The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-20
Interesting Report Of Captain
0'NeIll Regarding the Work
Of Ordnance Bureau.
MANY GUNS TURNED OUT
Orders Were Promptly Supplied and
Even Then the Capacity OF the
Bureau Was Not Taxed.

WARRINGTON. Oct iS.-,fhe ordnance
bureau was one Of the busiest branches
of the naval service during and lmme.
dla,ely preceding tho war. and the an
nuAl report Of Captain Charles o'Neili.
chief Of ordnance 10 tho secretary Of
tho navy recounta tho accomplishments
Of tho bureau In that time
Ito shows that 30 FAR the naval ord
nance factory has turned out 90 NAN
battery guns. while during the past yv.f
~ guns OF calabrcs from four to - inch
- have been completed. Now designs
have been prepared Tor the guns for tho
future ana they will aiord much high.
r. velocity than tho present types
Tho nfst ~ these guns viii be placed
on tho balileahips Maine. ohio and Mis-.
souri,. and on tho four harbor defense
monitors 10 be built Captain OMEN
says the guns and mounts In service
have been severely tested during the
gar. and It Ia very satsfagsSry 10 note
tha, their performance has been salts
pe,ory. ~
That such should be on 70 complicated
a structure as batiioahip is certainly
-@Saiiiyiug. but improvements are con.
slanily being made and each vessel Is
Sqperior 70 her Predecessor 10 tbe mat.
Tor oi armhmen'r
rhe prsparotiohs made tor Nar are Dc.
tsaibed By the ehist beginning Slih tho
period whon war sas regarded as Inn
minent orders were given far large
amounts of powder, mojectiics Of ali
kinds small arms and small guns for
secondary batteries. and contractors
were required to carry 10 ,nelr work
without iniermlssion. and 10 increase
tho capacity u their nlanIa. All vessels
Of TIC hayy wrrc filled with ammunition.
eyon those m foreign stations. and sup
ply Sesaris laden with a reserve supply
we're kp, In readiness 10 supply the
nsc,s
0unco,ton mines and launching out
ns we're prepared in large numbers. pnd
tho Eoycthment shops were worked
coniinuuny batteries were placed on
iOi auxiliary vessels requiring so guns,
while % s6F were placed on twelve res.
ular naval Iossels. yc, more could have
been supplied by the bureau had they
bccn- {egulrSd,g
II Il tnSNa,ths report that electricity
has tAhons,Tdsed lts superiority to other
forms Of cover Tor tho manipulation Of
lurrc,s. hoisslns of ammunition and op-
Grafton ,vNmpcblnery, The guns 50 op-
Grated cgs % moro speedily laid on the
obiec, 20 N6hH s,hcrc Is no danger from
burrtiog. nor ls tbc temperature rased'
An with steam. Altogether the advHn-
,asca cnumsraiedn IN favor OF clcetre':y
arc regarded AZ Overwhelming. all dem
ons,rulod by ths experience OF the eu-
reau with thc-Ehips It has already ntied
up with electrical plants Ior gun work
Captain o'Ncul notes with satisfaction
that In no case has there been any at
tempt at eStortIon on tho part OF the
numerous business orms with which '''e
bureau has dealt or any disposition
shown to take advantage OF the unusual
needs Of the government.
II IL proposed to establish torpedo de-
pots at New York. Norfolk. and San
Francisco and to provide some store
houses for the use OF the bureau In the
larioua navy yards.