Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-11-14
the manufacture was changed TO
smokeless powders

the manufacture was changed 10
smokeless powders
II should be stated. however. that
bnokeless powder only WIS nanufaC-
tureu TOT hc' and Siege Artillery. Tho
fact that the Held ani Siege nttititry
was TO be efaployed was not deteruInei
untll ABOUT the time that war was de-
clared. and there wis no funds avail
able Tor procuring nmunitiU for these
guns hefnre that tine. ThS turttafa-
tion or smokel"ss powder ammunition
iof these guns cumw"nc a at once but
u was necessary 90 issue Immediately
the ammunition IN hand for the bat
teries that were sent to the front and.
rs this was all charcoal powder nm-
munition, II accounts for the fact that
only this black. or charcoal powder
ammunition WIS generally used In nc
tual service against the enemy"
The furnishing Of siege and field guns
and ammunition Tor The war enc5tin.
tered the same difficulties as In other
branches Of the ordnance equipment.
yet the bureau furnished such guns for
the Manila and Porto Rico expeditions.
The artillery was not used nj Santiago
TO any extent OF siege guns. twenty.
Two were taken Tor solco1st dcfanses
at the beginning Of the war.
SANT1AGO'S FoHT1FTCATtoNg
Gen. Flnglor quotes the followinr
from the report - Lieut. .Coi H. o
Borup, chief ordnance dfnctr az gtntl.
ago. rs 90 the drfenaan ~ g1utf4rp
hirhor: Before she outbreak ~ nos.
tlhtles, the port defenaea ~ Santiago
consisted Of four anilqulted forts or
batteries. " which one. ST. Catalina
was abandoned, ana second. puntn
Hlanca, from 10 position. was useless.
or the other two Moro Castle constl.
tutcd the outer line and Esireua the
inner one. THE armament ~ the FOR.
mer consisted OF nve ancient moriars
and two siege guns and the latter u
two obsolete cast-irnn howitzers. all uf
feeble power. After war was declared.
four batteries were hastily lmpr0vlsed.
all u weak profile.
"inciudlnF all forts and batteries tho
number Of guns may thus be stated.
obsolete. bronze muzzle uadIuE,
smooth bore guns. s-inch. ?. 60 rl
2. m0rtars. ig-lnch. .. gb.inch. 2: muz-
zle-loadlnE converted rifles. bronze
guns. g. 5-inch. s. caai.ir0n hpwiizers.
3: 5-inch. Z. modern. steel brecch-ioad.
Ing rifles, 6. l-lnch, 4. bronze hrccoh-
loading hgw.tzcra. G-lnch. 2. revolving
cannon. i-lnch. 4; rapid IRE. i-inch. I
fapid-nre. ?-inch, I. Total. al Or "a
obsolete and y modern pieces. and the
the latter four only are OF compare
tive hlgh power.
"'rhe exterior line consisted Of seven
teen obsolete and two modern pieces.
the former being furnished by the
spanish war department. thc latter by
the navy department. The bold front
put up by the former seems 20 have
been effective. The real strength. how.
ever. lay In the guns taken from the
Relna Mercedes. 20 that the duel be-
tween the fleet and the land forces
was practically f1ufht by she navy OF
both pawerH After one ~ these guns
were disabled BY the carriage being
rendered hors du combat, the outer de-
Tense was really confined 10 a single
piece"
Following the above. Gen. Fiarief
siys. "The war has furnished no ~
portunity for determining By expert
Cnco the effect " our modern sea coast
armament against modern batilerhlps
The reports OF the experience gained,
however. tend 20 confirm the opinion
mat the firc from ships cannot silence
the fre or seriously cripple the urma-
ment ~ our modern batteries, but the
ahlpH could not Withstand the IRE Of
our modern batteries and that. hcrc-
fore. the ships cannot attack the bat
terloH successfully. Whether thcHe
shlps can run by the batteries without
too great risk has not been shown
This viii depend On the skin and ra-
pldlty with which the guns are served
provided the ships are not stopped By
the mines"
Comfortable attention IL devoted 90
the progress % work al the various
nrsenals and the guns w1ich are being
made. on September %. 1855, there
were az sen coast guns mounted u
IL estimated that on June 30. 1893. there
will be 300. and ON the same date OF
1900. i.iss.