New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-23
WORK ON NAVAL ORDNANCE.
COMMODORE FOIGER REPORTS Crafty
ING PROGRESS
\ HIGH TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN DESIGNERS AND
MANrF.CTrRERs- SUPERB DIRTY or AMERI-
CIV tN0Kr-I-I.SS nny.rI.n. AcN,NE
IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRInuNr.j

NY 'NOfIIIsS POWDER AND AENOR
lBr TELEGRAPH To TIE TRInuNrj
WASHINGTON. Nov. 22.-Thr annua! report of Com
modoc Folgcr, ChIcf Of the Bureau Of Ordnance. %
The Secretary Of the Navy was made public today
The report Is IN exhaustive and careful summary o.
III" work Of ia" Ordnance Bureau for the last fiscal
year, ana Us showing /. which I, highly crcdiiahe
Commodore Iolecr doe, Not fhl To refer in comph
mrntary terms 30 thc industry ana inventive geni,
Of American designers and manufacturers. and In This
respect hi, report Is high uibntc to experts
IN ordnance In ii, cGIutif. Accompanying the
report. and forming important and Interesting
feature of 1t, axe the reports OF Commander ONe.l,
late Inspector Of Ordnance the Washington gun fac
tory; CommaDdcr Jewell. of the TORPEDO school at
Newport; Commander .Conver.r. president Of the
Naval Torpedo Board Ensign Fame. inspector Of ORG
nance at Hartford and Ensign Dashic the officer In
charge Of the Naval provn { ground at Indian Head
These s'b-r"p9ris afford much detailed Information Of
Il VARIABLE character and clearly the Success n
tending practical developments in ordnance in this
country within the lat year.
According 10 Commodore Foger's report. the total
number Of The -reai guns required for new vessels
authorized by Jaw IS 37l. ~ this number. 2;i7 Of
various cal!brcs have been completed. and 1l6 are
anoa OF rapid lriRg and machine guns. which form
the secondary bH"roS OF these ships, 29l lave been
/ completed and lee ahoit. Rapldy Of manpnm
ton is essential feature 10 guns effectiveness ana
Conli.odCrr Folgcr STATES that a marked step III ah
vance has tc,n made by adopting a simple, efficient
device for operating Tho bs,cchblccts Of guns, when
permit the guns be woihcd by hand power instead Of
| by mechanical mean. his docs away with pipes,
wire and other gear heretofore found necessary 10
transmit the moving powc9 Of heavy gun>.
Commodore Folser refers to gun Of spec al
design the invention of William sellers. OF Phlladcl
plia. which Las been ordered By the Department
from the Bethlehem Company. This gun h com
ir,.r tofy
an outer lackct-aud t. l. asserted that the difference
In cost between the made aud that proposed
by Mr. sellers will be- gratifying
Experiments and tcst,. having their object the
production Of a smokccss powder which VIII meet
the requirements Of actual .crvce and give satisfactory
RESULT lave been continued III tbs country ana
abroad for several years but heretofore all efforts by
the Governments which hatd fosered them have bon
attended with many difficulties and varying success.
II oppear, from the report Commodore Folscr how
eyer that since the date ~ his last report marked
progress has been made IN this Development ana That
during the period indicated 100 pounds oi 'm'N'
less powder have been made and In III" various tc's
annllod have Given most gratifying results. I'ine
the macaroni form Of powder, the diameter hi 'hc
sticks OF which varies from ahout ono thirty second o.
an inch for small arms. 10 about twocnths OF an
inch for sixnch gum. repeated experiments nave
| demonstrated tho safety and stability 81 American
snoleloss pOwdcr Compared with us published ~
suits obtained abroad. these tests th~ 'nSrheo
| supe-ioritv ~ American smokelcss powder oV~ INC
foreign article particularly with respect TO higher
more regular velocity. and lower, more UNIFORM
pressure
| q, uch explosives Commodore Forer writes NJ
| cor.,aor,,I. length tho completion II Dupont
| 20 & gun cotton mandatory. Mt Wilmington p'''
and the delivery under the terms OF the couth't VII"
| that company Of 10000 % the 10000 POUNDS OF gun
cotton ordered being noted In his report Win com
| mondable pride Fling cmmen'l'e from gun =
regarded ss not only possible but probable IN VIC
ncor future experimcn's having demonstrated thl'
cypIo,Ivc can b. safely used In powder gum onrst
49,, ,.o,o.ro,r ~, ,rnuoct With respect a. The
experiments made Commodore Fcleer says;
Il +, believed TIA, successes attending mo m,aE ,
ton Of high explosive. 81 grci pr s,l" The long
cIoIss,,r "a 70 The relative merits ~ firing high cN
| ploslves from air or powder gun.
Concerning amor pcrcng pco,ecc'. Commodore
roI,er savs that those made by Tie Carpenter 'oh
pony nj Mldvalc Penn. have shown upon COMPARE
,,vc ,es,s definite feniurco - superiority over those
manufactured ~ Tirtr 4 Hotter or Others hbr'"
and he conclude that In II general sense. ana ron
sldering all requirements. the Carpenter prole'ul~
are clearly equal to not better uhnh li"'Fr =
Automobile io1~doos which have. untl secretary
Tracys administration. received little attention III
,t country orr referred 10 Nv Commodore Folgcr.
yrbo ..a-o. that ih. Government ms made numerous
c1peri,nonts In tm- line. and ihat orped"'; OF me
| Howell whitehead and Hall Twp" may be secured
The domcstcation Of the manufacture 81 ths lhP"
meni Of viriare !. satisfactory accomplishments
Tho development Of armor If domestic mah"''t"''
urorrrIv ocruplc. 4 prominent place In 'oi'ih'-"'
rolcot' rrpn,t NIckcl steel armor trcet'd bv inc
Harvey urocc.s la, been found upon the severe
tests 10 which armor has ever boon put 10 IlrnNl
rrcatrr protection than any system h'rri"lnt' ~
moved. aud the predictions contained ~ '.nl"''
rIcor'. ,a,t annual report have been fuf boIi" it
iv trials with prOirrtll"s against tins "iihor nc
aft l.
tdm,,T surfnc. Of M, nrmor fhe t-ndcnc- abroad
Ia reduce the caibrc of guns VIII 'hd' u, ti""'
NJ ~ procrfiio moro necessary 'H'i nf''ir
I,nnnd,,. F,igcr'. report contains mani Nali.u'r
eurrn.ton. relating 81 progressive drNcWphcni -,
nav i ordnance. and AL 81 them seem 10 ur W
,',+t thr .prlt Of advancement which has character
-, All. t.r,u,b ~ the Naval establishment.