The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-14
cFN. D. WFLAGLER'S REPORT.
o,IGs oFTHE YEAR IN THE BU-
REA OF ORDNANCE.

,,oupted 10 $7,34S, 795-COngress
ua. Never Appropriated What
,vos asked FIR Powder and Pro-
,oc,tIes and tie supply at the Be
inning of tie War Was made
auate.
w,sblngton, Nov 13.-Gen. D. W. Flag
=, chief of the hlreau of ordnance has
Ida his annual eport to the Secretary
War 1t shows hat there were expend-
during the fiscal year ended June 80
& 1895 H.5iS'79o'
psgording the Equipment of volunteers,
-. General thinks it would be as well to
& AVE the government equip them instead
q - .b.ir bringingtheir state arms into SER
w. saving thatit could be done as quick
q : ou.ny 70 thu condition of the arms of
4 state troops.
n He speaks in terms of praise of the man
n rar in which work has been performed at
4 ss.na1s and ordnance factories in the rush
4 'bot was made in putting the country on
footing for war with Spain.
An interesting feature of the report is
.hot which treats of coast defense. The
meal says: Attention is especially in
Tiel to the experience of the last few
4 moths in attempting to provide quickly
4 coast defense. 1t is believed to be i'm
Tractjcable and we win always be forced
n any emergency to rely upon what has
4 besn provided ia time of peace.
% think it fair to state. though not in
The way of complaint, that this has been
rroed upon Congress each year for the
past Ten years.
"The situation is very simple. A plan has
hen adopted for providing a complete
coast defense. With the present facilities
of the department this work can be carried
m economically and in the most efficient
manner in such a way as to complete the
nresent plan in about seven years.
.It is probable that there must be added
10 The plans and estimates for the coast
defense some provision for the defense of
added possessions"
Gen Flagler does not claim for the 40
caliber Springfield rifle an equality with
the new 90-callber magazine rifle of the
army but says that il is very good
q arm and possesses many merits. This
q feature has heretofore been commented
8 rnon in discussion of small arms used
s d5ring the war. The machinery for the
manufacture of small arms ammunition
was none the best, yet the department
q trned out 100000 rounds for the year.
For years past, the report states, the APP
nropriations for equipments of infantry,
s cavalry, artillery and horse have been
3 barely sufficient to meet the consumption
Of the regular army, and, although there
were buildings, there was not machinery
with which to manufacture these sup
4 plies 1t was not possible to fill reauisi-
tons for the volunteer troops when made.
Details are given of what was done to
4 rapidly Increase the coast defenses when
the war began. He calls attention to the
fact that Congress has never appropriat-
ed what was asked for powder and pro-
iectes and, in consequence, the supply,
at the beginning of the war, was made
quate.
Cen Flagler says that for several years
the department has been experimenting
on smokeless powders for seacoast guns,
but it was impossible to produce these
powders fast enough to meet the emer-
gency. All the companies, however, were
ready to take up at once the manufac-
ture of the carbon powders, and, as the
requirements for this. were simpler, they
could expand their plant for this produc-
ton more rapidly, and for a time the de-
partment therefore devoted all its ener-
gies to procuring a sufficient supply of the
carbon powders. Later, and as fast as
possible, the manufacture was changed to
smokeess powders.
smokeless powder only was manufactured
for field and siege artillery. The fact that
the field and siege artillery was to be en-
plOyed was not determined until about the
time that war was declared, and there
were no funds available fer procuring
ammunition for these guns before that
time. The preparation of smokeless pow
der ammunition for these guns commence
ed at once, but it was necessary TO is
sue Immediately the ammunition on hand
for the batteries that were sent to the
front, and, as this was all charcoal pow
der ammunition, it accounts for the fact
that only this black or charcoal powder
ammunition was generally used in actual
service against the enemy"
The furnishing of siege and field guns
and ammunition for the war, encountered
4 the same difficulties as in other branches
4 Of the ordnance equipment, yet the bureau
s. furnished such guns for the Manila and
u Porto Rican expeditions. The artillery
4 was not used in Santiago to any extent.
Of siege guns, twenty-five were taken for
seaooast iefenses al the beginning of the
war
Gen Flagler quotes from the report Of
Lieut.. Col H. D. Borup, chief ordnance
officer at Santiago, as to the denfenses of
Santiago harbor.
Col Borup says: Before the outbreak
OF hostillties the port defenses of San
Il tago consisted of four antiquated forts
or batteries, of which one, 81. Catalina,
was abandoned, and a second, Punta Blan-
ca, from it's position, useless. OF the 9TH
er two, Moro Castle constituted the outer
line and Estrella the inner ones. The ar
mament of the former consisted of five
ancient mortars and two siege guns, and
the latter Of two obsolete cast iron how
ltzers, all of feeble power. After war was
declared, four batteries were hastily i'm
provsed, all of weak profile"
Including all forts and batteries, there
Was d total of twenty-one obsolete and
twelve modern pieces. OF the latter only
four We're of comparatively high power
Col. Borup's report adds: THE exterior
line consisted of seventeen obsolete and
two modern pieces, the former being fur
nished by the Spanish war department and
The latter by the navy department. The
bod front put up by the former seems &c
have been effected. The real strength
however, lay in the guns taken from the
Rana Mercedes, so that the duel between
he lleet and the land was practically
fought by the navy Of both powers. After
/. a -,