The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-12-02
LAMONT REPORTS.
Splendid Showing Made by the
War Department.
An Economical ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Defenses Are OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ments on the Lakes-The Army
and Militia.

ana m1ut10s
Washington, Nov. N-Secretary La
mont's report of the operations of the war
department for 1896 show total expenditures
aggregating nearly So. 600. and an unex-
pended balance Of nearly 100000 turned
back into the treasury at the end Of the
fiscal year. For the three years Of Secre-
tary Lamont's administration the surplus
has amounted to more than 100000.
The report shows that by July /. 1897,
there Will be In position 70 high-power
breech-loading guns, and 95 breech-loading
mortars Of modern design. and by the fol-
lowing July. on completion Of work already
under way or provided for. 12S guns and 153
mortars A battery of two or three of these
guns takes the place Of the ancient fort.
ind Is more effective.
The defenses 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 to New York, Philadelphia. Balti-
more, Washington. Hampton Roads. VIII
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
tifications and armament since the adop
ton Of the present scheme Is sec. 457 600. 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 SO. .26S. With
this appropriate provision will have been
made for 16S high-power gun emplacements.
129 rapid-flre gun emplacements. 300 L.
inch mortar emplacements. 1858 high-power
mortars. $50 eight. ten and twelve-inch gun
carriages and 290 Pinch mortar carriages.
In the belief that the problem of sat
isfactory disappearing gun carriage has
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 $20.000.000.
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 to 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, it 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 125 rifles or
carbines per day under the appropriation
made last year. All the ammunition for
small arms now made is supplied with
smokeless powder of American manufac-
ture and of satisfactory quality.
The total expenditures for river and har
Dor Improvements ordered by congress dur
ing the year ending June 80. 1896, including
those Of the Mississippi and Missouri river
commissions, was $17.039, 900. Including the
amounts appropriated by the act of June
g. 1885, there was at valuable for expenditure
on river and harbors July l, $26.O2O.0O0. 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 800 feet in length and 100 in
width. with depth Of q feet on the inter
stills and a single lift approximating Is feet,
is an essential link in the chain of improve
ments which are to give 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 it's total cost
from it's inception to completion. while
amounting to several millions, will be but
about five per cent. of the value of the
commerce passing through the Detroit
river during the season Of 1895.
During the last fiscal year 16. 2S0 vessels
passed the canal at St. Mary's falls, ag-
gregating 15.648,O25 registered tonnage and
carrying IA, 399.S32 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 %, $50, 600 tons, with estimated value
of s275, 000, 900, 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 for
the year 1894 as reported.
The army consists of 25,426 officers and
men, or 2S4 below the legal maximum. The
effective field strength on October 81 was
1882.
The completion already of some coast de-
lenses and the approaching completion Of
other modern batteries render necessary
a larger force of artilleriscs. but no other
increase of the army Is asked for. The plan
Of sea coast defense involves 100 distinct
batteries in over 20 harbors, and a force
must gradually be supplied to take care Of
guns and Notifications as they are COM
pleted and maintain them in 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