The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-27
Leading Feature in Mr..
LamOnt'S Report.
Secretary of War Gives Many
Details of the Work.
Highly Crcditable Advance Made
During the Fiscal Year.

Washington. Nov. 27.-secretary La
mont's report OF the operations of the
war department for 1896 show total ex-
penditures aggregating S5l,So3.29S. of
which $13,505,06S was for pay for the
army, s1.4SS,TS5 for subsistence. sl,65s.-
3SS for regular quartermasters' supplies,
sS20,726 for barracks and quarters.
1881, 727 for army transportation. 81, ,3li.-
20i for clothing Sl.356,s ,sSi for ordnance.
s2,S67, AGA for coast defenses, S17, 344, 500 for
river and harbor Improvement, $3 1885,
lSl for national soldiers homes and
s1,436, 795 for salaries and contingencies
In the war office at Washington. This
last item shows a saving OF $5S2, $50 from
the expenditure under the same head for
the year 1892.
The aggregate OF appropriations for
this department unexpended, and turned
back into the general fund OF the treas
ury at the end Of the last fiscal year. was
1875. 033. For the year 1895 IL was 81. 1884,
6S1 and for 1894 IL was Sl,3S7,922 an ag-
greeate for three years Of more than
s5,000,000.
Much Of the report is devoted to de-
tail. 4 exhibI- of the work accomplished
and now under way on the coast defenses
as Crdered in 1895. On July 1, 1893, of our
moGern defense but one high power gun
was mounted. BY July / next we will
have in position 20 high-power breech-
loading guns and 80 reech-loading NOR
tars of modern design, apd by the fol-
lowing July, on completion Of work al
ready under way or provided for, l2S
guns and 153 mortars.
The defenses now under consideration
are distributed among the ports of Port
land, Me, Portsmouth. n. H., Boston,
Nara gansett bay. eastern entrance TO
Long Island sound. eastern entrance to
ern entrance TO New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington, Hampton
Roads, Wilmington, Charleston, Savan-
nah, Key West Pensacola, Mobile. New
Orleans, Galveston, San Deigo,% San
Francisco, the mouth of the Columbia
river and Puget sound. All Of the en-
placements have been located with q
view TO carrying out the project OF the
Endicott board OF fortifications. organ
lied under the act Of congress on March
3, 1895.
This project requires 4S1 high-power
guns, so located as TO throw, wherever
practicable the exterior line OF defense
ct a minimum of eight to 10 miles from
sells under the fire OF the guns. and to
prevent them from running the batteries,
the project requires a complete system
CT submarine mines. so planted as 10
| close all navlgable channels to an
enemy, while Offering no obstruction to
| friendly commerce.
This system calls for upwards OF 600O
mines. with the appliances necessary for
their operation To protect the mine
fields and 10 prevent their destruction
| by counter mining or other means, the
! project requires 361 rapid-fire guns. To
| cover the entire system and prevent an
enemy's feet from occupying an advan-
tageous position. from which TO attack
| batteries, 12-inch mortars are so placed
as to make 1t impossible for hostile ves-
| sci to anchor or remain long in one posi-
| tion within q radius OF five or six miles
I OF the defensive position. For this pur-
| pose 104S mortars are needed. To ac-
| complish these objects q few OF the high
| power guns, where the nature of the site
| affords sufficient protection from hos
tile fire. are to be mounted in barbette
! batteries on non-disappearing carriages
| The total amount appropriated fol
| coast defenses. including cost OF sites
| fortiflcations and armament since the
adoption of the present scheme, is $780,
Al, 1898.
The act further authorizes the secre-
| tary of war TO enter into contracts FOL
material and work for construction oi
Notifications to an additional sum in the
sggrr gate not to exceed 81 100000"
Under this authority proposals have