Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-12-04
THE COAST DEFENsEs
THE ANNUAL REPORT or SECRETARY
OF WAR LAMONT.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 2.--Tho annual re-
port Of the secretary Of war, Daniel 5. La
mont, has just been made public. IL tshows
that the expenditures Of the war depart
ment for the fiscal year ending June 30
last were sb1, 80S, 1895 SO; the appropria-
tions for the year ending June 30, 1897,
were eb4, ,044 20 and the estimates for the
year ending June 30, 1893, s59, sss, 8s8 30.
The aggregate Of appropriations for this
department unexpended and turned into
the general fund Of the treasury at the end
of the last fiscal year was 81 975, ,088 07.
For the year 1895 It was 81 764, 467 98,
and for 1894 10 was 81 1897, 922.2i.
The number Of enlisted men In the serv-
leo on Oct 81 was 90, 426, OF 2S4 less than
the number authorized by law. Deduoting
the sick, those absent on furlough, recruits
not Joined, the men employed In the staff
departments and ON detached service, the
effective field strength Of the army on chat
day WINS 22, SS2 Of all arms. The number
Of officers Of the line ls 1919 OF these
1900 are serving with their regiments and
Bt9 are on detached duty.
In no previous year Of the history Of the
army has the health Of the troops been 80
satisfactory as during the last fiscal year
Each soldier was sick 1874 days, as against
a record of is. 9 for the preceding ten years.
The number Of soldiers so disabled as to
require their discharge froIA service was
Q. 10 per 1, 900, as compared with 28. n an
nually for the preceding ten years The
mortality rate was g. 10 per 1 900 Of mean
strength, as compared with 1856 for the
preceding decade
The National Guard.
RefsTring to the national guard, the re-
port says:
ttn,hors o,.e ,,,o. aE a,-,,,x, oo,.- ,.,,fa-,
ly assigned TO state headquarters, and In
addition to these 81 officers have been do
tailed on temporary duty during the past
year at state encampments. All concur In
reporting a steady improvement in the
training and efficiency Of the militia.
Camps of instruction were held IN 81
states, and In several instances regular
| troops were enoamped with the militia,
serving not only TO furnish an object les
son In matters Of detail, but also to pro-
mote cordial relations between the regular
and state forces
The total number Of officers and men
comprising the organized militia Of the
states and territories Is shown to be
| III, 1897. The artillery arm, comprising
4,716 officers and men, is maintained in "a
states, and the cavalry, comprising 4,096
officers and men, Is maintained In go
states. The general government last year
allotted s4O0, 600 toward the maintenance
and equipment of the national guard, and
aggregate appropriations of $4,000, 900
were made therefor by the states and ter
ritories.
The Coast Defenses.
The matters Of Notifications and arma-
ment are treated in detail and at consider
able length. The secretary asks for an ap-
preparation of $40, ,000,0 600 in addition to
the $12, ,000,0 600 appropriated by the last
congress for the construction of needed
coast defenses, the equipment Of new sta
tions, the reorganization of the infantry
branch and other improvement In the gem
eral service.
In tho past year the department has
made great progress in the purchase of ma
| terial for the manufacture of great guns
and other parts Of coast defense equipment
and will ask congress that large additional
appropriations be made with which to con-
tinue work. Contracts have already been
awarded for the purchase of 81 sets of 10
inch and one set Of 16 inch steel gun forg-
ings, costing nearly 81, 900, 900, and a SEQ
ond contract will shortly be made for as
sembling 8, 10 and IL inch guns, costing
nearly s40O, 900, besides 66 mortars, costing
about $500, 900. When the total number of
emplacements upon which work is now
progressing are completed, 1873 guns of
large caliber will be required for lnstalla-
tion and 156 mortars, costing the govern
ment an even IS, 900, 600 OF the 4S1 guns
to be emplaced 1t Is now proposed to mount
but 4S on nondisappearing carriages. The
intensity OF the fire delivered from the
main and secondary batteries Of battle
ship Is such, the authorities claim, as TO
make adequate cover for the gunners in
shore batteries an absolute necessity. The
experiments, It will be shown by Secretary
Lamont in his report, with disappearing
gun carriages, have developed a fine type,
about whose efficiency there is no longer a
question.
The full scope that the coast defenses Of
the country will take Is set forth elaborate
ly In the report and embraces, Colonel La
mont says. about 21 cities 80 far. with
chances that seven more will be added to
the list requiring the attention Of the ma
tional government. OF this number, en-
placements win be ordered and work pur-
sued in the next six months In the oon-
struction of emplacements at Portland,
Me. Portsmouth, n. H. Boston, Maria
ganssst Bay, eastern entrance TO Long Is
land sound. eastern and western entrances
10 Now York harbor, Philadelphia, Wash
ington, Baltimore, Hampton Roads, viii
mington, Charleston, Savannah, Key West
Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans, Calves
ton San Diego, San Francisco, the mouth
of the Columbia river and Puget sound.
An Enormous Project.
This enormous project viii require, the
secretary's report shows 4e1 high powered
guns, excluding the great 10 inch gun for
which the authorities have been endeavor-
ing for years TO secure an appropriation
The emplacements are to be located by the
engineers with a view Of enabling the
guns to throw line Of defense at mini
mum of to 10 miles from the place de-
Tended and to give the guns In most in
stances a clear sweep for at least 12 miles
The engineers viii require further that the
guns shall be so placed that they can con-
centrate upon any one portion Of an enc
my vessel a fire equal and II possible su-
perior to the heaviest that can be brought
to bear from the most powerful hostile fleet
which could attack the position. To hold
the feet under fire of the guns and prevent
them from running the batteries the prof.
ect, the report says, requires a complete
system Of submarine mines, so planted as
to close all navigable rivers to an enemy,
while Offering no distractions to friendly
commerce. These batteries will form one
Of the most formidable features Of the coast
defenses Of all cities, and upon them In a
great measure several Of the big cities will
depend for their safety from invasion
should the shore guns be unequal 10 hold
the ileet outside. To protect the principal
cities and harbors op the navigable waters
Of the coast the report says that over Q, 600
mines and 10, coo mortars viii ba used 10
prevent an invading fleet from occupying
IN advantageous position.