Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-27
DEPARTMENT OF WAR
REPORT ON OPERATIONS ron THE
YEAR 1896.
PROGRESS OF COAST DEFENCE.
what Is being Done In the Way Of
Placing Zig Guns mud Mortnrs-
Small irrps-niver and IfsrbOr I'm
proNemeHt.
proVenent.

WASHINGTON. November 2-secre-
tary Lamonts report Of the operations
OF tho War Department for 1886 shows
total expenditures aggregating nearly
s52,0oO0O0. and an unexpended balance OF
nearly 100000 turned back into the
Treasury al the end Of the fiscal year.
For the three years Of Colonel Lamonts
administration. the surplus has amounted
20 more than 100000
on the 1st OF July. 1893. OF our modern
| coast defence. but one high-Dower gun
was mounted. by the 1T Of July next
we will have in position seventy high
power brcech-loading guns, and ninety
five breech-ioading mortars OF modern de-
sign. and by the following July. on COM
pletion Of work already under way or
provided for. rs guns and 153 mortars.
! A battery Of two or three OF these guns
+ takes the place Of the former pretentlous
fort and Is vastly moro effective. An
/ S-inch gun weighing ~ tons is 23H Meet
long. requires "a powder charge or 10
pounds. and throws "a projectile weighing
300 pounds about nine miles. A lO-inch
gun weighs 20 tons. IS 30lz feet long re-
QUlfns a pOWltl filhiBt OF epN I'hh'A'f
and throws O. projectile Of $50 pounds
about twelve miles. A Pinch gun weighs
81 tons. is 80 feet long. requires powder
charge Of $40 pounds, and throws "a loJ-
projoctile thirteen miles. A Pinch NOR
tar weighs 29120 pounds. is l3 feet long
requires a powder charge Of l05 pounds,
and throws "a filed projectile Weighing
80 pounds over five miles.
The defences now under consideration
.Ffafvff.rrfrT fHa al Port
land. Me; Portsmouth, y. H.. Boston,
Naragansett bay, eastern entrance 10
Long Island sound eastern and southern
entrances 10 New York. Philadelphia.
Baltimore, Washington. Hampton Roads
{ Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah. Key
West. Pensacola, Mobile New orleans
Galveston. San Diego, san Francisco, the
mouth of the Columbia river, and Puget
sound.
Tho total amount appropriated for ga
coaSt defences, including cost Of sites,
Notifications. and armament since tho
adoption Of the present scheme, is S25.i57-
co, of which more than one third was
carried by the act passed 90 the last
session OF Congress.
GUNS AND MORTARs.
Before the end Of the present year we
shall have eleven Pinch, forty-twO l0-
inch. eight S-inch six rapii-hre guns.
and 112 mortar emplaccments By July
next there should be completed fourteen
Pinch, forty-sx 10-inch, ten S-lnch,
twelve rapid-dre guns, and 1l2 mortar
emUlacements. And by the close of the
coming year this viii be increased TO
tweny-one Finch. sixty-sE 1o-inch.
twenty-five S-inch, sixteen rapil-hre guns,
ana 156 mortar emplacemonts.
In the belief that the problem Of
satisfactory disappearing gun-carriage
had been solved. the Appropriations Com
mittee was informed at the previous
session Of the present Congress that the
department proposed TO spend no more
money for gun-lft batteries. thus saving
100000.
The construction Of these carriages IN
as large numbers as the appropriation
would permit was Immediately under
taken. both Of the Government Carriage
Factory. At the WATERFOWL arsenal, and
under contract. 4 -tiu more difficult
problem was the designing Of disap-
nearing. all-round hrc-carriagc for the
Pinch hreech-loading rifles not liable
20 get out Of order and easy 10 be one
rated by the average soldier. The tech
meal difficulties involved may, perhaps,
be better appreciated when il is con-
sidered that o similar case would De
that OF a cotton locomotive and tender,
running 70 q speed Of - miles an hour,
which IS required 20 be brought % full
stop from this speed within a distance
of sixteen feet. or one third Of Us length,
yet so easily and gently that at the
end Of the motion there should not be
the slightest Jar
Both these problems. It IS believed have
been satisfactorily solved. one E-ihcn
all-around. traverse, disappearing car
riage is now under construction, and -
and l0-inch carriages Of similar design
are about 10 be commenced.
NEW SMALL ARMS.
The armament Of troops with the new
MAGAZINE arms was completed in May
and the armory Is turning out l25 rifles
or carbines per day. under the appropila-
ton made last year. All the ammunition
for small arms now made is supplied with
snokeless powder OF American manuiac-
ture and Of satisfactory quality.
The total expenditure for river ana
barbor improvements ordered by Con-
gress during the year ending June 80, 1895,
including those of the Mississippi and
Missouri river commissions. was ylIOjs,-
900. Including the amounts appropriated
bv the act Of June g. 1896, there was avail
able for expenditure on rivers and har-
bors July lst $4G.0200o0. The Mississippi
River Commission has decided 10 discon-
tinue the plan 10 improve the river ny
bank protection, apd 20 adopt the plan
Of dredging the channel I'm shoal places
and maintaining. with state and local CO.
cneration. an effective levee system.
Tho army consists Of ~ A25 officers ana
men or PSI below tho legal maximum. The
effective field strength on October Sl7t
was 23.SS2
The completion already Of some coast
defences. and the approaching completion
Of other modern batteries render neces-
sary a larger force OF artinerists, but no
other increase Of the army IL asked for'
The plan of sea-coast defence involves
100 distinct batteries In over twenty har-
bors. and a force must gradually be sup
piled to take care OF the guns and fortin-
cations as they are completed. and MAIN
tain them in a state OF efficiency.
HOMICIDE IL LOIIsIANA.