The San Francisco call., 1896-11-27
During the Past Year the Ex-
penses Aggregated Just
$52,ooo,ooo
Important Work of Constructing
Needed Coast Defenses Goes
Actively On.

expenditures aggregatlng nearly S0Z-
600, 600, and an unexpended balance of
nearly $1,000, 600 turned back into the
treasury st the end of the fiscal year. For
the three years of Colonel Lamont's ad-
ministrahon the surplus has amounted to
more than S., ,000 600.
On the 1st of July, 1893, of our modern
defense but one high-power gun was
mounted. By the 1st of July next we will
have in position seventy high-power
breech-loading guns and ninety-tiye
breech-loading mortars OF modern design,
and by the following July, on completion
of work already under way or provided
for, los guns and 153 mortars. The bat
terry of two or three of these guns takes
the place of tie former pretentious fort
and is vastly more effective. An S-inch
gun weighs 141< tons, is 231k feet long. re-
quires powder charge OF l25 pounds and
throws a projectile weighing 800 pounds
about nine miles. A 10-inch gun weighs
so tons, is 3015 feet long, requires a pow
der charge of $50 pounds and throws
q projectile of 5S5 pounds about
twelve miles. A Pinch gun weighs 81
tons. is 10 feet long, requires a powder
charge of $50 pounds and throws a 1000
pound projectile thirteen miles. a Pinch
mortar weighs 20, 40 pounds, is is feet
long, requires powder charge of 105
pounds and throws filled projectile
weighing 800 pounds over five miles.
The defenses now under consideration
are distributed among the ports of Port
land, Me-, Portsmouth, n. H, Boston,
Narragansett Bay, eastern entrance to
Long island Sound, eastern and southern
entrances to 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. ALI of the emplacements have
been located with view 10 carrying on
the pro ject of the Eudicott board OF for
tifications, organized under the act OF
Congress OF March 8, 1885. as revised by
the permanent Board of Engineers.
The total amount appropriated for sea-
coast defenses, including cost of sites, for
tihcations and armament, since the adop-
ton of the present scheme is SIS 457 COO
OF which mors than one-third was carried
by the act passed at the last session OF
Congress.
Before the end of the present year we
shall have eleven 12-irch, forty-two 10
inch, eight 9-inch, six rapid-fire guns and
1l2 mortar emplacements.
fourteen 12-inch, forty-six 10-inch, ten g.
inch and twelve rapid-ire guns and 112
mortar emplacements. And by the close
OF the coming year this will be increased
10 twenty-one 12-inch, sixty-six 10-inch
twenty i've S-inch and sixteen rapld-fire
guns and 156 mortar empiacements.
In the belief that the problem of salts.
factory disappearing gun carriages has
been solved, the Appropriations Commit
tee was informed at the previous session of
the present Congress that this department
proposed TO spend no more money for gun
lift batteries, thus saving $50 00o0, 900. The
construction of the Carriages IN as large
numbers as the appropriation would ad-
init was Immediately undertaken both at
the Government carriage-factory at Water
town Arsenal and under contract. a still
more difficult problem was the designing
OF disappearing ail-around-hre carriage
for the 12-inch breech-loading rife. How
difficult problem it is will appear when
1t is noted that such a carriage must en-
dure without breaking or straining any OF
its parts the tremendous shock due to the
ballisnc force necessary TO propeI 1000
pound proiectlie at velocity of 2100 feet
per second. lowering It's 52-ton gun Tor
distance of nearly eight feet to secure posi-
ton for loading and returning il to its
firing position, and that it must do this
rapidly, certainly and easily, and bv
mechanism not liable to get ont of order
and only to be operated by the average
soldier.
The technical difficulties involved may
perhaps be better appreciated when il Is
considered that a similar case would be
that of iitv-ton locomotive and tender,
running at a speed OF twenty miles an
hour, which is required to be brought 10 a
full stop from this speed within distance
OF sixteen feet or one-third of its length
yet so easily and gently that at the end of
thara nal no la ho eli ~
jar.
Both these problems. it is believed, have
BEEN satisfactorily solved. One twelve
inch around traverse disappearing car
riage is now under construction, and
eight or ten such carriages of similar
design are about 10 be contracted.
Secretary Lamont says his PREDECESSORS
IN office at the head OF the War Depart
ment had during many years the difficult
task OF arousing the public mind 10
realization OF the National difficulties in
the matter of coast defense. The interest
which has been awakened has grown
deeper each successive Congress and
appropriations for this accomplishment of
the adopted scheme have become more
liberal.
Therefore in submitting the estimates
for another year he feels that it is no
longer necessary to repeat the arguments
that have been reiterated so many times.
While earnestly inviting attention TO the
great work that yet remains to be done it
Is also his fortune TO nave the more CRATE
ful duty of exhibiting the important
results that have been actually accom-
plished. as well as the splendid progress
which is now being made toward early
completion of the work.
The armament of troops with the new
magazine arm was completed IN May and
the armory is turning out lbs rifles or car
bines per day under the appropriation
made last year. All the ammunition for
small arms made are supplied with smoke
less powder of American manufacture and
OF superior quality.
The total expenditure for river and har-
Dor Improvements ordered by Congress
during the year ending June 80 1886. in
ciuding those of tie Mississippi and Mis-
souri, River Commissions was ST., ,03o 600.
including the amounts appropriated oy
the act OF June 5. 1885, there was available
Ior expenditure for rivers and harbors
July L, S26, ,o20, 600. The Mississippi River
Commission has decided TO discontinue
the plan to improye the river by bank pro-
lection and to ADOPT the plan of dred Gin .
channels in shoai places and maintaifling 2
with State and local cooperation. an ex-
tensive. .ievee system.