The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-13
ARMS ARE ALL RIGHT.
Those Used in the Cuban Campaign
in Every Way Satisfactory.

Washington, Oct. 13-The board of
ordnance officers known as the Mon
tauk board, has made its report to Gen.
Flagler, chief of ordnance. This board
was creased after the surrender of San
tiago and consisted of Major Stanhope
E. Blunt, Major Daniel NJ. Taylor, Cap
tain Beverly W. Dunn and Lieutenant
George Montgomery. The purpose of
the board was to secure information
direct from officers who had command
of troops in action as to the respective
merits of the various arms used and
While the matter was fresh in their
minds, to obtain any suggestions they
might have to make regarding i'm
prOvements and changes that would
make the arms more effective. The re-
port of the board is very gratifying to
Gen. Flagler and the officers of the
bureau. The board went to Montauk
Point armed with full authority to Sc
cure information from officers. They
found that the officers of the army had
given the matter much attention. The
men who fought in Cuba knew what
the guns and small arms could do and
knew how to make suggestions as to
minor defects.
The report shows that the 80 inch
field guns are satisfactory in every way.
They were all that was expected and
the shot and ammunition were salts
factory. The fuses were arranged so
as to cause the bursting of Shrapnel at
the range desired and the important
features which make field guns success
tiago. A number of minor changes
were suggested but they were such as
could be remedied easily and relate al
most wholly to small equipment about
the guns and are of a technical char
acter.
The board also reports favorably upon
the -Jorgensen arm for the infan-
try and cavalry. No fault is found
with the Springfield rife except that
smokeless powder would be much bet
ter. Smokeless powder is also found
very desirable for the field guns. The
army had no opportunity to test the
siege guns. In fact the army is not
as a whole, very well equipped with
siege guns, although the various re-
ports of the chief of ordnance have
recommended that more liberal pro-
vision be made for them. Besides, just
before the war the decision was reach-
ed by some of the higher ofhclals that
the siege guns which were then on
hand should be used on the Notifications
for the defense of the ports and coasts
of the United States. These were ac-
cordingly sent to different places, but
lust before the Santiago campaign, 1t
was decided that a siege train was
necessary and there was hard work
getting enough together to send TO
southern Cuba with General Shat
ter AS it was but four mortars
ana four Howitzers were sent along
with the expedition, and owing to the
absence of the lighters and lack OF
facilities for landing, but two How1tzers
were unloaded from the transports.
These were never placed IN poS1Ilon
and were afterwards taken to Porto
Rico with General Miles expedition
They were not used in that island, SO
the department has had no method OF
demonstrating what the siege aFt1leTy
will accomplish in actual war ana the
Montauk board makes no report upon
this important branch OF the ordnance
equipment of the army