The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-19
COSTLY CHANGES.
Enormous Losses Caused in Keeping
Armies Up to Date.

From the Philadelphia Press.
In no private business and in no
other branch of the government SER
vice are such enormous losses possible
as in the army and navy.
When a new gun or q new system
of fortification is devised the old is
abandoned forever,and the value which
1t represented is a total loss.
The British navy, not long ago, de-
clared obsolete a certain type of tor
pedo. In doing so it discarded torpe-
does which had cost it about El50,000,
or $780, COO.
The costlest change which the gov
erEmcnt of the United States ever
male was when 1t discarded the muz-
zle-loading rifle for the breech- loader,
and the smooth-bore cannon for the
rifled gun at the end of the civil war.
The heavy ordnance discarded at that
time represented an investment of
many millions-it would be difficult to
say just how much. The discarded
muskets were about a million and a
nalf in number and their cost had been
from S12 to SIS. At an average of SIS
they were worth. originally, $22, 800. 600.
or this sum about one-third or one
quarter was recovered by the sale of
tho guns TO other nations in time of
war; so the actual loss to the govern
ment was $l5,OO0,OO These guns, ii is
true. had been used in the war, and
presumably the government had got
$l5 10000 worth of service ont of them;
but they We're in good condition and
| might have been used by our little
standing army of $4,000 men for half a
century if the style had not changed.
The Springeld rifle cost a little more
| than tn" old-style musket. 1t was re-
| placed by magazine gun of small
| calibe" and high velocity. The old
| guns were not discarded when the new
ones came in. They are "as good as
| gold says General Flagler, the chief
If ordnance of the army. They were
put through the armory, where all
worn parts were replaced and 80 per
| cent Of them were restored to prime
condition. They will be kept in reserve
for use in time of trouble. The officers
If the government will nos even say
how many of them there are. for fear
| foreign nations should base on that
| information an estimate of our fighting
| resources.
Some of the old heavy ordnance still
has uses, but most of it has been sold
| for old iron or given away. Three hun
dred and seventy-eight guns have been
given away, principally to Grand Army
| posts; also 1872 gun carriaS Ses, and about
| 5000 shells
This ordnance. like the muskets. had
seen good service, and besides. its
original cost, was comparatively small
! An old eight-inCh smooth-bore cost
about $1,000. while an eight-inch mod
ern rifle gun costs $1,000 There Is ar
amazing difference in the efficiency OF
the two, however. The old smooth.
bore was a fifty FOUNDER, and used
ten and one-half pounds of powder
The modern gun of the same calibei
is 3OO-pounder, and uses 1856 pounds
of powder.
When the Navy department adopted
a new rifle recently, it turned the ole
rifles over to the naval militia. There
were more than 5000 of them, and they
were worth about $75. 900. Even If ther,
had been no militia to equip. the Loss
by this change would have been com
paratively small. There are ten thou
sand of the new rifles, including thos,
for the Marine Corps, and they cos
about s175,0O0.
At the end of the war the Navy de
partment did not forthwith tumble
| ONerDoaru the ola caSt-lfOn cannon an'
substitute the modern built-up gun
The change has been gradual. and som,
of the old guns are still in use on ou
ships of war. Nor were the woodel
ships of the old navy discarded, ex
cept as they wore out
The ships of the new navy are of tn
very latest design, and cost $25OOOO t.
S5000,O00 each. 1t is not likely tina
conditions will arise which will rende
them entirely obsolete. AS for ou
four-inch to thirteen-inch guns. whicl
cost the government from $2,500 to $50,
900 each, the only changes likely to oc
cur are in their mechanism, and thes
are small compared with the total cos
of the gun. Still any day some geniu
may come to the front with a who'll
new construction which will leave mil
lions of dollars worth of heavy ord
mace practically useless on our hand: