Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-12-03
SECRETARY LAMONT,
rhe Head of the war Departments
Makes His Annual Report.
@r0gress OF Coast Defenses-DfmeuIs
Frobiems Involved Satisfactorily Solved
The Standing Army and the River
and HarbOr improvements

WASHINGTON. Nov. 26-Secretary Lamontf
&epOrt OF the operations OF the war depart
01sat for 1896 shows total expenditures aggre
8asiEs nearly s52yGO0.00O and an uuexpendec
1alance OF nearly 100000 turned back int
me treasury at the end OF the fiscal year. Fol
%A1e three years Of Col Lannon'S adIninistra.
Slon TIE surplus has amounted 70 more thai
On the nrst of July. 1903. of our modern de-
Tease. but one high-poEer gun was mounted
ES the ist OF July next we will have in posi-
-lon 20 hIgh-power breechloadIng guns and 9;
oreechloading mortars Of modern design. and
oy the following July. on completion OF work
already under way or provided for, LIS guns and
AoS HortaFA battery of two or three of these
guns takes the place OF the former pretentious
sort and Is vastly more elective An eight
4Ach gun weights I4M tons, IS z3A
seet long. requires a powder charge
OF G1 pounds and throws a pro-
9eetile weighing 300 pounds about nine
miles. A ten-inch gun weighs 30 tons, is 301s
4eet long. requires q powder charge Of %
pounds and throws proiectile of SIS pounds
SPOUT Twelve miles. i2-inch gun weighs 50
IONS, Is 10 feet long, requires powder charge
OF 90 pounds and throws a 1000 pound
proJectile Is miles A 12-inch mortar weighs
2S,LSo pounds, is 10 feet long. requires powoer
charge of los pounds and throws = filed
proJectile weighing 500 pounds five miles
Inc defenses now under construction are
distributed among the ports OF Portland, Me-,
Portsmouth, ". H, Boston. Narragansett bay,
eastern entrance to Long Island sound, east
RnIladeIphia, baltimore, Washington, Hamp-
Eon Roads, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah,
hey west, Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans,
GaIVeston, San Diego, san Francisco, the
mouth OF the Columbia river and Puget Sound.
All OF the empacements have been located
win view to carrying out the project OF the
Endtcott board of fortiticationS organized I'M
der me act OF congress Of March 8, 1888. as re-
Vfsed by the permanent board of engineers
de1euSeS, including cost OF sites, foTtincatiOnS
aid armament since the adoption Of the pres
ShI scheme Is S26.457,0JJ, OF which more than
0ne-tnIrd was carried by the act passed at the
last session of congress.
before ,1s the END Of the present year We shall
4Ech, SIX rapid-nre guns and II mortar en-
By July next there should be completed Il
12-inch. 46 ten-inch, 10 eight-inch and II rapid
guns and liz mortar empIacements. And by
creased TO 81 I2-inch. &c ten-inch, 25 eignt-irch
anu 10 rapid-tre guns and 100 mortar emplace-
ue0LS.
IA the belief that the problem Of a salts
factory disappearing gun carriage had been
1oIFed the appropriation committee were in
sOruied at the previous session OF the present
congress that this department proposed to
spend no more money Tor gun lift batteries,
&uus saving 500 0,CUI
Inc construction OF the carriages in as largo
numbers as the appropriation would permit
Was Immediately undertaken both at tie gov
srumenE carriage factory at the WATERFOWL
aIsenai and unGer contract. A still more diff
neuiE problem was the designing of a dIsap-
psArinS ali around fire carriage for the 12-inch
breech-ioading rife. How difficult problem
it was viii appear when it is noted that such
. carriage must endure, without breaking or
strslning any OF its parts, the tremendous
90 propel l,00O pound projectile at
. velocity of 2.1Oo feet per second,
distance OF nearly eight feet to secure position
4or loading and returning it to Its firing posi-
EIcn. and that it must do this rapidly, GER
y. ~ m haD nj Ifon to
70 gee out OF orCer and easy to be operated by
Ghe average soldier. The technical difficulties
when IL Is considered that a similar case would
be that CT 50-ton locomotive and tender rum
ning At speed OF 20 miles an hour, which is
cequlred TO De brought to a full stop from this
speed Within distance Of 10 feet, or one-third
DI It's length, yet so easily and gently that az
hne end OF the motion there shall not be the
both these problems, it is believed, have been
satisfactorily solved One l2-inch oil around
traverse disappearing carriage Is now under
construction and eight and ten-inch carriages
Of similar design about to be commenced.
Secretary Lamont says his predecessors in
Office az the head OF the war department had
during many years, the difficult task OF arous-
Ing TIE public mind to realization of the na-
kLonaI deficiencies in ths matter of coast de-
Tense. As the interest which has been awak-
e1ed has grown deeper. successive congresses
nave made more liberal provision for the ac-
SompliShment of the adopted scheme.
Therefore. in submitting the estimates for
another year, he feels that it is no longer
necessary TO repeat the arguments that have
oeen reiterated many times. While
earnestly inviting attention to the great work
tune 70 have the more grateful duty OF exhib-
ttInX the important results that have been
actually accomplished as follows the splendid
progress which Is now being made toward
early completion Of the work.
The armament Of troops with the new maya
zine arms was completed in May ana the
armOry IS turning out I25 rifles or csrbines per
day 1nder the appropriation made last year
All the ammunition Tor small arms now made
Irnlr
Fan manufacture and of satisfactory quality.
The total expenditures for river and harbor
improvements ordered by congress during the
year ending June 80 1885, including those of
&c Mississippi and Missouri river commits
alUns, were ST7,o3JOU0. Including the amounts
appropriated by the act OF June g. 1886, there
was available for expenditures on rivers and
hArbors July /, S26,02U. 100. The Mississippi
river com OMISSION has decided To discontinue
She plan to improve the river by bank protec-
sioa and to adopt the plan of dredging chan
1els In shoal places and maintaining, with
state and local cooperation, an effective levee
kysIem-
with this change Of policy the minority be-
Sfeve the function OF the commission Is ended
and the work should be turned over to the Sc
Eetary OF wa.
As 40 water had yet been drawn for use in
Ehe Chicago drainage canal, no further facts
Gan be given rs to the probable effect OF alb
stracting l0,000 cubic feet OF water per second
from Lake Michigan. The importance OF in
q series of observations and Raug-
fngs which will provide reliable data concern
Eng the lake levels and the probable effect of
Of connecting channels is again urged upon
Or 80 below the legal mRxium. The effective
neid strength on October 81 was % 3d..
The completion already OF some coast de-
lenses anu the approaching completion OF
other modern batteries render necessary q
larger force Of aTtlllerlsts. but no other in
crease OF the army is asked for. The plan OF
sea coast defense involves leo distincs batteries
In over twenty harborS, and a force must grad
uaIly be supplied to take care Of guns and for
tiueatioRS as they are completed. and maintain
them in state OF efficient defense.
Mr.. Lamont says in closing his last
report:
have satisfaction IN placing on record my
high appreciation OF the character. ability and
zSnf of the officers OF our army and the general
spirit OF loyalty and patriotic inspiration
sThieh pervade it's ranks. To the officers and
men and 70 the heads Of departments in the
var ONCE. all of whom have given faithful
service to the administration Of this depart
IllenS make The acknowledgment which Is
their due