The age-herald., 1898-10-14
.SMOKELESS POWDER .o
 RECOMMENDED By the Government Board of
 Ordnance. JOR6ENSEN RIFLE PRAISED Members of Board Have Interviewed Officers Who Did the Fighting in the Late War Lack of
 Siege Guns Noted.
JORGENSEN RIFLE PRAISED

Washington October 13.-The board Of ordnance officers, known as the Montauk board has made it's report to General Flag Ter. chief of ordnance. This board was cre- ated after the surrender of Santiago, and consisted of Major w. Stanhope Blount, Major Daniel M. Taylor, Captain Beverly w. Dunn and Lieutenant George Montgom- cry The purpose of the board was to se- cure information direct from the officers who had command of troops in action as to the respective merits of the various arms used, and while the matter was fresh in their minds, to obtain any suggestions they might have to make regarding improve ments and changes that would make the arms more effective.
 me report of the board is very gratifying to General Flagler and the officers of the bureau. The board went to Montauk Point armed with full authority to secure inform ation from officers. They found that the officers of the army had given the ma tier thorough attention. The men who fought in Cuba know what the guns and small arms could do and knew how to make sug- gestlons as to minor defects.
 The report shows that the field guns are satisfactory in every way. The fuses and ammunition were arranged so as to cause
 
 sired and the important feature which makes field guns successful were found in those used at Santiago. A number of minor changes were suggested, but they were such as could be remedied easily, and are confined almost wholly to small equ. .Dments auout the guns and are of a technical char acter.
 The board also reports favorably upon the krag-Jorgensen arms for the infantry and cavalry. No fault is found with the nri iol ri h1 IxalH powder would be much better. Smokeless powder is also found very desirable for the field guns.
 The army had no opportunity to test the siege guns. In fact, the army is not as a whole very well equipped with siege guns, although the various reports of the chief of ordnance have recommended that more lib- eral provisions be made for them Besides, just before the war, the decision was reached by some of the higher officials that the siege guns which were then on hand should be used on the fortifcations for the defense of the ports and coasts of the United States These were accordingly sent to different places, but just before the Santiago campaign it was decided that a siege train was necessary, and there was hard work getting enough together to send to southern Cuba with General Shafter's army. As it was, but four mortars and four Howitzers were sent along with the expedition, and owing to the absence of lighters and lack of facilities but two Howitzers were unoaded from the trans- ports. These were never placed in position, and were afterwards taken to Porto Rico with General Miles expedition. They were not used in that island, so the department has had no method of demonstrating what the siege artillery will accomplish in actual war, and the Montauk board makes no re- port upon this important branch of the ord nance equipment of the army.