New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-28
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
SECRETARY LAMONTS REORGANIZATION |
SCHEME AND ITS CHANCES

AS MODIFIED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE 1T
GIVES RISE TO SOME DISSATISFACTION
NEW MONITOR SOON TO BE
PUT IN COMMISSION.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuNE.l
Washington Jan. 27.-The reorganization sche"e
drawn up by Secretary Lamont Is the chiei topic
OF discussion in Army circles just now. interest,"
has been added to the proposition by the iac' 'a'
the House Committee on military A"a"s "a'
agreed to report favorabiy and urge the adoption
OF the measure IN an amended form. Mr.. outh-
waite chairman of the committee. stated to-uas
that while the outlook for important Army 'es'S"
ton involving increase In the expenditures ~
not bright. he purposed making an earnest el,o''
to get the Lamont scheme through peioic IN On,
gress adjourned. In the Senate Mr. Hawiey VIII
endeayor to secure favorable action on the meas
ure The Senate Committee Is expected 10 rcpoi'
the bill on Thursday. Members OF the House co'-
mittee doubt whether the proposed increase 'o"
5000 to 1900 men will be agreed TO- but they See"
TO believe that compromise measure iooN,''s "
the three -bat taon organization affecting omce'S,
but skeetonizing the additional companies p'o''N
for may meet with favor
AS modified by the House Committee 'he reo'-
ganization scheme is less satisfactory Una"
originally proposed by Secretary Lamont y w
cIded Increase In numbers and efficiency VIII oo'i'e
about in the Army II the amended bill goes through
but there will be fewer officers benefited Inc CONF
mittees amendment making regmentai ai)u'ai's
and quartermasters first neutenanis' hs'e'' "
captains will prevent any promotion IN 'he caN','
ann The Increase in the expenditures 10 mari
these officers captains would have been only So'S"
and there is much speculation In military circles
why the change was not made. In view OF the peh-
efts TO accrue and the slight expense. Inc hoSt
important amendment adopted by the co''''''e
is that which revo;utionzes the present sys'e"
and makes promotion depend upon length OF scr
vice rather than present rank. II Is agreed among
wel-nformed officers that the. change IL uljuS'
and impracticable. and that II It Is put In force
existing rights and privileges gained under pres
ent laws would be overturned. and a system inUi-
cate IL not impossible. OF application wouid d. IN
augurated. An officer who Is now a captain Tor
EXAMPLE may be Jumped by several first leu
tenants who were graduated from West POINT AZ
an earlier date but who have subsequently been
unfortunate in the matter OF promotion Inc III
fan;ry and artillery gain the three-battalon forma
ton. however and this Is a decided beneh'' wh'ch
places the Army a modern footing. Each cav
airy regiment loses one major put the o'he' aims
receive promotions.
The first modern monitor OF the Navy IL soon 10
joln the active fleet. The vessel Is the Amphi'rne'
rapidly nearing completion at the NOTION NH'S
Yard. March Is Is set as the date when 'h' snip
will be ready for her officers and men IL was III
first decided not to put the vesse! In coinm''S'o"
when completed. owing TO the lack OF men, Oh, "
has since been thought important that as she mas
many new features OF design and contradiction sne
should have early practical test TO determine
her value as n powerful coast defender H"''''"
Ramsay Chief OF the Bureau OF Navigation. il now
preparing list OF officers for the vessel Captain
william C. Wise will be the captain. and Lieu
tenant Commando James ID. Adams the executive
officer The other officers will he selected on ac-
count OF their special fitness for service IN vessels
OF the monitor class. The ship VIII be on specihi
duty AT first II her engines. boilers. guns bar
iafl
may be ordered TO join the home squadron Tor coast
cruising
The AmphIirite's performances VIII be wa'ch"p
with much interest by naval officers. she Is nov
city In many ways. being heavily arnore' anu
fairly swift having barbeites instead OF 10" tIr
refs and quarters for officers on deck IN" guns
40. ., tho hlrh-powsr long-range type. capable 81
n.ne,ratng seventeen inches ~ steel at distance q"
coo yards She differs In essential FEATURES '"H
the Mantonomoh. recently tried and put ou' OF
commission after a brief period. In general "'y
an. resembles her larger sister the Puritan under
going COMPLETION NJ the Newyork Navy fard Shc
ia REGARDED by experts strong and important
sco,s,lon TO the coast-defence Meet. o' which IN"
country IL soon 20 have six OF the monitor NP' ~
she has her guns mounted comparatively h'Rn "o'''
the surface OF the water unlike the M''"'""'
and Terror. reasonably heavy sens will not impair
her fighting efficiency and nm all-rounh hre ''"'
no, heavy guns can be maintained when WAVES
.hree feet high are rolling over her decks
7, n memorandum prepared for the secretary OF
the Navy giving the character. features anu d""''
,,e. Of the Amphltri,c. Chief Constructor h'choo'"
d.scr,hes her rs a -freeboard. twin-screw mon
itor. 81, -. ,,.o
,rrre,s ~ inches thick forward the other AN,
which trained by steam In eaIn r ,e, above
The main deck two barbettes NJ nShss -
sa, ,i n os are harveyize Her length on the
load wa,erlne IL go feet. her brcauth, % pao ,ons
The engines are designed to develop ~" nor
bower which ought 20 drive her al ,hc raw W
Twelve knots an hour In moderate sea
The Navy III" smokeless powder mas Demon"
.a,oa ,ts super,orIty over all other domestic ana
,ore,gn compositions For the last three or iour
wears Army and Navy experts have been most "'l
Gus In efforts TO produce powder "h'c" ""'''
no practically smokcless and develop low preSsuf's
and high yeloctes They have also sought 10 ""'
n composition which had good keeping qualities
under VARYING conditions OF temperature ana en-
mate The special end in View has been 10 get '''
OF nitroglycerlne as the chile! element Of h"o"
less powder and to substitute gunco'on as the pr-
clpal ingredient. The qualities sought nave pee"
found I'm the tx" powder In highly satiSlactoiy
degree The competition Is the prounn, o, VI, ~ cx
Torpedo station and Is the result OF pls' S IL il
light brown and in form thin strip about four
inches long and one-half inches wide ana One me-
thirty second Of inch thick The elements OF ,ie
new composition are not made public. Taxing , we
experiments with the ench gun as an avefns'h ,a
general results much better than those mr.,
tofore obtained at home or abroad In the -,
trials using the regular service charge. the nan,
Der pressure was only fifteen tons. The MuZZir w
locity 2495 foot-seconds. Compared WIN otnrI
powders under the same relative conditions, w
pressure is two tons less In most cases. and the |
velocity about 900 foot-seconds greater WIN inc
Walsrode powder using the small 3,a-pound chaIbe |
In 4-inch gun. velocity OF only i.701 feet see
ond developed. The Walsrode also has gun
cotton as Its chief element. The Leonard tAnetI-
cam powder has given extraordinary results IN We
locity the cost OF increased chamber pressure
and excessive heat. ,
The movement Of the Grand Army OF the Rcpup-
lie. especially Lafayette Post OF New-f oIh,
to have military instruction spread among ue
youth OF the country I'm attendance upon scho0's
and colleges has met with encouragement AT INC
War and Navy Departments and in Congress SEE
rotary Lamont has recommended that the hummer
OF Army officers available instructors at the ecu
catonal institutions OF the several states be IN
creased Secretary Herbert also favors the propose
Han and hna. faair ofic