Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-10-23
WAR DEPARTMENT..
Secretary Lamont Sends in His
Estimates.

ESTIMATES.
MUCH NEW WORK FINISHED.
In an Accompanying Letter He R9-
lates the Progress That Has Been
Made Recently Toward Placing
Our Seaboard In a Position
toRepel Foreign Invaders.
Secretary Lamont has transmitted to the
Secretary OF the Treasury his estimates OF
appropriations required by the War Depart
ment for the next fiscal year. The aggregate
Is $50, s75, 6SS.
The estimate for the running expenses OF
the War Office, in Washington, Is 81, 46i, 1885,
showing, the Secretary says, reduction In
the annual expenses for salaries and contln-
gencies in that Office OF s621, 942 from the es-
innate Of four years ago The other esti-
mates In detail are as follows: Pay OF the
army, as fixed by law, Sl3,522, $50; subsist-
cnce OF the army, 1853, S37; quartermasters'
supplies, 81, 2O9, 900; Incidental expenses OF
the army, $500, 900; barracks and quarters,
including hospital construction, 1856, OOO'
shooting ranges, $4,000; cavalry and art.l-
Iery horses, $3.50, 600; army transportation,
So 500. 900; clothing, 81, 10O, 900; medical sup
plies. $40, 600; Ordnance Department,
81. 1871 900; Military Academy, S52l,S12; ar
senals, S139, 1876; military posts, national Gem
eteries and military parks, $1,55S, $50; ma
sional soldiers homes, SO, 3,2l4; artificial
limbs for soldiers Of the late war, S101, lOJ;
public buildings and grotnds in Washington,
S139. 962; miscellaneous items, 54O2, oOU;
rivers and harbors, $685. 900, to meet pay
ments on existing contracts, the department
at this time being unable to say what sun
will be required by future contracts for
which authority exists.
The estimate for Notifications and seacof st
defense has been increased to $15, 1924, 298-
an amount Secretary Lamont says, which
will he required to continue this work at It's
present rate OF progress, which has been ap-
| DfeClhDly NUNduCCu uuOSA shN ANA6S NRFNO
priation which,became available on the first
OF July last.
In connection with his estimate the Score
tary has made public statement OF the con-
dition OF this work, the advance that has
been made and the results that can be effect
ed by the increased appropriation which ne
| asks.
On the 1st OF July, 1893, but one modern
| gun had been placed in position. On the lst
Of July, 1897, the department shall have com
pleted defenses with armament as follows:
| Thirteen twelve-inch, thirty-seven ten-inch
! eight eieht-inch and four rapid-hre guns,
and eight twelve-inch mortars.
The remainder OF Secretary Lamonts let
ter transmitting the estimates Is OF historl-
cal nature, reviewing the progress made in
seacoast defense. He says that for thu
fifteen years preceding 1890 no appropria-
zion has been made for engineering work on
our permanent coast defense, except the
small and steadily decreasing sum annually
! allowed for the "protection, preservation
and repair OF existing works, but small
amounts had been granted for the construc-
ton of mining classmates, and for the pur-
chase OF material for submarine defenses,
while IN 1888 and 1889 @ total OF about 81,
0OO. 900 had been appropriated for modern
guns. mortars and carriages. In 1890 was
made the first preparations ,221 ,OOO-fol
modern gun and mortar batteries, followed
by one OF s75, 900 in 1891, and by another o
$500, 900 in 1892 This money was allotted
by the department for construction work
various ports, including total oil lou
twelve-inch. twenty ten-inch, five eight-lncf
and two rapid-nre gun emplacements, and
sixty-four twelve-inch mortar emplacements
None OF them however, could be made read
to receive its armament until after the frs
small appropriations made In 1898 and thu
two succeeding years. Practically, there
fore, it has, the Secretary says, devolved
upon the War Department since 1893 to max
provision for the completion OF nearly all o
these emplacements
at appears" the Secretary says, tina
seventeen out OF twenty-one twelve-lncl
emplacements, lity-hye out OF sixty-six ten
inch emplacements, twenty out OF twenty-hv
eight-inch emplacements, fourteen out o
sixteen rapid-Are gun emplacements, an(
ninety-two out OF one hundred and ffty-si
twelve-lnch motar emplacements have bee
entirely provided for during the last lou
years, and that during the same time larg
part of those previously provided for hay
been prepared to receive their armament.
The progress In armament has been equal
" satisfactory. Figures are given to sho'
that prior to the act of June 6, 1896, ther
had been completed sixty-one eight-lncf
afty-six ten-inch and twenty-one twelve-incl
guns. and eighty twelve-inch mortars com
pleted. while there were twenty-seven eight
inch, thirty-hve ten-inch, and twenty-rin
twelve-inch guns In progress OF construc
ton.
The appropriation Of June 6, 1896, Will
leaving the above completed totals Ill
changed. raised the totals in process OF con