The herald., 1898-11-14
Gen. FLAGLfR'S REPORT
ON WORK DONE BY ORDNANCE
DEPARTMENT
ONE OF THELESSONS LEARNED
Emphasizes the Need of Preparing for
War in Time of Peace-Some
Recommendations
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Nov. l3.-General w.
d. Flagler. chief. of the bureau of ordnance,
has made his annual report to the secretary
OF war. 1t shows that there were expended
during the fiscal year ending June 80, 1878,
81, ,34S, ,795, and that there still remains OF
teh appropriations made for the ordinance
bureau 9,793359. This large sum is de-
rived from the appropriation for the fiscal
year which were made for war purposes,
amounting to S2l, ,5O4,5 ,592.
VOLUNTEER EQUIPMENT
Regarding the equipment of volunteers,
the general thinks it would be as well to
have the government equip them instead
of their bringing their state arms into ser
vice, saying that it could be done as quickly,
owing to the condition of the arms of the
state troops. He speaks in terms of praise
of the manner in which work has been per-
formed in arsenals and ordnance factories
in the rush that was made in putting the
country on a footing for war with Spain.
As to the equipment of the army, he says:
$50 long as the principal dependence of
this country in time of war is on a large
volunteer force newly levied, it is imprac-
LlCdDlc W hCtp Oi manu- SupPiiSs "
cavalry, artillery and horse equipments, as
these in the course of few years will not
only deteriorate, but will have to be ma
terially modified to keep pace with improve
ments. The major part of such material
can, by taking advantage of the resources
of Rock Island and the other arsenals and
the numerous private establishments Ca
pable of producing it, be supplied as rap
1,a r,I 81 ay.o1 10
service and prepared for campaign. There
should, however, be on hand field and siege
artillery, with carriages and portion OF the
harness required for 100000 men. Such
guns and carriages cannot be turned out in
large numbers until about six months after
initiating the work"
For equipping an army with supply of
small arms, he thinks there should be a sup
ply of 100000 on hand Of any new arm and
the arsenals kept in condition so as to pro-
duce $500 per day.
THE COAST DEFENSE
An interesting feature of the report is
that which treats of coast defense. The
general says:
"Attention is especially invited to the
experience of the last few months in at
tempting to provide quickly coast defense.
1t is believed to be impracticable and We
will always be forced to rely in any emer-
gency upon what has been provided in time
of peace. l think it fair to state, though
not in the way of complaint, that this has
been urged on congress for the past ten
years.
''The situation is very simple. A plan
has been adopted for providing a complete
coast defense. With the present facilities
of the department. this work can be carried
on economically and in the most efficient
manner in such a way as to complete the
present plan in about seven years. Esti-
mates ought to be submitted each year for
so much of the work as the facilities for
its production will permit. 1t rests with
congress to determine how much of the
work can be provided for each year con-
sistently with the resources of the country.
But the work cannot progress faster than
the appropriations provide for.
"It is probable that there must be added
to the plans and estimates for coast de-
tense some provision for the defense of
ndded possessions.
Details are given of what was done to
rapidly increase the coast defenses when
the war began. He calls attention to the
fact that congress has never appropriated
what was asked for powder and projectiles
and in consequence the supply at the begin
ming of the war was inadequate, and he
gives some instances of the work done by
the department to make good the def
cheney.
THE POWDER SUPPLY
The following statement is made as to
powder:
"For several years this department has
been experimenting on smokeless powders
for seacoast guns and had completed the de-
termination of the specifications and re-
quirements for the smokeless powders for
nearly all the seacoast guns and moriars.
Some of the powder manufacturers that
had been engaged in the production e.
these experimental powders had ample
plants for their production. 1t was impos-
sible, however, to produce the powders fast
enough to meet the emergency, and in some
cases experience in their use was necessary
for adapting them to all the requirements
of the service. All the companies. how
ever, were ready at once to take up the
manufacture of the carbon powders, and as
the requirements for this were simpler they
could expand their plants for this produc
ton more rapidly, and for a time the de
partment therefore devoted all its energies
to providing sufficient supply of the car
bon powders. Later and as fast as posi-
BILE the manufacture was changed to smoke
less powders"
SIEGE AND FIELD GUNS
The furnishing of siege and field guns and
ammunition for the war encountered the
same difficulties as in other branches Of the
ordnance equipment, yet the bureau fur
nished such guns for the Manila and Porto
Rcan expeditions. The artillery was not
used at Santiago to any extent. OF siege
guns twenty-five were taken for seacoast de
fense at the beginning of the war.
The war has furnished no opportunity for
determining by experience the effect OF our
modern seasoast armament against modern
battleships. The reports of the experience
gained however, tend to confirm the opin-
ion that the fire from ships cannot silence
the fire or seriously cripple the armament
of our modern batteries; that the ships
could not withstand the fire of our modern
batteries and that, therefore, the ships can
not attack the batteries successfully.
Whether these ships can run by the letter
led without too great risk has not been
shown. This will depend on the skill and
rapidity with which the guns are served,
provided the ships are not stopped by mines.
Considerable attention is devoted to the
progress of work at the various arsenals and
the guns which are being made. On Sep
tember 80, 1898, there were 447 seacoasi
guns mounted. 1t is estimated that an