacture until
the entire supply needed should be furnished.
since the difference In the amounts as esti-
mated and In those as actually appropriated
are small. compared with the millions involvad
In tho bill as whole. the reduction Of this
80, 'ep"S VI hciu suus lTOu twenty-five 10
fifteen seems hardly worth attempting. For
besides those needed by the regular batteries.
others are required for the artillery school and
Tor west Point. Supplies are also needed for
tho organized militia. which may properly call
Tor Held guns under the annual appropriation
OF Congress as we'll &c for small arms. The
artillery and cavalry are not numerically
strong among our State troops. this being
u que a1 aSsS WITH " hf n SSs Of
S Sns';S s1.llisry and als.Szstons tS,
artey OF the NSiona
load ing steel guns can do It. and ths snppIy
Sso od c,ontribnte much to ts Effectiveness.
IT is also believed by military authorities
for snp res9rye Of field guns should be ready
raised IN cases OF emergency. This country
arm mot called maintain large standing
come forward rapidly and In great numbers.
a But some materials OF war for arming, and
OF guns e LOCO men adopted BY, good Euro.
p peanos aut Inc Is Elk Gen Fagler would
Fhst Woald tsEe 81 a seserys
Gazing mta hs Sas m b spa hs
sixty batteries. or 800 guns Tho total would
DC !.ol9 guns. But 4 we suppose reserve
10000 to include militie organizations. with.
out maxi making any extra calcplatons for tho lat
ssgs Re- Rsiasf is 'e2 the "nd or st.
nance authorities ask. 1t would take twenty
year years for the supply. Again. allowing nothing
the ~ number proposed for the mil itia from 800
to 1SO. the latter. added to thu sixty required
supply Of these would take nearly ten years yea" at
at by the
ing bill it would take sixteen years. Wv p'AN
These considerations suggest that it is hardly
judicious to slash out few thousand dollars
ions It Should be- saf hoWeYer se that w Kill
carriages ought to be supplied sim uitansousy
turned rspdye tEsn 'n tSs '0n .sr
Hence. for Held guns kept In reserve. not quite
nssa BE IN Sa
TN s With q IT, is
oes Believe as es ana aan n make snG
cessfnl guns Of that ca!ibre. and are anxious
the aemp hmons tho
BY the Arr Army GFdnsnee those
action Il sort that viii not pef Hnis tS hess
forging; to tb be and unless change
Af s n0 The nsrsSI %
this subject was thus presented By Gen. Flag
Ter in his notes on the estimates:
An approprA ion to enable the department to PRO.
cure the torEngs for one type 1eiuch gun urged
the grounds that IN the plans of the War Department
for .ys;sm OF coast ds.ence tho proposed armament
includes number OF lo-iucn guns for the PRINCIPAL
ports OF the country the test OF tho
type guns should proceed. their manufac urs in guam
THY and this first step should be taken further
deay II an .rproptiation be made available by june
tested before june 80 1895. While the frst three
1eipch guns for issue the could not be
pletea before the end Of 1898 From published int0r
mat .on Il sppears that there were Aoa in European
nSNes In tho year 1880 about forty guns of l8luch
calbre and upward, mounted on arnorsd sea-go,nR
ships and It is nd!sputabc that the land defences
should possess guns not only equal in power to
amy that thu attack can bring forward but tina, it
should endeavor to hold the superiority In this
oyer The n.sL The necessity for guns Of hi. cabre
Of tho improvements made In the processes for treat
ing srmor plates. and by Of which their hard
ness ana resistance to penetration 10 vastly
20 mat corresponding increase In The size and power
OF tho gun Ia required to overcome them.
1t IL true that there are many other guns Of
lower calibres yet to be made: hut in Wow OF
the long time which must eapse before a gun
OF this character. far larger than the largest
yet attempted. could be finished. it would seem
we'll to make start on 1t this year.