The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-19
HAD GUNS no SPARE.
Ordnance Department Was Never
Short During the War.

Washington, Oct. 19.-The ordnance
bureau was one of the busiest branches
Of the naval service during and immedi-
ately preceding the war, and the annual
report of Captain Charles O'Neill chief
of ordnance, to the secretary of the
navy. recounts the accomplishments of
the bureau during that time.
He shows so far the naval ordnance
factory has turned out $40 main bat
terry guns, while during the past year
112 guns of calibres from to Is inches
have been completed. New designs have
been prepared for the guns of the fu-
ture, and they will afford much higher
velocity than the present types. the
first OF these guns will be placed on the
battleships Maine, Ohio and Missouri.
and on the harbor defense monitors to
be built. Captain O'Nein says the guns
and mounts. in service have been Sc
verely tested during the war and 1t as
gratifying to note that all their per-
formances have been satisfactory. That
such should be on so complicated
structure as a battleship is certainly
gratifying, but improvements are con-
stantly being made and each vessel is
superior to it's predecessor in the mat
ter of armament.
The preparations made for war are
described by the chief, beginning with
| the period when war was regarded as
imminent. Orders were given for large
amounts of powder, projectiles of all
kinds, small arms and small guns for
/ secondary batteries, and contractors
| without interniSSiOn and to increase the
| capacity of their plants. All vessels of
| the navy were filled with ammunition,
even those on foreign stations, and sup
/ ply vessels laden with a reserve supply
were kept in readiness to send to the
fleets. Gun cotton mines and launch
| ing outfits were prepared in large num-
bers and the government shops were
| worked continuously. Batteries were
| placed on 10z auxiliary vessels, requir-
I ing SIS guns while 70 guns were placed
IoT. no va1 q
could have been supplied by the bureau
had they been required.
1t is said in the report that electricity
| has demonstrated it's superiority to ev
| cry other form Of power for the mani
pulation of turrets, hosting of ammuni-
ton and operation of gun machinery.
The guns SO operated can be more
speedily and accurately laid on the OBJ
ject to be hit, there is no danger from
bursting, nor Is the temperature raised,
as with steam. Altogether the advant-
ages enumerated in favor of electricity
are regarded as overwhelming all gener-
ated by the experience Of the bureau
with the ships it had already fitted up
with electrical plants for gun work.
The bureau does not consider the one
FOUNDER gun as of any appreciable val
ue in the economy of battleship or
large cruiser, and will substitute for
them on torpedo boats about TO De bullC
the three FOUNDER semi automatic guns.
When automatic guns work well they
| are ideal but when anything goes wrong
I
quickly remedied, as a rule.
The bureau is of the opinion that a
| uniform ca1fbre and standard small arm
cartridge should be adopted for the
| army. navy, and marine corps, and also
| the militia.
Captain O'Neiu notes with satisfac
ton that in no case has there been any
attempt at eXtortiOn on the part OF the
numerous business concerns with which
the bureau has dealt, nor any DISPOSE
ton shown to take advantage of unus-
71T Of he n7~T17r emf
It is 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
various navy yards.
AS one eH the lessons of the war Cap
tain O'Neiu says: while heavy guns
in turrets must be regarded as one OF
the chief characteristics of modern bat
tleships, the lessons of the day indicate
that the greatest execution of the day,
except against the heaviest armor,
may be expected from a number of
quick firing guns Of small calfbre,
mounted separately in armOred case
mates or in a redOubt."
He recites the weight of big guns
making them slow to fire and aim, ana
the heat in the turrets and the lack of
ventilators as arguments in favor of the
smaller gun mounted as he suggests and
Noting these drawbacks, heavy
guns in turrets must be regarded as
necessity, but the question as to the
maximum calibre to be employed is a
subject for serious consideration and
one upon which the bureau has be-
slowed much thought"
He says that up to this time the 49,
inch gun, such as are mounted on the
Oregon class, have been regarded as the
best type for a battle ship, but the de-
velopment of the 12-inch has been 50
great and it's power so increased that
the bureau is of the opinion that it will
be the maximum calibre supplemented
by an auxiliary battery of 6-inch quick
firing guns in caSemateS, with a SecOn-
dairy battery of 6 and 12-pounders.
The reduction of weight in the 12-inch
guns, as compared with the 13-inch
guns, is not great, being only seven and
a half tons but the reduction in size
and weight of the turrets and ammuni-
ton, is very great.
The thickness of the arTnor is also I'M
der consideration. Heretofore the bat
tie ships have carried about a very hea-
w belt, diagonal eurret and barbette
arnOr, more than appears necessary or
desirable In the consideration of the inn
provements made in the quality for the
necessity of distributing the protection
over other areas of ships than has been
the case. The bureau is of the opinion
therefore that u inches will be the
maximum thickness OF the arnor in the
future. After many difficulties the
bureau has succeeded at last in securing
a purely smOke1ess powder, and it 81
proposed to supply artillery on all of
the ships using the brown powder only
for target practice. until it is used up.
The estimates of the bureau aggre-
gate $4, ATS, 558, the most important item
being 81, $4,000 for fuel, TOOLS reserve
I ammunition, proving grounds, cOnvers-
ion of 6-inch guns, and smokeless pOyv-
der; S250OO0 for reserve guns for aux
iliary cruisers and "a 600 600 for arn7or
and armament for vessels used
Industrial Commission Oroauiza5