The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-17
SECRETARY or WAR
Authorizes Capt. FIagler, the Chief Of Ord.
nance, 70 Procure Rapid Fire Guns for
Coast Defense.

Authorizes Capt. FIagler, the Chief Of Ord.
nance, 70 Procure Rapid Fire Guns for
Coast Defense.
WASHINGTON, March 12.-Secretary
Alger has authorized Gen. Flagler, the
chief of ordnance, to make arrange.
ments at once for procuring large
number of rapid fire guns for seacoast
defenses. This action is taken with
the various bureaus of the war and
navy departments of the $50, ,OOO.OOO
voted for the national defense. The
secretary felt that there was no
reason for further delaying the nec-
essary steps for the procurement
of these guns as it was felt
there would be no trouble in arriving
at an equitable adjustment of the mon
ey available. Ever since the battle-
ship Maine was wrecked in Havana
harbor the ordnance department has
been fastening the delivery of guns
already finished and making arrange
ments for the supply of such a number
of additional ones as the officials felt
warranted in ordering without the adj
ditional funds which have since been
bureau will take all these rapid fire
guns that can be procured within rea-
sonable time and they will be shipped
to the seacoast Notifications as rap
idly as possible. They constitute
what is known as the auxiliary defense
for the Notifications and are a ma
terial assistance to the big guns, which
necessarily are slower of movement
and firing. They also would be of i'm
valuable assistance in keeping the en-.
emy's ships from the vicinity of SUBJ
marine mines and other obscured
works of defense by maintaining a
constant fire over such places. Con-
tracts for the delivery of carriages for
these rapid fire guns have also been
authorized and will be shipped to the
The carriages can be made and
delivered much quicker than the
guns, SO that expedition in the manu-.
facture of the latter is what the
officials of the ordnance bureau are
urging. Quite a number of establish
ments throughout the United States
have responded to the departments
inquiries as to whether they can assist
in making these guns. They include
the Army gun factory, the Bethlehem
iron works, the briggs Ordnance Co.
and the American Ordnance Co. The
guns are mounted without much trou.
BILE so that haste in their manufacture
is the essential in the present crisis.
1t is now admitted by the
ordnance officials that directions
hov 70 ho ~.
arsenals and armories controlled by
the government to increase the work.
ing force to the fullest practical ex-
tent with a view to hurrying the COM
pletion of existing projects. Likewise
all firms having contracts to supply
the government with ordnance have
been requested to work their men night
and day in order to finish the work in
hand and to arrange their business
with view to increased orders.
As to small arms extra ammuni-
| ton orders have been already
placed with the Union Metallic Cart.
ridge Co. of Bridgeport, Ct, and the
Winchester Arms Co. of New York.
The negotiations for the supply OF
large numbers of small arms, army
in progress. The bureau officials have
not yet indicated the exact number
| which will be ordered but that the ag.
gregate will be large is shown by the
fact that manufacturers have been
given the cue to make all they can.
WASHINGTON, March 12.-The house
naval committee Friday placed in the
navy bill provision for an increase in
the number of naval marines of 473. This
increase had been especially asked for
by the secretary of the navy and was
not included in the regular recon-
mendations. This brings the total
number of marines up to 3,O73.
Negotiations are proceeding for the
purchasing of the Brazilian cruiser
Amazonas and her sister ship the Bar
bozo, by the United States, but so ia,
as the navy department is adv ised,
have not yet been closed.