The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-14
What the Ordnance Chief Learned
From the War.
GEN. FLAGLER'S REPORT
BATTLEsHrps CANNOT SILENCE
SEA COAST BATTERIES.
Not Determined Whether Batteries
Can Sink the Ships-Large Sup
plies of Army Equipments Cannot
Be Kept On Hand-Efforts to Pro-
duce Smokeless Powder.

Washington. Nov. 13.-General w. D.
Flagler, Chief of the bureau of ord
nance, has made his annual report to
the secretary of war. 1t shows that
there was expended during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1898, $7,34S, 795, and
that there still remains of the appro-
priations made for the ordnance pu-
reau, $19, 793, 359. This large sum IS de-
rived from the appropriations for the
fiscal year which were made 1oT war
purposes, amounting to $2l, 5O4,59z
Regarding the equipment of Yolun-
teers. the general thinks it would be
as well to have the government equip
them, instead of their bringing their
state arms into service, saying thaI
it could be done as quickly, owing TO
the condition of the arms Of state
troops. He speaks in terms OF praise OF
the manner in which work has been
performed in arsenals and ordnance
factories in the rush that was made
in putting the country On footing Tor
war with Spain. AS to the equipment
OF an army, he says:
so long as the principal dependence
in this country in a time of war is a
large volunteer force, newly LEVIED, II
is impracticable to keep on hand large
supplies of cavalry, artillery and horse
equipments, as these, in the course Of a
few years, will not only deteriorate,
but viii have to be materially modified
to keep pace with improvements Inc
major part of such material can, by
taking advantage of the resources OF
Rock Island and the other arsenaIs,
and the numerous private establish
ments capable of producing it, be sup
az
raised, mustered into service and pre-
pared for campaign. There should,
however, be on hand field and siege
artillery, with carriages, and a portion
of the harness required for 100000 men.
Such guns and carriages cannot 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 a supply Of 100000 on hand of any
new arm, and the arsena1s kept in con-
dition so as to produce $500 per day.
COAST DEFENsEs.
An interesting feature Of the report
is that which treats of coast defense.
The general says: Attention is es-
pecially invited to the experience Of the
last few months in attempting to pro-
vide quickly a coast defense. 1t is be-
lieVed to be impractica.ble, and we will
always be forced in any emergency to
rely upon what has been provided in
time of peace. I think it fair to state,
though not in the way Of complaint,
that this has been urged on congress
for the past ten years.
The situation is very simple. a
plan has been adopted for providing a
complete coast defense. With the pres
ent facilities of the department, this
work can be carried on economically
ard in the most efficient manner in
such way as to complete the present
plan in about seven years Estimates
ought TO be submitted each year for
so much of the work as the facilities
for its production viii permit. It rests
with congress to determine how much
of the work can be provided for each
year, consistently with the resources
of the country. But the work cannot
progress faster than the appropriations
provide for.
1T is probable that there must be
added to the plans and estimates for
the coast defense some provision for
the defense of added possessions.
THE ARMY RIFLE.
General Flagler does rot claim for
the 45-calibre Springfield rifle an equal
ity with the new 30-calibre magazine
rifle Of the army, but he says that it
is a very good arm and possesses many
merits. This feature has heretofore
been commented upon in the discus
sion of small arms used during the war
The machinery for the manufacture of
Small-arrn ammunition was none the
best, yet the department turned out
80, COG 600 rounds for the war. For years
past, the report states, the appropria-
tions for equipments Of infantry, cav
airy, artillery and horses have been
barely sufficient to meet the consump-
ton of the regular army, and, although
there were buildings, there was not
machinery with which to manufacture
these supplies 1t was not possible to
ill acquisitions for the volunteer troops
when made.
Details are given of what was done
TO rapidly increase the coast defenses
when the war began. He calls atten-
ton to the fact that congress has
never appropriated what was asked for
powder and projectiles, and in conse-
Quence the supply at the beginning of
the war was inadequate, and he gives
some instances of the work done by
the. department to make good the de-
hciency.
SNOKELESS POWDER.
The following statement is made as
to powder: For several years this de-
partment has been experimenting on
SnlOkeleSS powders for SeacoaSt guns
and had completed the determination
of the specifications and requirements
for the smokeless powders for nearly
all the seacoast guns and mortars
Some of the powder manufacturers that
had engaged in the production of these
experimental powders had small plants
for their production. 1t was impossible
however, to produce the powders fast
enough to meet the emergency, and in
some cases experience in their use was
necessary for adapting them to all the
requirements of the service. All the
companies, however, were ready at once
to take up the manufacture of the car
bon powders, and as the requirements
for tbs were simpler they could eX-
I)and their plant for this production
more rapidly, and for a time this de-
rartrnent therefore devoted all its en-.
ergies to providing sufficient supply
OF the carbon powders. Later, and as
fast as possible, the manufacture was
changed to sInekeless powders.
TT should be stated. however, thai
snokeiess powder only was manufac-
tured for field and siege artillery The
fact that the field and siege artillery
was to be employed was not determined
until about the time that war was de
clared, and there were no funds avail
able for procuring ammunition fol
these guns before that time The prep.
araSiOn Of smokelesS powder animuni.
ton for these guns commenced at once
but it was necessary to issue inme.
diately the ammunition on hand fol
the batteries that were sent to the
front, and, as this was all charcoal
powder ammunition, it accounts fol
the fact that only this black, or char.