The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-27
EXPENDITURES IN
WAR DEPARTMENT
Increase in Modern Coast Defences
Since the Year 1898.
FIFTY.TwO MILLIONS ARE EXPENDED
by the First or July Next Seventy
High Power Breach. Loading Guns
and Ninety.fivc MOrtars Will BE
MOunted..PrOblem Of the Disap.
pearing Carriage Has Been Solved.

expenditures aggregating nearly $o2,-
OOO,OOO, and an uneXpended balance of
nearly $2,000.000 turned back into the
treasury at the end Of the fiscal year.
For the three years of Colonel Lamonts
administration the surplus has amount
ed to more than s5.O00,0O0.
On the first Of July 1893, of our mod
ern defense, but one high power gun
was mounted. BY the first of July next
we will have in position seventy high
power breech loading guns and ninety
five breech loading mortarS of modern
design, and by the following July, on
completion of work already under way
or provided for. 12S guns and 1873 NOR
tars. 4 battery of two or three of these
guns takes the place of the former pre-
tentious fort and is vastly more effec-
tive. The defenses now under consid-
Grafton are distributed among the ports
of Portland, Me-; Portsmouth, N. H..
Boston. Narrangansett Pier, entrance
to Long Island Sound, eastern and
soushern entrances to New York,
Philadelphia. Baltimore, Washington,
Hampton Roads, Wilmington. Charles
ton, Savannah, Key West. Pensacola,
Mobile, New Orleans, Galveston, San
Diego. San Francisco, the mouth of
the Columbia river and Puget sound.
The total amount appropriated for sea
coast defenses, including cost of sites,
fortifications and armament since the
adoption of the present scheme Is $780,
$4,000. of which more than one-third
was carried by the act passed at the
last session of congress.
DISAPPEARING GUN CARRIAGE.
In the belief that the problem of a
satisfactory disappearing gun carriase
t,., tt.,p,
mittees We're informed at the previous
session of the present congress that
this department proposed to spend no
more money for gun-lift batteries, thus
saving twenty millions of dollars.
The construction of these carriages
in as large numbers as the apprO-
priation would permit was Immediately
undertaken both at the government
carriage factory at the Watertown ar
senal. and under contract. A still more
difficult problem was the designing of
disappearing all round fire carra SS
for the Pinch breech loading rifle
How difficult a problem 1t was will
appear when 1t is noted that such {.
carriage must endure. without break
ing or straining any of it's parts. the
tremendous shock due to the ballstic
force necessary to prODel a 1000 pound
hundred feet per second. lowering its
eight feet to secure position for load
ing and returning it to it's firing posi-
ton, and that it must do this rapidly,
certainly, and easily, and by mechan-
ism not liable to get out of order and
easy to be operated by the average
soldier. The technical difficulties in
volved may, perhaps, be better appre-
ciated when 1t Is considered that a
similar case would be that Of 50-ton
locomotive and tender running at a
speed of twenty miles per hour, which
is required to be brought to a full
stop from this speed within distance
Of sixteen feet. or one-third of its
length, yet SO easily that generally at
the end Of the motion there should not
be the slightest jar.
Both these problems, also, has been
satisfactorily solved. One 12-inch all
around traverse disappearing carriage
is now under construction and and
1O-inch carriages of similar design are
about to be commenced.
ARMAMENT OF TROOPS.
The armament of troops with the
new magazine arms was completed in
May. and the armory is turning out II
rifles or carbineS per day under the
appropriation made last year. All the
ammunition for small arms now made
and supplied with smokeless powder
is of American manufacture and of sat
iSfactory quality.
The army consists of 25,426 officers
and men. or 2S+ below the legal maxi
num- The effective field strength on
October 81. was 23.3S2. The completion
already of some coasts defenses. and
the approaching completion of other
modern batteries render necessary
q larger force Of artillerists but no
other increase Of the army is asked for.
The plan of sea coast defense involves
one hundred distinct batteries In over
twenty harbors, and force must grad
ually be supplied to take care of guns
and Notifications as they are COM
pleted and maintain them in state Of
efficient defense.