Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-25


penses. Observation-Disclosures. 100000
yards .......................... 2es24OO
5. Aiming and equipping naval
militia. .......................... 100000
g. Machinery for gun plant. WASH
ington navy yard ................ 100000
pedo station ....................... 71.O77OO
8. Toward the armament Of ves-
vessels authorized. .............. $500, COO 90
total. 1,l4o,SOl.U
The manufacture OF cast iron projectiles
at the Washington navy yard has been en-
tirely suspended. more efficient shell of
wrought steel being supplied by private
firms at about the same price.
Since the date of the last report new con.
tracts for armor have been made to include
the armor required for all the vessels now
authorized by law.
These new contracts include the turret ar
NOR for the Indiana, the Massachusetts,. the
Oregon, and the Olympia, the side arnOr of
the Massachusetts,, and all the armor for
the Iowa and Brooklyn. amounting to 6,4SS
tons.
The facilities for the manufacture and de-
livery OF armor at the works of each Of the
contractors have been materially improved,
and with further improvements already
commenced, and to be completed by the
end of the year, the country will have two
complete armor plants, each fitted better
than any similar plants abroad; and there
will hereafter lie no difficulty in supplying
the armor for vessels as rapidly as 1t can
be needed in the shipyards under any cir
cumstances of building vessels however
rapid.
BY the terms of the new contracts, the
manufacturers are under penalties in case
Of failure to deliver at the rate OF 30 tons
each per month.
Up to the date Of the last report the
Bethlehem Iron Company had delivered 796
tons of armor and the Carnegie Steel Com
pany rs Since that time, partly owing to
increased expertness of workmen and IN
part to increased facilities, the delivery Of
armor per month has gradually increased to
satisfactory condition.
The Quality Of ArmOr.
The Quality Of the armor delivered during
the last year has been excellent, all pass
ing the tests satisfactorily; some Of 1t has
earned the lowest premium for increased
ballistic properties. and latterly all present.
ed has shown ballistic qualities considera-
bly, greater than that required by the stipu-
lations Of the contracts for acceptance
When It is taken into consideration that
the acceptance tests are more severe than
those required by other purchasers Of armor,
this is a most gratifying result. The armor
delivered during the year has been OF nickel
steel. The department having thoroughly
satisfied itself that the application OF the
Harvey process produces more resisting
armor, arrangements were made early In
the year to HarveyiZe as much Of the armor
under the old contracts as was not too far
| change would not seriously delay the
| Shipbuilders.
During the year the batteries of the
| Monterey. New York, Detroit Montgomery,
Marblehead, Machias, Bancroft, Castine and
Terror have been installed. The Monterey's 5,
| New York's and Banc-ofts batteries have
| been tested by firing trials and guns and
| mountings worked satisfactorily.
CALDER of Guns.
The reduction of the caliber of small arms
4 - TNalxr I,arrs f4NyG
| trials, has adopted the 65mm (O.256 inch)
ealiber as have also Holland and Roumania
Five-millmeter- (O197 inch) arms have been
manufactured and tested in several coun-
| tries. and the weight of opinion points to a
| caliber Of about 6mm O236 inch) for the
| small arm of the immediate future.
| Under these circumstances the depart
| ment has appointed board. Of which Com
| mander George A. Converse is senior
member. to recommend a caliber and sys-
| TEN Of small arm for the navy. The first
| report of this board, recommending cali
Der of 6mm and stating their reasons there
for. has been approved by the department
and will be found appended. 1t Is the
bureaus intention to at once have made
rifle barrels and ammunition of 6mm calibel
and then to call upon inventors to submit
small arms on their systems TO- competitive
| test, the finished barrels and ammunition
being supplied by the bureau at cost price.
The test of a $50 inch caliber Calling CUR
at the Springfield armory, with a new feed
positive in it's action and taking the ammu
milton directly from the factory cases, ha:
been very satisfactory. report upon thi:
test was made by the bureaus inspector
Ensign A. c. Dieffenbach.
Subna rine Boat.
Congress having made an appropriation
for the purpose of building a submarine
boat, proposals were invited by the Nava
Department on the ist Of May, and opene,
on the 10th of June. 1893. Mr.. Baker ha
ready for exhibition the boat referred to b.
: the chief Of the bureau In his report for 1se.
and, while the designs were under consider
: alton, the board proceeded to Chicago, Ill
to witness another trial of this boat. Tn
trial took place early in September. iS9;
near the entrance to the Calumet river, Ct
: South Chicago. The boat was SO imperfeC
upon its performance, either for or agains
the principle of submergence and propulsio
involved
InstructinE Men.
The report gives some detailed informatio
: as to changes In the guns of The Vesuviu
as to the naval torpedo station the torped
board, and goes on to say that the ;nstrat
i ton given to enlisted men at the Washingto
! gun shops and the torpedo station has cor
: tinued. 1t has been extended during tn
year by instruction on board The Cushin,
where these men have served for d Unite
3 time. This vessel has been constantly en-
4 ployed during the past six months in firm
Y Whitehead torpedoes and much importar
. information has been obtained rega riding Il
. care and handling of these eapons III
!. bureau will be prepared to make usefl
i improvements in the fitting of these torp
, does when another contract is 20 be mac
t for an additional supply.
D Naval Proving Ground.
. During the past year extensive improv,
I ments have been made in the facilitit
= of this station. The rapidity with whic
I guns and mounts have been constructe
K all of which are proved at this place, ha
e greatly increased the work to be don
!, The armor is also being delivered wit
r much greater rapidity and has correspon,
n ingly increased the work of armor testing
e In addition to this, samples of all projectil'
manufactured by contract for the nav
$ are tested at the proving ground. Exper
d ments on firing high explosives. also c
8 fuses. electric firing. gun sights and muC
g other work have been submitted to II
x crucial test of actual use. This has a
e been done by officers at the station wi,
8 an energy and intelligence deserving con
d mendation.
a The gun shops have been running
IS their utmost capacity during the past yea
ii Overtime work ceased in accordance wit
y the act of Congress. 1t has required Il
l. utmost exertion to supply the guns. noun
and equipments as rapidly as required