Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-12-03


port of the secretary of war, Daniel = La
mont, has Just been made public. 1t shows
that the expenditures of the war depart
ment for the fiscal year ending Juno 30
last We're sol, SJ3 296. G2; the appropriG-
tions for the year ending June 30, 1897,
were SOL, OH 20 and the estimates for the
wear ending June 30, 1898, SOP, SS3, }S3 20.
The aggregate of appropriations for this
department. uneXpended and turned into
the general fund of the treasury ut the end
of the last fiscal year was 81, l,91j, O33. o..
For the year 1898 it was 81, 764, 467. 9S,
and for 1894 it was 81, 3S7, 922.2l.
The number of enlisted men in the serv-
ice on Oct. 81 was p, 1876, or 2S1 less than
the number authorized by law. Dcducting
| the sick, those absent on furloEgh, recruits
not joined, the men employed in the staff
departments and on detached service, the
effective field strength of the army on that
day was %, 3S2 of all arms. The number
Of officers of the line is LIB OF these
1,3O0 are serving with their regiments and
3l9 are on detached duty.
In no previous year of the history of the
army has the health of the troops been so
satisfactory aS during the last fiscal year
Each soldier was sick l2. days as against
record of l5. 3 for the preceding ten years
require their discharge from service was
9. 10 per 1 900, as compared with 23 n an
nually for the preceding ten years, The
mortality rate was >. l6 per / 900 of mean
strength, as compared with 7.S5 for the
preceding decade.
The National Guard.
Referring to the national guard, the re-
port says:
There are now 30 army officers regular
ly assigned to state headquarters, and in
addition to these 81 officers have been de-
tailed ON temporary duty during the past
year at state encHmpments. All concur in
reporting II steady improvement in the
training and efficiency of the militia
Camps of instruction We're held in 81
states, and in several instances regular
troops were cncamped with the militia
serving not only to furnish an object les
son in matters of detail, but also to pro
mote cordial relations between the regular
and state forces.
The total number of officers and men
comprising the organized militia of the
states and territories is shown to be
HISS Tho artillery arm, comprising
4, 7fd officers and men, is maintained in 81
states, and the cavalry, comprising 1896
officers and men, is maintained in 26
states. Tho general government last year
allotted $40O, 900 toward the maintenance
and equipment of the national guard, and
aggregate appropriations of $4,000, 600
were made therefor by the states and ter
ritoricS.
The Coast Defenses.
The matters of Notifications and arma-
ment are treated in detail and at consider
able length. The secretary asks for an ap-
preparation of SlO,0 ,000, 600 in addition to
the ST., 100000 appropriated by the last
congress for the construction of needed
coast delenses the equipment of new sta
tions, the reorganization of the infantry
branch and other improvement in the gen
Cral service.
In the past year the department has
made great progress in the purchase of ma
terial for the manufacture of great guns
and other parts of coast defense equipment
and will ask congress that large additional
appropriations he made with which to CON
tinue work Contracts have already been
| awarded for the purchase of 2l sets of 10
inch and one set Of rs inch steel gun forg-
ings, costing nearly 81, 900, 0OO and II see
Ond contract Will shortly be made for as
sembling s, 10 and II inch guns, costing
nearly S4O0, 900, besides 66 mortarS, costing
about $500, 600. When the total number of
cmpiaccments upon which work is now
progressing are completed, l2S guns of
large callbcr Will he required for inStalla-
tiOn and l56 mOrtars, costing the govern
mcnt an even SIS, 600, 900. OF the ISl guns
to be cmplaced it is now proposed to mount
but IS on nondisappcaring carriages. The
intensity of the fire delivered from the
main and secondary batteries of battle
ship is such, the authorities claim, us to
make adequate cover for the gunners in
shore batteries an absolute necessity. The
experiments, it will be shown by Secrctdry
Lamont in his report, with disappearing
gun carriages, have developed IL fine type,
about whose efficiency there is no longer
question.
The full scope that the coast defenses of
the country will take is set forth elaborate
ly in the report and embraces, Colonel La
mont says, about 2l cities so far. with
chances that seven more will be added to
the list requiring the attention of the ma
tional government. OF this number, en-
placements will be ordered and work pur-
sued in the next six months in the con
structiun of emplaccmcnts at Portland,
Me. Portsmouth, n. H.; Boston, Nara
gansett Bay, eastern entrance to Long Is
land sound, eastern and western entrances
to New York harbor, Philadelphia Wash
ington, Baltimore, Hampton Roads, Will
mington, Charleston, savannah, Key West,
Pensacola Mobile, Now Orleans, Calves
ton, san Diego, san Francisco, the mouth
of the Columbia river and Puget sound.
An Enormous Project.
This enormous project will require, the
secretary 5 report shows, 4Sl high powered
guns, excluding the great l6 inch gun for
which the authorities have been endcavor-
ing for years to secure an appropriation.
| The cmpllccmcnts are to he located by the
engineers with u view of enabling the
guns to throw Il line of defense at mini
mum of to 10 miles from the place de
Tended and to give the guns in most in.
stances n clear sweep for ut least l2 miles
The engineers will require further that the
guns shall be so placed that they can con
ccntratc upon any one portion of an enc
my 5 vessel fire equal and if possible Su-
| perior to the heaviest that can he brought
to bear from the most powerful hostile fleet
which could attack the position. To hold
the fleet under fire of the guns and prevent
them from running the batteries the prof
nsf tbp rpplIipns "a