New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-24
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
INFORMATION AEJTT TIE VISITING FLEET
INTEREST IN THE TESTS OF AMERICAN M,G\-
ZINE GUN:-NEW SUR3EOX-GENEENLS IN
ARMY yivY-C\vALRY PISTOLS
-SMCKELFS> POWDER
[nY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE

Washing III. April :3.-Durng the week The Off'e
Of Naval Intelligence pref AIRED AMI ISSUED cor
v'nl,n table showing the name. cli'>, rlg. length.
radih. ought AID Displacement OF the foreign ships
at the For Monroe rendezvous. asa their Indicated
horse power. speed, coal capacity, Complement Of
oncrrs and ard batteries. This abl" was
compiled fr m the latest informlton received from
a.rOad ard has been found both useful ard reliable.
The English flagship Blake has naturally attracted
the greatest amount OF pr)fcs 'ional interc't This
vessel was at first classed protected cruiser but
certain notifications in her designs particularly with
pcct 10 her procctlDn rnle her To BE- rated as al
armorcd cruiser. Originally II intended TO
ccn'ri'c the Blakcs aror on the protective deck ana
corning tower bit the destructive effect Of RAPID
fire gun, ard the necessity Of aEorilng protection t,
the guns crews induced the Admiralty to place In
armor'd castmat OF The guns and fit covers fjr
others. The BlaAe's curved steel protective deck
extends from eighteen inches above the water lin"
amdships to six and onchal feet below at tn" sides
ard T. three to six inches thick. The cnsenate> on
III" main deck have SIX inches OF steel the ont
bcardSides ard two mclc, lnboard. The Blake was
constructed to make twenty-five knots. but on her
trial trip enc year ago she made mean speed OF
only ~ ]: knots during run ~ four hours ann the
average seamng for seven hours measured by patent
log only I0.2S knots. If reports from private
true. the Blake has since developed higher
spcc1.
watching with keen interest the progress OF the
trials Of American magazine guns ut springfield.
Upon The results depend ID" selection OF modern
for the military service. II Is thoroughly
successful 1t VIII BE- adopted; II not the manufacture
OF tire kraG iorgcnscn lille. previously recommended
Will le begun without delay. RI" paramount I'M
po;tancc Of introducing modern magazine gun OF
about 30 calibrc. In which improved powder Of high
Velocity can be used. and Ct rrlcsuting the single
Trading 4j-cnlibc springfield ana the anqnatcd black
powder 10 the I'ar Is obvious. rhc fact that the
tinted states i, lar behind almost every other
conniry In Europe and south America. In the
mnter OF small nrm> Is hnmIlailng, and Officer o.
tho Army are particularly anAioaS That circumstances
will permit the carly adoption Of an atm in keeping
with the need, OF IN" service and lis Otherwise or dit
alc progress IT, the development OF modern war
material. \ prominent officer Of the ordnance Corps
said:
1T Is mistake 10 suppose tina, We are rrev-
ocably wrddcd 10 this arm. 1t was adopted because
II the best all round invention submitted to the
former masa1n" gun boarl IT The board now ID
session find, gun Superior to the krlg jorg"n,en it
VIII certainly receive lair tr' a'mcn,. Furthermore. IL
al any reasonably subsequent time magazine gun
/, produced which meets the requirement, IN higher
dpIec than the Danish ann. 1t can b" :dopltd. But
for Heavens sakc let IL start the manufacture u
some good gun. and keep pace with the small Republics
ol south America, AT least
Nlihlit t" uANN lH' pfr-'Ht s'.l"'ii Oh
the Aimy and Navy will bc placed the retired
list oh n,couni Of age. General sutherland has held
r., office sine. December -. l50O aud Medical
rirccior Brvwnr bn, been nj the head Of hi corps
since April =. Is.- lnicr General Sutherland'> ai
mIni,truton the medical corp, Of the Army liza, made
mnrh.d progress. ariioulnrlv with respect to tue
,jaiu, asa training Of the personnel. A,prnnt> for
these lwo position. already busily engaged In
working for the ,rccc,~or,hlp. FINDER ibc law the
Offices are filed by the President from officers Of the
medical COPS Of IA" Army and Navy. In tn" -\rmy
there are 10 les than eight avoWcd candidates. with
several possible dark AOrs"-' The seniors VI the
candidai- colonel, Charles Page Joseph Il. smith
and H. j. u. Irwin. Colonel Png. rciIrcs on account
Of age next December Colonel smith Ia l5o5 and
Colonel Irwin ia I-94 1hrc" other prominent can
ddar, are colonel, g. r. Alexander. J. G. Baily and
&. II. Alden who retire In i591. l-0s ana l"oo
respectively. Among rtie dark horses are lieu
tennn Colonies C. r. Gr."nlcaf and j. j. r. Billings
1t /, generally believed that the contest is chiefly
connnrd the first three officers. between whom The
chances 81 success appear about evenly divided.
