New-York tribune., 1896-01-13

and 'f1S fSrty-sve ssconas twsys,inch gun he
minmum-port casemate carriage, ten times IN
thirty minutes and eight seconds.
Concerning smokeless powder the Board says:
nencs i.,s ard cause for exhaustive experiments
great deal has been accomp!shed but It mas pesn
what unstable and dangerous compounds should ..
Of oee5ea An Ina" ey Il
powder for field siege and seacoast guns mas yed 70
this subject and has introduced an item into IT'S
estimates for next year to provide fr further ex-
Of high sxposves sad that the sgSeG, t oh; ha;
Ssars SS@r''"Fa a%a Of Maor 5%'Is Praak Phpps oance
partment on the subieei SesTa hsd he6n red sor
experIments with high explosives. burst 4 sheil
sgh s8n,aimgd pnnds s ., ran and Canada nj inter
st27ces of gun cotton was safely fred. The pro-
peng charge was ia pounds Of pqS%a psSsa 5 s feet per
second The gun next loaded with shell con,
harne and elevation were the in the pre-
vous round The gun was burst ~ ,nis bl mnpe,,
nart Of the Reservation The shells weighed.
loaded. ieO pounds the board re2op,s sire and
says A C,d a urther Experiments will be instituted.
IN aprder 70 determine what charges can be safely
discharged in shells. and what veloc!tes attained
The inventor OF the explosive asserts that ne sen.
sitiyeness OF the composition can be dnlihIsneu AZ
will, by changing the proportions u ''e '"s
a nd this will be tested
SEAtOAST DEF EN- T..
IN conclusion the report says: 'rae work
OF providing proper armament Tor our mar
hors ,s progressing steadily. and on sound
basis but 80 slowly that at the rate appropriations
have been made during the last ten years II wou!d
take at least fifty years to place our seacoas' IN
nroner condition .or defence. II is OF National m
nor,ance and an imperative necessity that the
work o, forthcatio should be pressed wltn vlgoi,
The plai.s for guns carriages ana empace MS
are perfected, and a liberal and constant appro-
priation should be made until our principal por,s
are nroueriy protected. Such an expenditure would
he n wise Insurance against the sacrifice OF many
of our most important cities. w1lcn would reason-
ably in ten days time ot a1tudi War IA %. ~
work shops il would be false economy 70 fan 20
support them at full capacity. The greater tnsr rh
T3oard is well satisfied with the advance made dur
ing the year in perfectng military appliances Inc
rsIpar,ed as solved and only details and eabo
rat!ons remain. With sufficient supply o. .,gu, LII;
adopted we would have formidable armament
For the future. advancement seems 90 be Indicated
along the following lines ~ lns ~ b,sh
EXPLOSIVE that can be safely discharged In a sheiI
at high velocity. with certainty OF detona''Sn: On;
twelve-trch guns 80 the Investigation OF armor
plate FOR sea forts C the development OF rapid;hre
held and sea coast guns 90 the development OF an
effcent system of ire control FOR haroor defences
A OF these objects VIII rece,ys the attention cs S
ing this its nth annual report tae Board wouId
again urge that definite annual Appropriation tor
sea-coast forthcations and armament De maie, and
10 this end We would earnestly recommend tnat
g o 900 be appropriated for engineer work IN the
CONSTRUCTION OF implements. forhcat.ons and neces-
sory work: also that 10000 be appropriated for
the construction OF guns. mortars. gun carriages
ses-coas armament and ammuniion;; ,,n,s
and Colonel Royal T: Frank. IS Artil-
iery: Colonel Peter c. Ha.nes Corps Of ENGINEERS.
Major Frank II. Phipps. Ordnance Department,
Joseph H. Cultivate. civilian member. and Captain
j. {. Ayres, Ordnance Department, recorder.