The San Francisco call., 1898-02-05
Supply of Worthless Am munitiOn Purchased
 in 1892.
One Thousand Rounds Were Sent From the East to
 Benicia Arsenal.
GEN. FLAGLER'S SURPRISE
Facts Coming Out Show That the Ordnance Department at Wash
 ington Was JObbed.

Tests of artillery ammunition were resumed at the Presidio yesterday. A gun belonging to Captain Potts Light Battery F. Third Artillery, was used by Lieutenant Rabbit of the ordnance corps. Two rounds of shrapnel were fired and both shells were found to be defective.
 According to dispatches received from Washington, General D. w. Flagler, chief of ordnance, was not surprised when he heard that 50 per cent of the shrapnel tested at the Presidio proved to be worthless. He is quoted as say ing that he would not have been sur prised if the percentage of deficiency had been greater, as the shells were old. The records of the War Depart ment may show that General Flagler is now making statements concerning the condition of the artillery ammuni- ton which are at variance with former statements on the same subject.
 The first knowledge that the shrapnel sent to Benicia arsenal was defective was gained during the practice firing at Redwood City some weeks ago. Cap tain Potts Battery F and Captain Califf's Battery c of the Third Artil- lery went to Redwood for annual prac- tice While there each battery fired seventy-five rounds of shrapnel, and much of the ammunition proved to be defective.
 The facts of the Redwood practice were promptly reported and transmit ted through the regular military chan neIs to general headquarters in Wash ington The chief of ordnance saw the official reports of the Redwood firing and in ordering other tests to be made expressed surprise that thislot of shrap- nel purchased from the American Ord nance Company, in 1892, should be de- ficient in quality.
 The shells are not old, the ammuni- tion was manufactured by the contrac- tors to supply the new 3.2-inch breech- loading rifled cannon with which the light batteries of the United States army were recently equipped.
 All the ammunition for the breech- loading artillery is new. There has not been sufficient time since the new guns were introduced for the powder to lose it's strength by age.
 The Ordnance Department would not be blameleSs if the shrapnel recently tested had been manufactured fifty years ago, for the reason that the chief defect disclosed by the test is the lack of thickness in the wall of the shell. The walls are not strong enough to re-
 
 propelling charge of powder. No com plaint is made of the explosive material contained within the she'll
 General Flagler must imagine that the powder within the shell is old and ineffective, or he would not ascribe the deficiency of the ammunition to age. When he gets through with such an ex- animation of the records in the case as the disclosures demand, he may reach the conclusion that the officers appoint ed to test the shrapnel at the time of acceptance did not make a thorough test.
 In testing ammunition, prior to it's acceptance from the contractor, the in- specting officer selects five rounds from each hundred. If the five shells fired stand the test the officer accepts the hundred rounds. In the selection of the five rounds the officer does not take the first five presented, but goes over the lot, and with mark indicates this shell and that shell to be used. It is not reasonable to suppose that the lot of one thousand rounds Of shrap- mel bought of the American sent to Benicia Arsenal stood the regulation test. It is just possible that the testing officer rejected the ammu- milton, and that his report of the in- spection was tempered with.
 It may be possible for contractors in packing shells for shipment to substi- tute inferior for good ammunition. The army has been jobbed or deceived in the acceptance of the shells recently tested at the Presidio, and the facts disclosed are sufficient to warrant a general investigation of the ammuni- tion in the Government arsenals.