The San Francisco call., 1896-10-19
An Appropriation of Over Fifty
Two Million Dollars Is
Desired.
WORK oN THE COAST DEFENsEs.
Salaries Eat Up a Large Amount OF
the Sum Asked for, but New
Fortifications Are PROVIDED.

WASHINGTON, D. O., Oct. IS.-Secre-
tary Lamont will tomorrow transmit to
the secretary of the Senate his estimates
of appropriations required by the War
Department for the next fiscal year. The
aggregate is $52875.63S.
The estimate for the running expenses
of the War Office in Washington is 81. 464,-
236, showing a reduction in the annual
expenses for salaries and contingencies in
that Office of $621. .942 from the estimates OF
four years ago. The other estimates in
detail are as follows:
Pay of the army as fixed by law, $13,-
500, $50; subsistence of the army, $1,659,-
837; quartermasters' supplies, $2,20o,O 900;
incidental expenses of the army, $780,
600; barracks and quarters, including
hospitals. 1886, ,000; shooting-ranges, $25,-
000 cavalry and artillery horses, 10000;
army transportation, s., 500, 600; clothing,
81, 100000; medical supplies, $l40, 200;
ordnance department, 1,13l, 600; mill
tary academy, $521, ,S12; arsenals, $139, 1888;
military posts, National cemeteries and
National parks, 81, 558, $50; National SOL
diers' homes, $3,443, 3l4; artificial linn BIS
for soldiers of the late war, $l91, 900; pub
lie buildings and grounds in Washington.
S139,S92; miscellaneous items, $402, 600;
rivers and harbors, $5,349,000, to meet
payments on existing contracts, the de-
partment at this time being unable to say
what sum will be required by future con-
tracts for which authority exists.
The estimate for fortifications and sea-
coast defenses has been increased to $15,-
825.5 In this connection Secretary La
mont makes a statement of the condition
of this work. the advances that have been
made and the results that can be secured
by the increased appropriation which he
asks. This shows that on 1st of JuIy,
1889, but one modern gun had been placed
in position. On the 1st of July, 1897,
there Will have been completed defenses
with armament as follows: Thirteen
12-inch guns, thirty-seven 10-inch, eight
S-inch and four rapid-fre guns and eighty
12-inch mortars. OF these, seven 12-inch,
nineteen 10-inch, fifteen S-inch, four
rapid-fre and thirty-two 12-inch mortar
implements are to be constructed under
contract, while the remaining ones are
now being built by the engineer depart-
ment with hired labor.
The following statement shows the con-
dition of the coast defenses after the ex-
penditures authorized by the act of June
16, 1894, implacements with guns and
mortars that should be in position:
Portland, Maine-Two Pinch and five
I0-inch guns and twelve 12-lnch mortars.
Increase since March, 1888: Two 12-inch
and three 10-inch guns and twelve 12.inch
mortars.
Portsmouth - Two S-inch guns. In
crease: Two 8-inch guns.
Boston-Seven 10inch and two rapid
4.
crease: Three 10-inch and two rapid.fire
guns.
Narragansett Bay-Four 10-inch guns
and sixteen 12-ipch n ortars. Increase:
Four 10-inch guns and sixteen 12-inch
mortars.
Eastern entrance to Long Island Sound
Two 12-inch guns. All increase.
New York-Six S-inch. sixteen 1O-inch,
two 12-inch and six rapid-fire guns ana
thirty-two 12-inch mortars. Increase: One
8.inch, thirteen 10-inch and four rapid-fre
guns.
Philadelphia-Three 10-inch and three
12-inch guns. All increase.
Baltimore-Three 8-inch, one 12-lnch,
three rapid-6re guns and eight I2-inch
mortars. All increase.
Washington-Three 10-inch and two g.
inch guns. Increase, one l0-inch and two
s-inch guns.
Hampton Roads-Three 10-inch guns
and sixteen 12-inch mortars. Increase,
sixteen 12-inch mortars.
Wilmington-Two 8-inch guns. All in
crease.
Charleston-Two 1o-inch guns and six
teen 12-inch mortars. ALI increase.
Savapnah-Four 8-inch guns. All in
crease
Key West-Two 8-inch, four 10-inch
guns and sixteen 12-inoh mortars. All in
crease.
Pensacola-Three 10-inch guns, All in
crease.
Mobile-Two s-inch guns All increase.
New Orleans-Two 10-inch guns. All in
crease.
Galveston-Two I0-inch, one rapid-fre
gun and eight 12-inch mortars. All in
crease.
San Diego-Two 1O.inch guns. All in
crease.
San Francisco-Three 10inch, nine 12-
inch, two rapid-tire guns and sixteen 12-
inch mortars. Increase, three 10-inch,
seven 12-inch and two rapid-fire guns.
Columbia River-Two 8.inch, three 10
Puget Sound-Four l0-inch and two IL
inch guns; all increase.
Under the appropriation of June 6, 1896,
there are now being procured or Will be
procured the following carriages: At the
Government factory-Five 8-inch, five To-
iucn ana uve l2-lncn, ali disappearing,
and eight 12-inch, non-disappearing in
separate shops-sixteen 8-inch and thirty
10-inch disappearing carriages and sixty
seven 12-lnch mortar carriages.
BY the time new appropriation can
become available all the details of every
type OF carriage will have been fully de-
termined. With sufficient money, there
fore, the limit to future rapidly of prog
ress in coast defense is ompined the an
nual capacity OF public and private plants
to supply ordnance material. Upon this
fact are based the departments estimates
for the ensuing year. These estimates will
provide the following:
Guns-One 16 inch gun (finishing and
assembling, forgines already provided),
twenty-one sets 12-inch gun forgings.
twenty-one sets 10-inch gun forgings,
LA all-steel Pinch mortars complete,
ffty-five six-pounder rapid-fre guns with
mounts and 200 rounds per gun, and
twenty 5-inch rapid-ire guns with mounts
and 100 rounds per gun.
Carriages-Twenty-one 12-inch disap-
pearing carriages, TWEEN ty-one 10-inch dis
appearing carriages, eight S-inch disa p
pearing carriages and 13S Pinch mortar
carriages.
For engineering work-Twenty 12-inch
implacements, disappearing; nineteen 10
inch implaCements disaDpearinp. twefve