River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-03
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
A Resume of Secretary Lamcnt's Report
An Economical Administration


An Economical Administration.
Washington. Nov. 2.-secretary La
mont's report OF the operations of the war
department for 1896 show total expenditures
aggresating nearly So. coo. and an unex-
pended balance OF nearly $2.000 600 turned
pack into the treasury at the end Of the
nscal year. For the three years of Secrc-
tary Lamont's administration the surplus
has amounted to more than s5.O00.oco.
The report shows that by July l. 1897
there will be In position 20 high-power
breech-loading guns. and IS breech-loading
mortars OF modern design. and by the fol-
lowing July. on completion Of work already
under way or provided for. l2S guns and ls3
mortars battery Of two or three of these
guns taxes the place OF the ancient fort
hnd Is more effective
The defenscs now under consideration are
distributed among the ports OF Portland
Me-: Portsmouth. N. H.: Boston Nara
gansett Bay. eastern entrance to Long
Island Sound. eastern and southern en-
trance 10 New York, Philadelphia Baitt-
more. Washington Hampton Roads. WI
mington. Charleston, Savannah, Key
West, Pensacola, Mobile New Orleans
Galveston. San Diego. San Francisco tho
mouth Of the Columbia river and Puget
sound.
The total amount appropriated for sea-
coast defenses. including cost Of sites, for
titications and armament since the adop-
ton or the present scheme is SIG. f57. 900. OF
which more than one-third was carried by
the act passed at the last session of con-
gress.
The estimates of the department for the
next fiscal year aggregate sl0.4s2. 26S With
this appropriate provision will have been
made for l6S high-power gun emplacements
l29 rapid-flre gun emplacements. 800 l2-
inch mortar emplacements. 35S high power
steel guns. 81 rapid-fire guns. $50 Pinch
mortais. $50 eight. ten and twelye-inch gun
carriages and 290 Pinch mortar carriages.
isfactory disappearing gun carriage las
been solved, the appropriations committee
were Informed at the previous session of
the present congress that this department.
proposed to spend no more money for gun
lift batteries. thus saving 100000 GOO.
Secretary Lamont says his predecessors
in office at the head of the war department
had, during many years. the difficult task
OF arousing the public mind 20 a realization
OF the national deficiencies In the matter Of
coast defense. AS the interest which has
been awakened has grown deeper. sue
cessive congresses have made more liberal
provision for the accomplishment OF the
adopted scheme. Therefore. in submitting
the estimates for another year, he feels
that 1t is no longer necessary TO repeat the
arguments that have been reiterated So
many times. While earnestly inviting at
tention to the great work that yet remains
to be done, II is also his fortune TO have
the more grateful duty of exhibiting the
important results that have been actually
accomplished as well as the splendid prog
ress which is now being made toward early
completion of the work.
The armament of troops with the new
magazine arms was completed in May
and the armory is turning out 1875 rifles or
carbines per day under the appropriate
made last year. All the ammunition for
small arms now made Is supplied with
smokeless powder of American m.anufac-
ture and OF satisfactory quality.
The total expenditures for river and har-
Dor improvements ordered by congress dur
ing the year ending June 30 1896, Including
those of the Mississippi and Missouri river
commissions. was $17. 900. Including the
amounts appropriated by the act OF June
3, 1886, there was available for expenditure
on river and harbors July l. s26,O20.000. The
Mississippi river commission has decided
to discontinue the plan to improve the
river by bank protection and to adopt the
plan of dredging channels in shoal places
and maintaining. with state and local CO.
operation. an effective levee system. With
this change of policy the minority believe
the function of the commission is ended.
and the work should be turned over to the
secretary of war.
Referring to the great lakes the report
says: 1.-THE new lock at the falls of the
ST. Mary's river, though not fully COM
pleted. was thrown open to commerce Au-
gust 3, 1896. is 500 feet in length and 100 In
width. with depth OF q feet on the inter
4 .
is an essential link in the chain of improve
ments which are to give a ship channel
with depth of 20 feet connecting the waters
of the great lakes between Chicago, Duluth
and Buffalo. This work, now nearly com
leted. Is one of great magnitude, and its i'm
portance to the interests of navigation may
be judged by the fact that its total cost
from its inception to completion. While
amounting to several millions, VIII be but
about five per cent OF the value OF the
-ufF he lfrnft
river during the season OF 1875.
During the last fiscal year 16, $50 vessels
passed the canal at St. Marys falls, ag
gregating l5.64S,025 registered tonnage and
carrying Il. 1893. 1872 tons of freight, exceeding
the net tonnage through the Suez canal
during the year 1895 by nearly 100000 tons.
The traffic through this canal in the year
1895 was the largest in its history.
1.-THE commerce passing through the De-
troit river during the year amounted to
about 25,S50.0O0 tons, with estimated value
of $2I5, OOu,yO0, an increase OF seven per cent.
over the commerce of the preceding year.
This tonnage is in excess of the combined
net tonnage OF London and Liverpool fer
the year 1894 as reported.
The army consists of 25.426 officers and
men, or 24 below the legal maximum. The
effective field strength on october 81 was
2S. 3S2.
The completion already of some coast de-
lenses and the approaching completion of
other modern batteries render necessary
a larger force of artillerists. but no other
increase of the army IS asked for. The plan
OF sea coast defense involves 100 distinct
batteries in over 20 harbors, ard force
must gradually be supplied to take care OF
guns and Notifications as they are COM
pleted and maintain them in a state OF
efficient defense.
Investigation this year has shown serious
deficiencies in the arms and equipment OF
the state militia branch of the service
When the states furnish the armories and
defray all expenses incidental TO keeping
their forces in training, Secretary Lamont
suggests that the United States should
provide them with the implements which
they will need In active service--arms and
field equipment-as the supply on hand rs
totally inadequate. The secretary recon-
mends that the Springfield rifle. csliber As
be issued 10 state troops; That the states
be allowed TO return TO the war department
obsolete arms and equipments to be sold
and the proceeds credited 10 the states. and
that the states be allowed TO purchase from
the department. supplies at Regulation.
.--an