New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-13
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
A REPORT ON THE vESUvIUS TEST.
THE NEW SECRETARIES OF WAR AND THE NAVY
LIEUTENANT DUHLEE'S INVENTION. THE
soLARoMEIER TO TEST AMERICAN
RIELIS.

LIEUTENANT DUHLEE'S INVENTION. THE
soLARoMETER. TO TEST AMERICAN
RIFLES
IBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRrBUNE.l
Washington. March l2.-The report Of tho board
which recently tested tie guns and the sun mc'hah
Ism Of the dynamite cruiser Ncsuviis In, been re
cevcd at the Navy Department In all hhytwo
proiec,,!cs were fired from the NesuviG>. thrtyonc
Of which were dummies and twenty Of ID" service
type The board found that while. ms 10 accuracy
the vessels guns leave much To he desired. they
are rea sonably sunc,nt for naval warfare In com
paraiivcly smooth water. tar onlr condition unarr
which the tests carried on The vain" "i IN"
guns was found 10 be- In reas@d by the fact ma
the proj.ctilcs contained heavy charge oi hlth
explosives. and also that these explosives can BE-
safely DISCHARGED when the shell l. pnm'i with
illuminate fuse. The partic llar ii-r u,'a III 'A'
recent trials failed to perform IL functions sails
,ar,orv but In the opinion Of the board. 1t can De-
used With safety. and Improvements might Increase
Its efficiency.
ono Of r,e chief merits Of tho gun system on IT,
Vc.vln. {, that it, u,rfulnc~, begins al about the
range where ,Aat If the automobile t'rpc'o", no"
in vocli. cease, and that vile II Is true th'i d1N
light /, necessary In order - Giiliz" tie guns range
II 1, thought that vessel - armed "ouin sun ~
uscfl AZ night for annoying group 81 ho'n" -mlN'
firing upon harhors dock ya7i>. etc Inc H"'''.' ~
flashes or smoke in d,chreing tie guns Is considered
hy the board Of much value, for both offensive ana
defensive purposes.
The hoard zoe, into consideration 81 tho question
yh.ther high explosive, en- b. fired with ,f"N rom
ordinary guns but without coming =" a""''o CO."
Custom. However this question NAV be- d''''u' "'
board +, Of the opinion that the System h'''Hs" Oh
the y..uviii. is on the whole Of decided practical
value although tho defective fu-r- ana several "'''
point, connected with the mechanism ~ The guns re
ouire attention The bolrd submitted several sue
gesiIons loolng 10 Improvements In the N"Nn'l"' S>s
tenn and the general conclusion i reached tii III .
limited sphere the vessel would be useful for Naval
warfare.
one week Of the Administration II the Army and
navy under >ccrctaric, Lamont and Herbert la
passed r. wa, feared that the ru-h Of visitors 10 the
War and Navy Depir,incni,-somc with and other
without "aXe,"-would Interrupt public busin"-s
greatly but such. happily, J, found NOT To l." ''
case Dc-pl,c 900 call, both secretaries lnv" found
time carry The rouin" "orH 81 th"F r. p''u''
on,cr,. The experience In the work Of the Executive
Department, gained ~ Colonel Lamont while prl,at"
secretary 10 Mr. Cleveland prove, to be o great van"
10 him I'm hi, new p.-t. secretary icrlc:t brought
in the Navy Department A thorough familiarity VIII
is general responsibilities and this. coupled Win r.
markablc Industry and ready perception. hav" pre-
vented any DELAYS In Ill" routine work Of ms busy
Department. secretary Herbert considered and signed
the entire We X mail beside, attending 10 other
and more or less technical matter of concluding ar
ranrcmcnis for the naval review had the new sccrr
tarys personal attention. officials at IN" Depart
mcnt refer I'm complimentary terms t. secretary Her
bcri's very agreeable manners.
II Is expected That the successors Of Assistant
secretaries Grant and S)cy will be- appointed at ar
carly day. Mr.. Solcv la, handed in hil resignation
10 take effect Immediately in order that h. NAY begin
The practice Of lis profession with u" law firm Of Which
OK : clciary Tracy f. Tie senior member. TX Repre-
sentative Mchdoo. formerly member Of The lons"
Committee Naval Affairs. exNaval Constructor
nixon. now with Cramps ship AMI Engine tompdnY.
and Captain Parker. foracr Naval officer. are prom
ncni!y mentioned Mr.. Sooy, successor. General
ordv1v commanding officer 81 tho District National
Guard. and General Underwood, Of Kentucky. ar
mentioned for the place OF Assistant secretary Of War
The solarmcicr the invention # Lieutenant Buhler.
Of the Navy. has been successfully tested on board
;he lighthouse steamer Violet. Tie soarmctor T. tn
result Of experiments made by Lieutenant Buhlcr Will"
on duty In the photographic once and is said 10
be- an Invention Of clicnl importance 10 navigator
nv the oarmetcr II Is possible 10 determine" accurately
a vessels position AT and also her compass crror
by observations ot the sun OF stars indrpeii
IDENTIFY Of the visibility oi The horizon and without
any elaborate calculations. For purposes Of obscr
walton the instrument l. mounted on he deck Of a
vessel and occuples a space oi about SIX feet IL
diameter II /, arranged with constant level base
ca stgcn Noat placed In bowl containing go pounds
Of mercury The bow! Is supported on g.Mbal' a,
rached TO II deck stand. The method OF Observing l.
10 adjust one graduated 10 the declinat0n OF the
sun moon or stars given IL the Nautical Almanac
tables and then TO The telescope TO the heavenly
body TO set the desired body In the aNi> OF TIC
telescope II l. necessary 10 raise lower tie pole ~
the instrument ard when y + adjusted 60 that III"
body IS visible the angle shown the graduated ait
I, the latitude Of the ship Given the latitude, tie
lcngi,ud" can be determined by Obtaining tie hour
~. md. t.f.- in IL lpf Ill
time Wien an observation Is taken II Is possible
IN know accurately whether II + right or wrong.
IN use Of Lieutenant Buhlcr Invention and The usual
navigation tables. II Is possible 10 determine snip
po,i,ion al any time when bodies visible In ih"
Sky however obscurcd the horizon may be Loearithms
are no longer necessary III arriving absolutely Ger
tain results An index the instrument In Hn'
vih The ships keel shows how far the compass l. III
error with respect 10 the true north and south
Information has been received here that the Army
Magazine. Rifle Board. composed OF Colonel OTIS, Leu
tenant. Colonies Hall and Farley. Major Freeman ana
Coptans Anderson and Blunt. has met and organized
al sprtn g1ied Mass This board was convened Tor th'
purposc OF examining and testing all magazine fhes OF
American invocation presented TO between now ana
March 81 With the exception Of Colonel ous' tie
same board recently adopted the krag Joreenseh rhe
tho invention Of a Danish oficcr-fOr the Army ana Ma
,,onal t,uard During the last Congress certain Sc-
.,ors and Representatives expressed no httie ois
u,eosure nj the idea OF adopting foreign arm Tor
tho military service OF the country and had Inserted
In the Army Appropriation bill provision thnt none
Of the Krag Jorgensen guns should be manufactured