Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-12-02
WAR OFFICE.
Expenditures for 1896 Aggregates
Nearly Fifty Two Million Dollars.
Nv July 30 High Power Breech-Loadias
Cuns and % Brooch Loading Mortzrs
Will Bs tn Position. ana 10y July
Year 1913 Guns and I63 Mortars-

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2I.-Secretary La
monts report of the operations of the
war department for 1896 show total
expenditures aggregating nearly fifty.
two million dollars and an unexpendec
balance of nearly two millions turned
back into the treasury ut the end oi
the fiscal year. For the three years OF
Secretary Lamont's administration the
surplus has amounted TO more than
i've million dollars.
On the first of July. 1898, of our
modern defense. but one high-power
gun was mounted. BY the first OF
July next we will have in position &c
high-power breech-loading guns and %
breech-loading mortars of modern de
sign, and by the following July, on
completion of work already under way
or provided for, 12S guns and 153 NOR.
tars. A battery of two or three oi
these guns takes the place OF the
former pretentious fort and is vastly
more effective. An eight-inch CUR
weighs 14IG tons, is 23A feet long, re.
quires n powder charge of 1875 pounds
and throws n projectile weighing 3Ot
pounds about nine miles. a ten-incE
gun weighs 80 tons, is 3Olk feet long
and throws a projectile OF 5T5 pounds
about IL miles A 12-inch gun weighs
81 tons, is 40 feet long. requires "A pow.
der charge of 500 pounds and throws
1000 pound proiectile 13 miles. A H.
inch mortar weighs 30, 100 pounds, is /.
feet long, requires powder charge O.
105 pounds and throws a filed project
lie weighing 500 pounds over five miles
The total amount appropriated foI
seacoast defenses, including cost Of
sites, Notifications and armament since
the adoption OF the present scheme is
S26, 900, OF which more than one
third was carried by the act passed al
the last session of congress
BY July there should be completed
Il l2-inch, 80 1O-inch, 10 S-inch and l:
rapid-fre guns and liz mortar EN-
placements. And by the close of the
coming year this will be increased t,
81 12-inch. GO 10-inch, - S-inch and IL
rapid-fire guns and 1lG mortar emplace
mentS.
In the belief that the problem that
satisfactory disappearing gun carriage
had been solved, the appropriation 5
committee were informed 1T the prcvi.
Gus session OF the present congress
that this department proposed TO spend
no more money for gun-nft batteries,
thus saving 100000, 600.
The construction of the carriages in
as large numbers as the appropriation
would permit was immediately under
taken both at the government car.
riage factory at the WATERFOWL ar.
scnal and under contract 4
still more difficult problem was
the designing of a disappearing all
around fire carriage for the l2-incE
breech loading rifle. How difficult a
problem it was will appear when il is
noted that such a carriage must en-
dure. without breaking or straining
any OF It's parts, the tremendous shocil
due TO the ballistic force necessary 10
propel "A lO00-pound roiectile at a
velocity Of 2,iOO feet per second. low
ering its Seton gun for a distance OF
nearly eight feet to secure posi-.
ton, and that it must do this
rapidly, certainly and easily anu
by mechanism not liable to get
out of order and easy to be operated
by the average soldier The technical
difficulties involved will be better an
preciated when it i considered that a
similar case would be that OF "a jG-ton
locomotive and tender, running at a
speed of 20 miles an hour. which is re-
quired to be brought to a tull stou
from this speed within distance of 10
feet, or one-third OF its length. vet so
easily and gently that al the end of the
motion there shall not be the slightest
jar.
Both these problems, it Is believed.
have been satisfactorily solved One
l2-inch all around traverse disappear
ing carriage is now under construction
and carriages of similar design are
about to be commenced.
The armament of troops with the
new magazine arms was completed in
May and the armory is turning out Ia5
rifles or carbines per day under the
appropriation made last year All the
ammunition for small arms now made
IS supplied with smokeless powder OF
American manufacture and OF satisfac.
tory quality.
The total expenditures for river and
harbor improvements ordered by CON
gress during the year ending June 80.
1916, including those OF the Mississippi
and Missouri river commission. was
Sl7, O39, eco. Including the amounts
appropriated by the act of June 3.
1896, there was available for ex.
penditure ON river and harbors
July 1. $50 O2O, 900 The Mississippi
river commission has decided TO dis.
continue the plan to improve the river
by bank protection and to adont the
plan Of dredging channels i'm shoal
places and maintaining. with state and
local cooperation. AN effective Icyce
NgStCm. With this chino. az ,,fio.
the minority believe The function of
the commission is ended and the wor..
should be turned over TO the ,ccret.lrv
II war
The army consists OF %. 42G officer,
and men. or 2Sf below the legal mast.
MUM The effective field strength or
I October 81 was 13.3s2
BLIZZARD in the Northwest
MiNNEAPOLIs. Mimi. Nov. 2T-The
snow storm which commenced Wedncs-