The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-11-14

guns before that time. The preparation
Of g:nokelen powder ammunition FOR
these guns commenced at once, but ie
was necessary to issue Immediately che
ammunltlon on hand for the batteries
that were sent to the front and % this
was all charcoal powder aynmuuitions u
accounts for the fact that only this
black or charcoal powder Ammunition
was generally used in actual service
against the enemy"
The furnishing Of siege and dela
guns and ammunition for the war en-
c0untered the same difficulties - IN ottt
er branches OF the ordnance equipment,
yet the bureau furnished such guns for
the Manila aud Porto Rlcan expeditions.
The artillery was not used q Santiago
TO any extent OF slege guns twenty
two were taken for sea COAST defenGeo
at the beginning Of the war.
General Flagler quotes the tolloNinl
from the report Of Lieutenant Colonet
H. D. BoTup, chief ordnance ofilcor &C
Santiago as to the defenses OF SANTA
60 hRrbOr: Before the outbreak oG
hostlIitiea the port defenses Of SANTA
60 consisted OF four antiquated forts OF
batteries OF which one, st. Catalina, re-
abandoned, and a second, Punta. Hll9ts
ca, from It's position, llsefessy OF fhe
other two, Moro Castle c0n8atuted the
outer line and Estrella the inner one.
The armament Of the former consisted
OF fve ancient mortars and tWo otega
guns and the latter Of two obsolete
cast Iron HowitzeTs, all OF feeble power.
Weak DeGenses.
"After war was declared. four batter
les were hastily improvised. all Of weak
profile. Including all forts and batter
les, the number OF guns may thus be
state. tobsolete)- Bronze u4uzEle-load-
ing smoothbores: Guns six-inch, tWos
45-lnch. two
Mortars-Thirteea-inch, three; a5-
inch. two.
zzle-loading converted rihes;
Bronze guns, 6.S-Inch, s; cast iron How
itzers, s:5-inch. Z.
(Modern) Steel breech-toading tides
S.s-lnch, 4; bronze breech-loadlng How
itzers, s-inch, two; revolving cannon,
1-inch, 4; rapid-hre. 1-lnch, 1; rapid
flre. pinch, l. Total, 80. Or twenty-one
absolete and twelve modern pieces; end
Of the latter four only are OF the CONE
paratlvely high power
"The exterior line consisted of seven-
teen obsolete and two modern pleeeS. the
former being furnished BY the Spanish
war department and the latter BY the
navy department. The bold front put
ilp by the former seems to have been
effectiVe. The real strength, however,
lay IN the guns taken from the Relna
Mercedes, 90 that the duel between the
feet and the land was practically fought
by the navy OF both powers. After one
OF these guns was disabled by the car
riaGes being rendered hors du combat.
the other defense WAS really confined TO
a single piece"
Following the above. General Flagler
says: "The war has furnished no op-
portunlty for determining by experience
the effect OF our modern sea coast ar
marnent against modern battieshtps.
The reports Of the experience gained,
however, tend to confirm the opinion
that the fire from the ships cannot si-
lence the fire or seriously cripple the arr
mament OF our modern batteries; that
the ships could not Withstand the fire OF
our modern batteries and that therefore
the shIps cannot attack the batteries
successfully. Whether the ships can
run by tho batteries without too great
risk has not been shown. This Will de-
pend on the ekill and rapidlty with
which the guns are served. provided
the ships are not stopped by the mines"
Considerable attention Is devoted to
the progress of work at the various ar
senals and the guns which are being
made. on September 30, 1888, there
were ~ sea coast guns mounted. II Is
estimated that on June 30, 1893, there
viii be nine hundred and on the same
date In 1900, 1883.