The record-union., 1898-03-12

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 essential in the
present crisis.
u WORK ON ARSENALS BEING
PUSHED.
| 1t is now stated by the ordnance Off
Gals that directions have been given to
the various arsenals and armories con-
| trolled by the Government to increase
the working force to the fullest practic-
able extent, with a view to hurrying the
completion of existing projects Like
wise, all firms having contracts to sup
! ply the Government with ordnance have
been required to work night and day, in
order to finish the work in hand. and 10
arrange their business with view to in
creased orders.
| ORDERS FOR SMALL ARMS
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 nego-
tiations for the supply Of large numbers
of small arms, army equipments and ac-
icoutrements are now in progress The
bureau officials have not yet indicated
| the exact number which Will be ordered
but that the aggregate will be large is
shown by the fact that the manufact-
urers have been given the cue to make
all they can.
/ 4 To7 or
MENTS OF ARTILLERY.
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore harbor,
will be selected as the headquarters OF
one of the new regiments Of artillery,
instead of Fort Wadsworth, n Y. as
was originally proposed This change,
| it is said, is due to representations that
have been made to the Secretary of
War that both the new regiments
should not be located in New York, but
one should go further South. The Sc
lection of Fort Slocu1n as the head
quarters of one OF the regiments will
not be altered.
| PROVIDING FOR RAPID TELE-
GRAPH.
General Greedy. Chief Signal officer
has been given authority by the Sec
rotary of War to proceed without re-
Sard to ordinary restrictions in estab-
fishing rapid telegraphic connections
between the sea-coast Notifications
1t Will not be necessary therefore, to
| invite proposals for furnishing sup
plies, and 10 follow the ordinary and
SLOW methods of procuring the tele-
graphic material and doing the work
This rather extraordinary authorize
/ ly after q forcibe presentation by him
to the Secretary OF War of the pressing
demand for modern means of commu-'
nication between the forts He showed
that even in New York harbor. where
the War Department has devoted its
best efforts to the perfection OF the for
tifications. it requires three-quarters OF
an hour TO pass a message from one
battery to another. Fort McHenry IS
worse OFF. Strange as it may seem. the
only method of communicating be-
tween the National Capital and its most
| important defensive work. Fort Wash
lngton, on the Potomac, is by means
of a messenger i.
NAVAL WORK IN PROGRESS
Lieutenant Stone. the representative
OF the Carnegie Steel Company. was at
I the Navy Department to-day in con-
ference with the officials respecting the
naval work in progress.
The officers of the Navigation Ru
reau were very busy translating cipher
! messages to-day. 1t was said that all
| of these had come in over night and
presumably they related to the Dur
chase Of ships abroad.
Before leaving for the Cabinet meet
ing, Secretary Long said that he had
received no information thus far from
the Court of Inquiry, nor had he or
dered the fleet in China to the Phil
lppines, as was rumored here to-day.
me secretary spent a good deal of
time to-day in consultation with As
sistant Secretary Roosevelt and Caotain
Bradford, Chief Of the Bureau Of
Equipment, concerning the supplv Of
coal TO the vessels now cruising to the
south of Cuba.
MOVEMENTS OF WARSHIps
Inc gunboats Wilmington and An
napohs reported 10 the Navy Depart
ment over night from the Caribbean
sea The former sailed from ST. In
cla Tor Barbados. and the latter from
La Guayra for Curacao. The torpedo
Hotilla at Key West will soon be re-
inforced by two fine boats which have
been under repairs
The Commandant of the Mare Island
navy yard reported that the cr,,fso,
Mohican sailed to-day with her CARGO
OF ammunition. which he viii trans
snip at Honolulu to the Baltimore for
the Asiatic squadron
NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW SHIPS
negotiations are proceeding for the
purchase of the Brazilian cruiser Ar,a-
zonas and her sister ship. the Rarboso
by The United States but so far as tba
Navy Department is advised have nat
yet been closed.
The negotiations for the purchase Of
the two Japanese cruisers nov buildi,.r
at Philadelphia and San Francisco arc
are on, and the present indications arc
that no further steps will be taken
towards acquiring the ships. The Ian
anese Government appears TO be even
more DESTROYS OF securing these slins
than the United States, and owing 10
the de!icate character Of the asnect Or
alIalrs between Russia and Japan II
is felt that the needs of Japan are unite
as urgent as those Of this cnr1n+rv
The naval officers who are endeavnr-
ing to effect the purchase of shirs
abroad have encountered an obstacle
that promise to give some trouble
This is found in the difference between
the calibers of the guns mounted on
foreisn-built SHIPS and the United
States Navy standards Not only do
these guns differ in caliher from our
own in most cases. but as they ara
almost ali designed for the use Of