The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-12
GUNS FOR DEFENSE.
Rapid-Fire Cannon TO BE Secured at
Once for FOrtiffcations.

Rapid-Fire Cannon to He Secured at
Once for FOrtifications.
WASHINGTON, March I.-Secretary AL
ger has authorized General Flagler, the
chief Of ordnance, to make arrangements
at once for procuring a large number of
Tapid-fire guns for seacoast defenses. This
action is taken without waiting for the al
lotment among the various bureaus of the
War and Navy Departments of the $780,
100000 voted for the national defense. The
secretary felt that there was no reason for
further delaying the necessary steps for
the procurement of these guns, as it was
felt there would be trouble in arriving
at an equitable adjustment of the money
available. Ever since the battle ship
Maine was wrecked in Havana harbor the
Ordnance Department has been Fastening
the delivery of guns already finished and
0aaking arrangements for the supply of
such a number of additional ones as the
officials felt warranted in ordering without
the additional funds which have since been
put at their disposal.
The Ordnance Bureau will take all the
rapid-flre guns that can be procured within
n TeasonaDIe time, and they will be shipped
to seacoast fortifieations as rapidly as pos
sible. They will constitute what is known
s,
and are a material assistance to the big
guns which necessarily are slower of move
ment and filing. They also would be of in
valuable assistance in keeping the enemy s
ships from the vicinity of submarine mines
and other ObsCured works of defense by
maintaining a constant fire such
places. Contracts for the delivery of car
riaSeS for these rapid-fire guns nave also
been authorized and will be shipped to the
notifications as soon as completed. The
carriages can be mace and delivered much
no 81 hat vTAcdif ion IN
the manufacture of the latter is what the
officials of the Ordnance Bureau are urg-
ing
throughout the United States have re-
sponded to the Department. inquiries as to
whether they can assist in making these
guns. They include the army gun factory,
the Bethlehem iron works, the briggs Ord
nance Company and the American Ord
nance Company. The guns are mounted
without much trouble so that haste in their
manufacture is the essential in the present
crisis.
1t is now admitted by the ordnance Of
flcials that directions have been given to
the various arsenals and armories con-
trolled by the government to increase the
working force to the fullest practicable ex-
tent with view to hurrying the completion
of existing projects. Likewise all firms
h9ying contracts to supply the government
with ordnance have been requested to work
their men night and day in order to finish
the work in hand and to arrange their bust
ness with a view to increased orders. AS
to small arms, extra ammunition orders
have been already placed with the Union
Metallic Cartridge Company, of Bridgeport,
Conn.,, and the Winchester Arms Company,
of New York. The negotiations for the
supply of large numberS of small arms,
army equipments and accoutrements are
row in progress. The bureau officials have
not yet indicated the exact number which
viii be ordered, but that the aggregate will
be large is shown by the fact that manu-
facturers have been given the cue to make
al they can.
General Greedy, chief signal officer has
authority from the secretary of war to pro-
z coed without regard to ordinary restrictions
in establishing rapid Geographic connec-
tons between the seacoast Notifications.
1t will not be necessary, therefore, to in
Vite proposals for furnishing supplies and
TO follow the ordinary and slow methods of
procuring the teegraphic material and do
ing the work This rather extraordinary
authorization was conferred upon General
Greedy after forcible presentation by him
to the secretary of war of the pressing de-
mand for modern means OF communication
between the forts.
He showed that even in New York har-
Dor, in which the War Department has de-
voted its best energies to the perfection of
the Notifications it requires three-quarters
of an hour to pass message from one bat
terry to another. Fort McHenIy, Baltimore,
is worse off, while, strange as it may seem,
the only method of communication between
she national capital and it's most important
defensive work. Fort Washington, on the
Potomac, is by means of a messenger