The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-26
AT THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Ordnance and Engineer Bureaus Es-
pecialIy Active Yesterday.


WASHINGTON, March 25.-EAcept in the
Office of Secretary Alger, who left the de-
partment early for the Cabinet meeting,
there the usual activity around the
war office to-day. Both the ordnance office
and the engineer department are busily at
work making ready to expend the money
allotted to them out of the $50 O00, 900 emer-
gency fund in purchasing munitions of war,
tons and putting the latter in effective
condition. The ordnance office is much bet
ter off in the number of rapid-fire and other
guns of formidable character, ammunition
and projecties than in the number of car
riages for the guns. 1t has been the prac-
tice of the bureau 10 acquire first guns, in
supplying which the contractors require
much more time than for furnishing am
munition, projectiles or carriages The
main need of the service just now is an ade-
quate supply of gun carriages, and it is
hoped to secure a large number of them out
of the allotments made to the bureau and
from the money made available by the forth
fications bill. Bids were opened recently
for supplying eight, ten and twelve-inch
gun carriages, and as soon as the officials
know the precise amount of money at their
disposal for this purpose awards will be
made. Meanwhile the engineers bureau is
at work the building of emplacernents
for the guns, and this work is being pushed
with all possible speed consistent with the
force available for that purpose. 1t is ex-
pected that the work on the Notifications at
Dry Tortugas, at which place the Navy
Department is to establish a coaling sta
ton, will begin as soon as the plans for
that purpose have been adopted. 1t is
thought that Captain Duvall, the military
aid to Secretary Alger, who left here last
night, and is regarded as an expert in artil-
lery matters, will make an investigation of
the requirements Of the service at Tortugas.
The Ordnance Bureau expects to obtain
in all about forty-siX rapid-tire guns from
abroad for the seacoast Notifications.
Twenty of these were obtained through
Vickers' Sons and the remainder through
the Hotchkiss people. The former consign-
ment. it is understood, is already on its way
Der. and the officials say the contract pro-
viding for their purchase includes between
200 and 300 rounds of ammunition, a very de-
Sirable thing at the present time.
General Fagler, chief of ordnance of the
army. to-day had long conference with
Secretary Alger with reference to additional
guns and gun carriages. A few days ago
Secretary Alger allotted to General Flagler
s., 10000 from the emergency appropria-
ton made by Congress, to be used by the
BUREAU III Tie ulSCHt(lou VI 6cll
Flagler This amount, although large. was
not, in the opinion of General Flagler, suf-
ficient to meet the requirements of the
present emergency, and his conference with
the secretary was to obtain an additional
allowance. After a careful canvass of the sit
alton Secretary Alger gave Gen. Flagler a
liberal additional allotment from the appro-
priaton, but no information could be OBJ
tanned either from General Flagler or from
the secretary's office as TO its amount. The
sum must be a very considerable one how
ever as General Flagler said that it was to
be used to cover provisional contracts en-
tered into for the construction of new guns
OF various calibers and their necessary car
riages. No additional contracts for ord
nance supplies were closed to-day, but it is
likely now that General Flagler has an
other large sum at his disposal. the pro-
visional contracts to which he referred will
be made definite within few days.