The herald., 1898-03-08
A DAYS EVENTS
Continued from Page One.)

ldu DeeH construed INTO request VI ue'
mand for his recall, which Mr.. du Bose
says with positiveness was never intended
THE CANNON BILL
! AS there has been no explanation so fai
of the purpose which promoted the intro
duction of Mr.. Cannon's resolution, it may
be said that the money is wanted primarily
as an emergency fund. 1t is said by the
officials who will have the disposition ol
this treasure that it by no Sneans follows
because congress places such sum OF
money in the control of the president, that
he will feel bound to spend all of it, Those
who look for wholesale purchase of war
ships from the bargain counters OF Euro
pean builders are likely to be disappointed.
The navy department a present is inclined
| to make but one purchase of this kind
at first, at least, in the shape of substan-
tial ronclad. 1t does desire to get posses
sion of several of the larger class of tor
pedo boat destroyers, such as the Sekul of
the Russian navy-vessels of 1900 tons,
able to keep the sea in bad weather. a
weak point with our own boats, and capa-
| BILE of enormous speed. such as 81 knots.
| But such craft are not for sale at all times.
| They are built to order. generally, and
could not be procured in this manner in less
than six months from the date OF the con-
tract, even in Europe. unless special prices
were paid There is no disposition on the
part Ol tllc navy utpeti " iuAi4'N. siiN
navy with lot of unserviceable craft in a
spasm of fear, but rather to set few of
the best vessels to be had.
OFFERS OF SHIPS
| The offers of ships to the navy depart
ment are now assuming definite and formal
shape During the day Secretary Long
received call from A. F.. Lane, represent
ing the Maxim -Nordenfeldt company, and
the agents for several warships now near
ing completion in large foreign shipyards.
These include two cruisers of the type of
the Cincinnati, which are designed to be
20-knot vessels, and two ironclads of II
knots, which would be called third-class
batteships under our rating. The two
new cruisers are $50 feet long, AZ feet beam
and 16 feet beam. They carry six 6-inch
and four 5-inch guns and an auxiliary bat
terry. The ironclads have a 13A-inch belt
of Harveyized steel. Their armament is
two l0-inch guns, four 5-inch two 6-inch,
six 6-pounders, and four 1-pounders. Mr..
Lane regards these ships as first class in
every particular. as they were designed on
modern principles and are being built by
one of the leading shpbuilding firms in
Europe. All four. it is said. could be in
commission within IA few months.
They were originally designed for one
of the South American republics, but there
is said to be no obligation which would
prevent the.r acquisition py the oHltetl
States.
Mr. Lane recently sold the navy depart
ment sixty of the Maxim -Nordenfeldt rap
id fire guns, and his standing with officials
is such as to give his representations as
to ships much weight.
OTHER THINGS NEEDED
There are things that are wanted much
more than warships in case of trouble.
and the army shares these needs, SO that
a fair proportion of the 100000 would
have to go to the war department.. These
are abundant supplies of shot. shell and
powder The army is as short as the
navy of these essential stores. 1t has been
found, greatly to the qualification of army
officers. that there will not be nearly as
much difficulty in securing modern arms
for the army. even on a war footing, as was
anticipated. This is because certain pri-
vate gunmakers have just brought OUT
a type of rotating rifle, very similar in
general features to the army rifle, using the
same cartridge of 30 gauge and with about
as great rapidity Of fire. The plants of
these companies are so extensive that they
could turn out the arms very rapidly, so
that the Springfields in the hands of the
militia could be replaced in short order
In connection with the subject of pur-
chasing ammunition 1t is said that no con-
tracts have been closed, but that the de-
speedily it could secure every kind of am
munition and supplies in case of emerg
ency. This inquiry has shown, in a gen.
eral way. that the facilities of this coun-
try are ample to meet any demand for
powder projectiles, cartridge cases, prim-
ers, fuse. etc. These supplies are not kept
in stock, however, and in case of emergency
they would have to be made on orders. 1t
is said tha, the capacity of one of the fac
tories turning out the brown prismatic
powder required by the navy is 50o0,000
pounds per month. which would more than
meet the demands of conflict.
While no estimate has been made of the
share of the 600 appropriation to be
allotted to ammunition, it is estimated at
least $40 CG0,o00 would be so consigned, ow-
ing to the enormous cost of refilling the
ammunition chests of the warships now in
service. AT present there is not enough
ammunition on hand for one refilling be-
yond that on board. a single refilling
costs 5000 000. Each of the battleships
carries 400 tons of ammunition. With the
amounts on hand and the refils which are
being calculated on, the navy would have
an ample supply of ammunition, even if
the ships were called into frequent action.
Naval officers explain that refill will last
through several engagements, owing to the
limit of endurance of men while in action.
If the guns could be worked constantly, a
refill would be exhausted in one heavy en-
gagement, but the guns as well as the men
have their limit of endurance. These con-
siderations have all been taken into ac-
count in the rough estimates that have
been made as to the retills requisite for the
American fleet.
NO BOND ISSUE
The appropriation of $4,000 900 for the ma
tional defense. for which provision was
made in the bill introduced in the house to-
day by Mr.. Cannon, would not involve the
issue of bonds. This announcement was
made by the treasury officials, who stated
that the treasury was amply prepared to
meet any demands that would likely be
made on it. on February the cash in the
treasury amounted to $3.50. 6.571 766, of which
$20i, ,063911 was gold $511 .S5SSi0 silver.
$l07, 56i 95s in paper currency and $33, ,oS4. .o02
in disbursng officers balances, etc. The
net available cash on hand above all
amounted to $22j, ,5Gi 2O3
MAY BE SOME RISK
i is not felt al the navy department that
the people of the Montgomery are taking
any particular risk in going into Havana
at this time, for, it is said should hostilities
break out it is a rule of honorable warfare
that they be given safe convoy out of the
waters of the hostile country OF course
Gen. Lee and the members of the court of
inquiry at Havana would be equally ex-
empt from molestation.
The personnel of the Montgomery is:
Commander, Convers; lientenant-com-
mander and executive officer, Bald navi-
gator, Lieut.. Hutchings; watch officers
Lieut. Field and Ensigns Steguer, Spear
and Osborne; surgeon, DR.. Curtis; pay
master, Ramsay; chief engineer, Reeves;
assistant engineer, Allen. The ship carries
n a nf n cl1