The evening times., 1896-05-27

A Jest uttered in Congress recently gave
rise to the report that cannon are being
manufactured for the purpose of supplying
army posts and, other places with the
means of ornamenting their buildings and
grounds. They are given away by SPECIAL
act of Congress, and go to military schools
occasionally, and often are used to decorate
the pedestals of soldiers monuments.
The story that they have to be manu-
factured specially for the occasion now
adays gained currency by being sent 10
a Chicago paper, from which il was copied
into fhiiaaelphia paper, and now IL is
going the rounds. AS told in this dis
patch, the supply of condemned cannon"
has long since been exhausted, and now
when Il bill is passed donating ordnance
either proceedings must be had to condemn
some of those on hand and he " cannon
made TO take their places, or else easily
constructed guns must be cast and con-
demned 1T once to supply the need. II
anything of the kind is done the expense
must be borne by the Congressmen who are
interested, and the work carried on at
some private gun works. Nothing OF the
kind occurs in the government factories.
A Times reporter talked with Capt. W.
T. Sampson, chief OF the ordnance bureau
in the Navy Department, in regard to the
condemna ton OF cannon for the supply
OF posts, etc., under these special acts of
Congress, and he is authority fer saying
that the supply of cannon i'll the navy Is
not nearly exhausted: the officers rather
wish it was. They have been trying for
years to get rid of some of the heavy
ordnance that fills up their grounds, and
with very Indifferent success.
The bills pass Congress but the supply
of cannon does not diminish very rapidly.
or course they would melt them up and
saI To H.
but IL isn't. The iron having been cast
once is hardly lit for use again Tor the
making of guns, even If iron guns We're
still made.
But, as a matter of fact, everything
turned out by our gun factories for years
has been steel. There has not been
combination of metals, as one OF The ency'
clopaedias says, with the purpose OF having
the deficiencies OF one metal maze up by
the other. This has been proposed by
some theorizers who know some thing oil
the behavior OF metals In castings and
forgings, but nothing OF the practical work
of gun building.
ORIGIN OF THE JOKE.
The origin OF the Joke which led to this
three black crows sort OF story about
guns being made to be condemned in order
TO give them away was the large humber
of bills offered at this session or Congress
to donate cannon for this, that, and the
other purpose. In all about $50 OF these
bills have been introduced in the House
aud twenty to twenty-five in the Senate.
or course only small proportion Of these
have ever been reported ravorably,
smaller number have passed both houses,
and still fewer have been approved by the
President.
The first bill introduced iu this session
was the second bill on the list, and was by
Mr.. Aldrich, of Illinois. 1t gave two cannon
to the First Regiment Of the National Guard
at Chicago. The next was by Mr.. Arnold,
and gave two To the Grand Army Past 1T
South Kingston, Rhode Island. Mr. Thomas
then wanted four for the town OF Hastings,
Mich, and next Mr.. Bromwell called for
one for the Grand Army at Harrison, O..
Mr.. Woodard wanted two for the North
Carolina State Guard. and Mr.. Curtis asked
for one for the post at Ell Dorado, Kan. Mr.
Sharroth had a strong call from Denver
and his bill provides for eight for the
Grand Army there.
1t will be seen presently that his con-
stituents will probably hesitate when the
other bill is suggested, namely the bill for
freight in transporting their prizes from
any Navy yard to the center of the COLI
tinent. 1t would probably Cost over 4
Thousand dollars. West Newton, Pa, APP
piled for four through Mr.. Huff, and Mr.
SdHuOu presented tHe Cdll from huSe
Farm, Ill.
Capt. Sampson said: 1T has been the
established policy of the department to get
rid OF all the old smooth bore and PARROT
guns. We keep for use in an emergency
all the smaller calibre-from nine-inch
down. In case a war should spring up un-
expectedly these could be used To fortify
the mouths of rivers till we copli Let
something better, aud to arm merchant
men to be used as cruisers to destroy the
shipping of the enemy.
'.0f course. in case one of these fast
ships fitted out for war should overhaul a
big sailing vessel or a rich freight ship the
cannon would be Just as effective as ever
they were. and would compel the prize to
surrender. Until We could make better
they would serve their purpose. We have
this year for the first time an appropria-
ton for building some modern guns to
equip these cruisers. The amount is
s.O.0O0. When enough OF these are fin
ished we shall have no further use for
these smaller guns, and they will be added
to the list of the condemned.
The growth of the science of gun-con-
struction has been SO rapid that hundreds
of the old style of iron cannon have been
disca rded and are lying at the navy yards
waiting for somebody to take them away.
All cannon now made are of steel. built
up and rifled. Successive coats of steel
are shrunk on each other. The inner is
made a little larger than the inside bore
of the outer. The outer is heated to about