The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-10

and Twenty Bullets a Miuute-It il
Much More Dreadful Than the other
Guns in Use-It Also Feeds Itself-Colt
Gun for the Infantry has Been Eecom-
mended for Future Use.
Washington. Jan. 9.-Orders issued
from the navy department soon after
The presidents message on the Vene-
Euelan question, TO keep the WaShng-
hon ordnance shops working day and
night in order 10 complete Immediately
mounts for the battleship massachus-
stts, Will be recinded in a few days, as
Ehree of the four mounts required have
been finished and the fourth is practi-
rally ready for installation. All Of the
l3-inch guns for battleships are also in
readiness to be mounted, and Of the
twelve originally authorized by con-
gress four are now on ship board, the
Indiana having been the first vessel to
receive them; four for the Oregon are
at San Francisco in rediness TO be
mounted, and four for the Massachus-
etts Will be sent TO the Cramps some
time during the month. AS far as or
dnance is concerned, the navy depart
ment has practically completed all guns
required for vessels now nearing COM
mission, and unless there is an appro-
prfation made available in the next
month or two for work on other guns,
Captain Sampson, chief of ordnance,
expects to discharge a number Of skill
ed maChinists, for whom there will be
no further work. These, however, will
be taken back when additional gums
are provided for by congress.
LIBDRAL APPROPRIATIONS.
The navy department has been as
sured by members of both naval COM
fnittees and 10y the leaders OF the house
appropriations committee that liberal
provision viii be made this winter for
ordnance of all kind. An appropria-
ton Of fully $1,O00O0O is expected with
which guns for auxiliary cruisers and
as a reserve supply are to be manu-
featured Captain Sampson is prepar-
ing a statement. which he VIII present
through the secretary of the navy, 10
the chairmen Of the two committees,
setting forth the urgent necessity Of
these guns and pointing out that were
&c necessary TO impress into service
ships OF the American Line there would
not be a single gun available for them.
With a number of four and five-inch
guns and mounts these vessels, he will
show, could ne turned into most ef-
fectfve commerce destroyers in twenty
four hours. but without them they
would be Of no practical value. At least
bne hundred five-inch guns, Captain
Sampson says, should be made availa-
fI1e for this class Of ships. and should
they not be required for service in the
hext ten years on merchant vessels, the
navy VIII need them to replace guns
requiring repairs or which have died"
from OverWork.
TWO MORE ARMOR TESTS.
There will ba hut two more accept
Rnce tests Of armOr ait the Indian Head
proving station under the original
armor contracts made several years
ago by Secretaries Whitney and and
Tracy. Every ton of the heaviest
armor has beenmade. tested and most
Of il has been installed on the battle
sthfps, and save for the Iowa there is no
ar1he'r plate now being manufactured
for the service. In a week there will be
n test Of a fifteen-inch plate for the bar
bettels Of the Iowa, and later some
e;ght-inch arTnor will be fired on. but
after this armor trials will cease for a
long while or until that for the Kear-
sarge and Kentucky is ready for deliv-
cry. This WI not be , for probably
eighteen months. In all arrnor tests
the government has been particularly
fortunate m results obtained, and, con-
siderinE thu experimental nature Of
arnnUr-n7 king in this country, the
r1ates produced cannot be equaled by
any country. The cost to the govern
ment Of ar'mor tests has probably
reached $500 600. many Of the plates at
tackled having cost fully $4,000 each
The cost to the two companies under
contract with the navy has been about
the same.
THE NEW MACHINE GUN.
A new machine gun has been adopt
ed for u.s. on naval ships. which the
small arms board reports to be the
most destructive weapon firing a bullet
of its cal;bre yet found. The gun has a
record Of 400 shots a minute. and re-
quires no work except the pressure OF
an electric button to maintain the ter
rible fire The automatic system hav-
irg heen applied to 1t. the gun is a self
feeder and grinds out shots With a
Tapdity that would make it a most
dangerous piece for landing parties
As compared r. the eating, which has
been the naval machine sun for years
IL IS iust about as superior as the mod
ern riflaT gun is to the old Snlooth-bore
The Calling has weight Of $50 pounds
Will the new gun weighs hut thirty
five pounds and can he taken by q
man on mis- shoulder and easily carried
from point 10 point. For years the ord
nance department has been expert
menting with various types of machine
guns with a view to perfectng an auto
matte system whereby the guns could
he worked by an electric button rather
than by the old trigger style now in
use. and OF the several guns submittel
fn the competition all have been so near
hDf he hNta ~
has had great difficulty in making 4
choice.
FAVOR OF COLT GUN.
Last winter the number from which
a selection was to he made was limited
20 three. thu HotchLisS. Maxim. and a
gun known as the Colt piece. and after
numerous TRIALS and improvements and
changes the ordnance bureau has re-
ported in favor of the Colt gun. and has
given an order for the immediate pur-
chase Of fifty. (which will be placed on
shipboard as soon as delivered. The
boards report states that the auto
matte system having been perfected Il
point where there seems TO he no long
er room for further Improvement II
has become necessary to adopt this
type'of gun and discard all hand-wOrk-
ed pieces. The only question that arose
In determining the particular gun TO Ot
accepted ny the department was wheth-
en- the automatic system had been de-
Vefoped - a point where II could no
ionEer he improved. The new. Colt gun
is ne s''ffest weapon OF its power and
efficiency known 70 ordnance officers
and Is especially ADAPTED for use in
topsof war ships and on landing par
ties o. hlua-JacEats. The guns calibre
IS the same as that Of the new. small
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