Evening star., 1894-12-22
ADVANCES IN ARMAMENT
Gratifying Improvement in the System of
Our Sea Coast Defenses
Valuable RecOmme N atiOnS of the
tiOns Transmitted to Congress.

The annual report Of the board of ord
nance and fortifications, sent to Congress
yesterday by Secretary Lamont, contains
descriptions Of the various experiments
and tests that have been made during the
year ended October 81. The year, the board
reports has been one of positive and salts
factory advance. TIE want of suitable
disappearing carriages for S-inch and 10
inch high-power guns. which has SO long
retarded the completion of enlpIacements
is believed to have been obviated, so that
we now have carriagUe of American In
vention, unequaled for rapidity of action
by anything heretofore invented. Nothing
now stands in the way of immediate COM
pletioh of the contemplated mortar bat
teries, which form so important a factor in
the defense of seaports, but the want of
appropriation. Every element pertaining
to the mortars, the carriages, the plat
forms and the batteries has been success
fully worked out. We already have bat
tertes of these excellent arms ready for
use as soon as means are provided for the
emplacements and for mounting them
The supply of seacoast guns is constantly
increasing, and the mounts are fully de-
veloped for each of the calibers. That
there are additional candidates for favor
need not delay the supply of those already
fully tested and approved for the sites to
tHcy are dutPtSu.
Development of Auxiliary Defenses.
The development and test Of auxiliary
defenses such as submarine mines, NOV
able torpedoes, rapid-fire guns and range
and position finders, are said to have
reached a stage where We have only to
make choice of the best. All are in a good
state of advancement. Among the fields to
be further explored are the investigation
nd haNa nf aLnlA darc
further experiments with high explosives to
determine one more that can be safely
fired with the highest velocities now OBJ
tanned from high-power guns. new types of
center-pintle carriages for eight and ten
inch guns, with reference to the greatest
cover, compactness and speed of maneuver-
ing; the possible development of a disap-
pearing carriage for twelve-inch guns that
shall AFFORD sufficient protection at mimi
mum cost, the practical development of the
minimum-port casemate carriage Tor twelve
inch guns, the development of armored
casemate batteries and turrets for sixteen
inch guns where the positions require them.
and the development and test OF new pro-
jectiles and armor plates All these and
other fields remain TO be explored The
problems grow constantly less in number
and less urgent; but We must, nevertheless.
recognize that increase in the means and
improvement in the methods of attack will
require constant advance in the means and
methods of defense.
Liberal ApprOpria tiOns Requested.
Time is now the greatest element in our
national defense. Every forward step in
the development of our defensive system
diminishes the probability that any nation
will put its efficiency to the test. The time
has fully come when Congress may make
the most liberal appropriations for gun and
mortar batteries for their armament, with
the assurance that they will be expended
judiciously.
The board, the report concludes, feels
justified in recommending, as 1t now does
that far more liberal appropriations than
heretofore be made for the construction
and armament Of our works of defense
The estimates of the board for expert
mental work for the coming year aggre-
gate S3OO,OOU, of which $50OOO is for smohe-
less powder tests, and 100000 for procur-
ing experimental gun carriages.