New-York tribune., 1896-12-06

Louisiana, and the Department has been in
formed Of the prospective formation Of an ad-
dtional battalion in New-York (at Brooklyn)
and organization in Ohio. During the sum-
mer the various battalions have been drilled on
vessels OF the Navy. and have had the advan-
tages Of target practice and drills with the
batteries of the ships.
Such satisfactory experiments have been made
with liquid fuel by Engineer-in Chief Melville
that the Department has ordered that a tug
now being constructed at the Norfolk Yard and
one Of the smaller torpedo-boats being built by
the Herreshon company. he fitted for using this
oil intending thus to test It's capabilities thor
oughly These boats will ne adapted for coal. il
oil fails
For the relief Of the overworked Engineer
! Corps. it is urged that their number be in
creased until the limit shall reach 80 instead
of 1yl. at present.
1t Is announced that a training station on the
Pacific coast on the Island of Yerba Buena as
provided by Congress. will soon he established
and that in the mean time the Adams now re-
turning from Honolulu. will be fitted for the
duty
GUNS AND ARMOR.
During the last four years 213 guns have
been manufactured Of all cabres. as follows:
forty-nve S-lnch. one 1O-inch eight Pinch. and
twelve 13-inch Including the twenty sets OF
i-inch. thirty-nve sets Of 5-inch fifty sets Of
6-inch. and two sets Of S-incif- gun forgings for
which contracts have been awarded. there are
in course of manufacture at this date l'6 guns
Of all calibros from i-inch to 13-inch. or these,
sixty-three guns are for the auxiliary naval
cruisers for which an appropriation was made
at the last session of Congress. In addition 10
the above. 1OO :,-inch field guns, for landing
and boat service. are in hand. ana VIII De co'i-
pletcd In the near future. on March !. lo''
1lG guns Of all calibres were mounted ABOARD
snip At present including some temporarily
landed pending repairs Of vessels there are 500
During this Administration there have been
unusual demands for fleets and single vesses 10
protect the rights Of American citizens ABROAD
Revolutionary troubles have at different times
imperiled commerce in Guatemala. Peru Nicara-
qua ton the east and wet coasts. Colombia
! Costa Rica Honduras. Argentina. Turkey
China Japan. Hawaii and elsewhere. The pub
lie is fully aware Of the distinguished services
rendered bv Rear-Admiral A. Z. x. Benham
and the fleet under his command in breaking
the blockade in the harbor of Rio Jsneiro, and
also of the efficient protection afforded to Amer
lean interests in China by the Asiatic fleet In
CndlEe OF R'dI--huIilIId d - - CoiPNHN ""'"'o
the Chino-Japanese war.
The most important recent Improvement In
the batteries of ships has been in the mounts
for guns or various calibres This betterment
has consisted mainly in the simplifcation of the
mounts and the application to the larger cali
brcs Of the principle at first employed in the
rapid fire 6-pounders. by which the recoil Is
TAX N up in a closed cylinder filed with suitable
louid the gun being returned TO the battery
by means Of springs. The Pinch mounts for
the Iowa were constructed on this principle.
which dispenses with the Of the hydraulic
mining always hitherto considered necessary
for the manipulation OF these heavy Luns.
The supply OF ammunition for ali guns has
been based on he rapidity Of fire Of the several
calbres. with the expectation that the supply
would enable all the guns to continue their fire
for the same length OF time The Department
is convinced OF the advantages Of firing guns by
electricity and is endeavoring to perfect and in
trCduce that method.
The establishment OF the great hydraulic press
at Bethlehem early in 1893. and Of that at Car
negie's I'm the spring Of 1904. enormously In
creased the output Of arnor at those works. so
that the maximum capacity for armor Of the
superior quality now supplied 10 the Department
al cnch establishment is about 400 tons month.
This could be Increased IN case or necessity 10
600 tons by simplifying machine work and alter
ing the shape OF the plates.
At the beginning Of this Administration no ship
had been fitted with torpedoes. All vessels now
in service which were designed to carry tor
pedocs have been supplied. and n supply is
hand sufficient for all vessels In process OF con-
struction.
The excellent practice which has been made
with this destructive weapon from the vessels
in commission indicates that officers and men
have acquired great skill In handling IL.
SOME INTERESTING TABLES
Following are some OF the tables included in
the report:
NEW TONNAGE AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
AND NEW TONNAGE BEGUN AND PLACED
IN COMMISSION SINCE MARCH. 1851