The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-19

guns, while during the past year 1l2
guns OF calibres from 4 TO Is inches have
been completed. New designs have been
postponed for the guns for the future and
they will afford e much higher velocity
than the present types. The first Of
these guns will be placed on the battle
ships Maine. Ohio and Missouri. and on
the four harbor defense monitors 20 be
built. Captain O'Nell says the guns and
mounts in service have been severely
tested during the war, and It is crafty
ing to note that their performance had
teen satisfactory. That such should be
on SO complicated a structure as battle
ship is certainly gratifying. but improve
ments are constantly being made and
each vessel is superior to her predecessor
in the matter of armament.
The preparations made for war are de-
scribed by the chief. beginning with the
period when war was regarded as immi
neht. Orders were given for large amounts
of powder, prOjectiles of all kinds, small
arms and small guns for secondary bat
teries, and contractors were required 10
carry on their work without intermisson
and TO increase the capacity OF their
plants. All vessels of the navy were fill
ed with ammunition. even those on for
eign stations. and supply vessels laden
with a reserve supply were kept in readi-
ness to supply the fleets.
Guncotton mines and launching outfits
were prepared in large numbers and the
government shops were worked contin-
uouSly. Batteries were placed on 1U
auxiliary vessels, requiring 567 guns,
while 50 guns We're placed on u regular
naval vessels, yet more II is expected
could have been supplied by the bureau
had they been required
Is n 10
has demonstrated its superiority TO other
forms Of power for the propulsion of tur-
rets. hoisting Of ammunition and opera
ton Of gun machinery. The guns so op-
Grated can be more speedily and accurate
ly laid OF the object to be nit. there Is
no danger from bursting, nor is the tenn
perature raised, as with steam. Alto
gether. the advantages enumerated in IA
for of electricity are regarded as over
whelming. ali demonstrated by the expe-
rience Of the bureau with the ships Il
has already fitted UP with electrical
plants
The bureau does not consider the one
FOUNDER gun as of any appreciate value
in the economy of a battleship or large
cruiser. and will substitute for them on
torpedo boats about to be built the three
FOUNDER semi-autOmatlc guns. When au-
tomato guns work well they are IDEAL
but when anything goes wrong with them
the difficulty can not be quickly rem
ediet
AS a rule. the bureau is OF the opinion
that uniform cslibre and standard
small-srm cartridge should be adopted
for the army. navy and marine corps.
and also the militia
Captain O'Neill notes with satisfaction
that in no case has there been any at
tempt at extortton on the part OF the nu-
merous concerns with which the bureau
has dealt. nor any disposition shown TO
take advantage OF uasual needs OF the
government.
Il is proposed to establish torpedo boats
at New York, Norfolk and San Francisco
and to provide some storehouses for the
use OF the bureau IN the various navy
yards.
As one Of the lessons Of the war. Cap
tain O'Neill says:
while heavy guns IN turrets must be
regarded as one Of the chief character
istics Of the modern battleship. the les
sons Of the war indicate that the great
est execution except against the heav-
lest armor) may be expected from a num-
Der OF qu;ck-hring guns Of small cali
bre. mounted separately IN armored case
ments or IN a redoubt"
He recitcs the weight u big guns. max
ing them slow 70 fire and the heat IN the
turrets and the lack OF ventilators. as
arguments in favor Of the smaller gun,
mounted "a he suggests. and says:
Noting these drawbacks. heavy guns
in turrets must be regarded as a ueces-
sity. bur the question as 20 the maxi
mum caIsbre 20 be employed IL a subject
for serious consideration and one upon
which the bureau has bestowed much
thought"
He SAYS TIA; up 20 this time ne 17-inch
gun. such as are mounted on the Ore
gon class. have been regarded az the best
type for a battles nip. bIt ire development
q the 11-inch gun has been - great
and SIS powers - increased thar re og-
reau = of the opinion that . vii De
the maximum caIiHTe. supplemented BY
an auxiliary battery o< siI-!nch quick
firing guns IN Easements. with sscon-
dSry battery % TX and l3-pounde-s
The reduction q weight IN ne l2-inch
guns. as compared win the I5-inch guns.
: 10: great. being only seven and a naif
tons. bat the reduction IN SIZE. ard con
secuently - -ae weight % the furrsts.
baroettes ard ammunition IL very Er~a-
TIE thickness q the srIor Il also M
De- cons. Iteration Heretofore re Bat .
-ies5tos have carried very heavy b@it
dIaron4I tu-rst and oa-hsite arrno- more .
- thsu ro< appears rsoessary or tssirz-
he n COT Iteration q t1s iroT -ov--ns1ts .
recently r,ate IN ~ c-srFY % 80 a.
nor ar - rec=Ssi.y q clsrTipg-izz - .
u-1fec-lon over TIE ara % t1e ships
slse thar has Ss~r IKE case The hursz1
j. q ths opinion rksrs17r@. rat y i1c5es E
NJ "a ~ maximum czickress - t.e ar
uor IL ire ,u-g-e-
A<-er mary Z -lczli1ss. 49, bureau hss
~--re~e1s6 a last III se-1-'rz a purely
s-,okeless powder. ard q e F-upoaec -
szpo-y every cze q IT, s1i1s. uElrE -
hrovrn rozser a-iT 70 tz-Eet practice
ans. . is Esei ~
TIE estimates = - ssrsau zgETezs.s
3 ~ - ne nos; i-eer-z-- tens s-t-E
3 - 80 - re t1o.s- reserve s-,E1rf-
tor. proving grounds. c7nvsrEsn si1-
49,. zrt-x a-I e-rsss.-ss -.o-fsF - 80
,1r reserve rr-a ~ sIEl-a~g r~1ls~-s
snd = ~ 80 - 1rEsr az- arua1s1f -
vessels aseG
Ffarr~-- sa~~- fFs-rE~~fs@
LSEzEsoz. KY De- A-Aslss ssFsEA