The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-11-17
ANNUAL REPORT.
0nie' OF the Bureau OF Ordnanc, Tells
OF His Department.
:" com mends That the General Govern.
"en' Arm the Volunteers Instead Of
'ne states-Ths Coast Dsfsnses--
Work of tho Ar.enals

4 "AsHiNGToS, Nov. 14.-Gen. d. w
n riagier, chief Of the burean of ord
q nance has made his annual report tc
! the secretary of war. 1t shows thai
. 'here were expended during the fiscaI
year ending June 80, 1895. s7.s4s 7os
and that there still remains .,
the appropriations made for the
ordnance bureau, s19, ,703, $50. This
large sum is derived from the
appropriations for the fiscal vear
which were made for war purposes
amounting to s21,5Ol, 5o2 Regarding
the equipment of volunteers the gem
eral thinks it would be as we'll as to
nave the government equip them in
S1ead OF their bringing their state
arms irto service, saying that 1t could
De done as quickly owing to the condi-
ton Of the arms of state troops.
lie speaks in terms of praise in the
manner in which work has been per-
formed at arsenals and ordnance fac.
tories in the rush that was made In
putting the country on a footing for
war with Spain. As to the equipment
OF an army, he says:
$50 long as the principal dependence in this
country in time OF war is in a large volunteer
iorce' newly levied 1t is impracticable to keen
on hand large supplies OF cavalry. artillery
ana horse equipments, as these In the course
OF few years will not only deteriorate. but |
VIII have TO be materially modified to keen |
pace with improvements The major part OF
such material can, by taking advantage OF the
resources OF Rock Island and the other
arsenals and the numerous private establish
ments capable OF producing It. be supplied n,
rapidly as troops can be raised, mustered into
the service and prepared for cam paign. There
should, however, be on hand field and siege
artillery, with carriages. and portion Of the
harness required for $4,000 men Such guns
and carriages can not be turned out in large
numbers until about six months after initiating
the work"
For equipping an army with supply
OF small arms he thinks there should
be supply of 100, 900 on hand of any
new arm and the arsenals kept in a
condition SO as to produce $500 per
day.
An interesting feature of the report ,
IS that which treats of coast defense.
The general says:
Attention is especially invited to the expe-
fence OF the last few months in attempting to
provide quickly coast defense 1t is believed -
o be impracticable, and we will always bc
orced, In any emergency. TO rely upon what v
las been provided in time OF peace 81
think 1t fair TO state. though n
lot in the way Of complaint that d.
his has been urged upon congress each year -
or the past ten years. The situation is very
lmple plan has been adopted for provid- II
lg complete coast defense. With the pre-. al
ent facilities OF the department this work can N,
carried on economically and In the most ef-
Client manner In such q way ss TO complete
ne present plan In about seven years. ~
Stimates ought TO DO submitted each re
Ear for so much OF tho work as the facilities IN
n its production will permit 1t rests with Sc
'ngress TO determine how much of the work -,
IN be provided for each year consistently
lth the resources OF the country. But VI
e work can not progress faster than the ap-
opriations provide for. In
1T is probable that there must be added to an
e plans and estimates for the coast defense =. :.
me provision for the defense OF added pos "''
ssions." me
Gen. Flagler does not claim for the he
caliber Springfield rifle an equality th'
th the new 30 caliber magazine rifle th'
the army, but says that 1t is very ,h'
cd arm and possesses many merits. cor
lis feature has heretofore been COM
'nted upon in discussion of small un
ms used during the war. The ma the
merry for the manufacture of small arm has
i ammunition was none the best yet Der
, department turned out 90, 900, 900 tin
lnds for the war. Foryears past, the wit
ort states, the appropriations for
lipments of infantry, cavalry, artil- HE
= and horse have been barely suffi-
ut to meet the consumption of the 'P-'
ular army and although there were
ldings there was not machinery
h which to manufacture these sup NJ
IS.
. sert
etails are given of what was done - =
rapidly increase the coast defenses ,ho
n the war began. He calls atten- ,rc,
TO the fact that congress has d.
er appropriated what was asked ouor
powder and projectiles, and in con- ,na
lence the supply at the beginning
he war was inadequate, and. he
S some instances of the work done w
the department to make good the repo
iency. Gene
erry mpson Done with Politics at tn