The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-11
MORE PONDER NEEDED
Uncle Sam Couldn't Fight
His Ships a Day.
NEW CHIEFS OF STAFF
Are Soon to be Appointed
Army and Navy News.
NEW CHIEFS OF STAFF

Chicago, Jan. 1o-A special from Wash
fngton says:
Uncle Sam is short Of powder for his
high-power guns. After his warships
shall have fired away the powder they
have on board, which they would do in
the course of a ten-hour battle, there
would be left in the entire country barely
enough to supply them for a thirty-nin-
utes combat And it would take the pow
der mills Of the United States, with. their
present facilities, nearly year to pro-
duce enough powder to supply the ships
for another ten-hour battle Such is the
substance of a report made to Secretary
Long by the board of ordinance and forti-
fications, which has recommended the
immediate building of government pow
der factory, by which the cost of sup
plying this powder could be greatly re-
duced. Ordinary powder. it must be I'M
derstood, will not do for high-power guns
There is plenty of this, and plenty of fine
blasting powder in the country, but very
little rifed-cannon powder. This last is
made by only two factories in the United
States, one in Delaware and one in CAL
ifornia, both of them of very limited ca
pacity. Hence the Importance of having
in store enough to meet all possible de-
mands Of war until more could be manu-
featured.
WEST BY WAY OF THE EAST.
Baltimore. Nd, Jan. 10-The new United
States revenue cutter McCulloch has
started on a long voyage by way of the
Suez canal to the Pacific ocean and San
Francisco. The contemplated trip, which
has attracted considerable attention in
maritime circles, will be a 23,0OO-miIe
cruise. Instead of taking the course
around Cape Horn, the McCulloch will
proceed by way of the Mediterranean sea,
Straits of Gibraltar, Suez canal and In
dian ocean. She will stop at Singapore,
Ceylon, Honolulu and Yokahoma and ex-
poets to reach San Francisco some time
in the middle of May. She goes well
armed and amply provisioned.
NEW CHIEFS OF STAFF.
New York. Jan. 10-President Mckinley
will appoint three chiefs of staff depart
ments in the army with the rank of brig
adler general within the next few weeks,
says the Washington correspondent of
the Herald. The choicest plum will be the
last to be given-that of the adjutant gen.
eralship, which is to be given to Colonel
II. c. Corbin, the ranking assistant adju-
tant general. Colonel Corbin has re-
Gently Seen transferred to duty in Wash
lngton, having for several years occupied
the post Of adjutant general of the de-
partment of the east, with headquarters
on Governors Island> New York. Colonel
Corbin is a personal friend of the presi-
dent, who, in appointing that officer to
be adjutant general, bestows upon him
the highest military honor in his gift.
His appointment has the APPROVAL of
yearly every public man in Washington.
Colonel Corbin's appointment is made
possible by the retirement OF Adjutant
General Samuel Breck, who has held Of
flee only since last September, having
been appointed to succeed Brigadier Gen
eral George d. Ruggles. The commissary
general and the quartermaster general Of
the army will both retire within a few
days of each other-Brigadier General
William H. Bell, commissary general, on
january Is and Brigadier General George
H. Weeks on February 3. The president
will not observe any rules of seniority in
making the appointments of their sue
cessors. Colonel Samuel T. Cushring,
whom he has decided to make commits
sary general, ranks fifth among the Off
GERS of his corps and Colonel Marshall
Ludington, whom he will appoint quar-
termaster general ranks ninth.
SECRETARY ALGER'S HEALTH.
Washington, Jan. 10.-Alarming stories
sent throughout the west relative to the
condition of Secretary Alger have caused
the issue of a formal statement of As
sistant Secretary Meiklejohn after con-
sulting with Captain Woods. the army
surgeon, who has been attending the Sec |
rotary during the illness which has now |
lasted about a month. 1t is said that |
he was attacked originally by the grip |
md this left in its wake a low type of |
fever, not typhoid. as has been reported. |
which weakened the patient considerably. |
The persistency of Secretary Alger in |
keeping at his work, even while confined |
TO his ROOM undoubtedly retarded his re- |
eoyery very much, but he was finally in /
duced TO give over the atetmpt toiook |
after the department business until he |
was able to get about again. 1t is now
said that the fever has completely dis
appeared and that the secretary is strong
pr. He still remains in bed by direction
IF DR.. Woods. but the physician says that |
by the end of this week or early next
week Secretary Alger will be able 10 leave
Washington for some point not yet Sc
lected. probably on the seashore. TO con-
Talesce. E.-...-
COLONEL CaRR'S CARFER