,ccr'iary Lamont mas IS" far mad" no recommended
ton. r,la,iv, -tan appointments AMI the younger
Hood" rather hope TINT official lightning may strike
I'm their direction. In the Navy the race seems to
b.. ,body's There are AT least slN candidates Tor
the Office any Of whom would make an efficient
chief of bureau. Among them In order OF rank
Medical Directors ~ L. "hon. Il. &. Dean. \. Z.
t;ofpa. ire most prominently mentioned. Few pre-
dotiOi> IL 10 the result oi the contest are made
but from all that BE- learned Medical Director
Dean appear, 20 be a strong iavo'lic
In April l-0. secretary ElklnS approved the
recommendation Of General Flagcr. chic" Of ordnance
and ordered the adoption Of s-calibr" single ana
douhl.nctiou revolver for the military service IRE
yious TO this time a ~ calilre sineleaciion Colts
revolver was tho service pattern. Recently certain
officer, Of tie iriny. particularly cavalrym"n, av"
expressed considerable opposition to ID" Us" oil
reduced caibrc revolver. some officers. who have
seen actual service in the West and have given
erea, attention 10 ia" kind Of arms with which
soldiers should BE- supplied say that tn. change Of
calbrr /, against the recommendations OF many eA
pert, vino practically tested the comparative merits
Of tL. 35 aud - caIhr, rcvolv"rs. II l. also said
mat the change Is In opposition TO In" principles
laid down In the text books on this subject now Ill
~, ut West Point II Is asserted by cavalrymcn
that no point Is clearly settled III practice than
That the object Of revolver ballet used IN cavalry
charge is shock not penetration and that the larger
the ballet and heavier the charge OF powder Inc
more effective will he the "stoppIng qualities Of
tle arm Thcs. officers refer To their experiences
In late Indian campaigns To prove the soundnesS OF
their position. The testimony OF English officers In
their wars rs well rs that OF officers OF other foreign
countscs In actun service. Is quoted In support O
the argument against small calibrr rcN"iN"rs.
In II recent article on This subject Lieutenant
EIen swirl, Of the cavalry. an expert In revolver
practice emphnilcaly opposes the chang" That the
smaller bullet, discharged by new powder will go
further and fnstrr Their" Is no doubt. but unlcs, II
hits vital part f. thought that The person struck
viii bc abb, To do much damage 10 his adversary br
icr" DROPPING or being otherwise rendered. h"rS a'
combat
IA. Secretary Of IA. Navy huS Issued general order
Of considerable Interest and Importance" to officers o
The Navy and Marine CorIs. The new order relates
to ,h. duties Of the recorder OF summary court
martial ANA the judge advocate "i eei"i',i court
heretofore the recorder and Judge advocate have
nnrd with the court during it, pvai" deliberations
his counsel being dcIrrr bv rrgiiln
tinus from tint privilege. II has been thought by
mynl Ulcers That such "A distinction favorable To the
Interests Of ia. prosecution unjust 10 the defence
IN. former being mad. cogny:ni of courts secret
Proceedings while the accused and his counsel were
l.,u iLnt The ure,encc OF The recorder Judge ad
,cca,c WIS ne IS ary tahc down the proceedings 0f Il
count and To act mn adviser. even when the court
vns I'm closed session. The new regulations reverse
ih. ord"r Of things and place the prosecuting NJ
torn-y. spc;,h. on the sam" footing rs IN" ne