The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-10-20
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.
How q Quarter Of q Million Men Were
Armed and Equipped.

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT..
How q Quarter of q Million Men Were
Armed and Equipped.
The bureaus attracting the most attention
are the Ordnance Quartcrmasier's. Sub
sistcnce and Medical departments.
When the first call for troops was made.
the Ordnance Department was called upon
to suddenly equip quarter of million
men with a class of articles not produced
by private manufacturers. Appropriations
of Congress for these equipments for many
years had been barely sufficient for repl1c-
inc those worn OFT by the regular army.
which required about 5000 sets of equip
ments per year. and to equip 10000 men
in four weeks required it to increase IL
business six hundred-fold.
Not Articles of Commerce.
The supply on hand was necessarily very
small. and money for the increase in these
classes of equipment was only available
few DAYS before war had actually begun.
when upon Geographic orders the work or
manufacture was Immediately commenced
at the various arsenals. and WAS supple
nented by purchase from contractors:
though il must be borne in mind that
stores of this character are not articles of
were delayed by the time required by man.
ufacturers to acquaint themselves with the
requirements. specifications. mode of man
ufacture and sources of material for pro-
ducing them; and the degree of excellence
required was something for which the con-
tractors were not prepared. nOtwithstand-
ing the standard was somewhat reduced.
Volunteers' Equipment UnAt.
The first levy of troops being made up
largely from the National Guard of the
States, it was supposed from reports that
most of their arms and equipment. though
somewhat worn, were 1T for service. This
expectation, however. was not realized, and
before the troops were ready to take tho
field it was necessary to replace three
fourths of their arms and equipment. De-
laws too. were caused by failures on the
mart of organizations to make acquisitions
(aIthouSh the requisition in this, as in all
the departments. is very simple, requiring
merely to state the number of men, the
number Of serviceable equipment on hand
and the number required to complete the
outfit.
Some delays, it is true. were caused by
the congestion of railways and the inability
to promptly distribute arms and equipment
that had been sent to the different camps.
Suppiy depots were established at Tampa.
Chicksmauga and Benicia Arsenal. near
San Francisco. with view to completing
the arming and equipping OF regiments be-
fore they embarked for foreign expeditions.
which was successfully accomplished.
The Work Accomplished.
Retween April Il and August 81 the
Department provided 10000 sets of infan-
try equipments. and 10000 sets of horse
eor,ipments. ard on the later date was pre-
pared to produce infantry equipments at
the rate of 5000 sets per day. set includ-
ing knapsack. haversack. with knife. fork
and spoon. a canteen. meat ration can,
tin Gun. cartridge belt and bayonet scab-
bard.
The Springfield Rifles.
At the outset Of the war = Department
had on hand an ample supply of caliber
IS. Springfield rifles. for arming the new
troops. and was able to supplement the
supply Of rifles. carb;res and sabers on
hand in sufficient quantities to meet de-
mards.
The propriety Of eGuipping the troops
with the 45-caliber rifle was not at first
questioned. Its excellence and accuracy
had been proven by long service: its SIM
plicity and certainty to keep in good fight
were known. Success with a more compli-
cated magazine arm required experience
and time for study upon the part Of the
officers and men. and the troops called ont
we're already familiar with the Springfield
rife, and the work in hand was to complete
this armament and re-lace unserviceabie
arms with Few ones, and, moreover. mag
azine rifles were not on han0 and could
not he provided otherwise than by man
ufacture.
Many unjust criticisms of the Springfield
rife have appeared in the public prints. 1t
may be stated that its rate of Ere and ex-
IRENE range are practically the same as the
5est-known military magazine arm: and the
shock of the blow Impaired By the 5u,et IT
its extreme range 600 yards) is greater.
its dsadvanta are summed up in the
height Of the trajectory and the weight OF
the cartridge carried. which is nearly dou-
sIe that of the smaller bore.
Little SEcokeIe-s Powder.
Prior 10 the war the Ordnance Depart
ment had. after long series of experiments.