New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-01
MR.. ROOT AT SANDY HOOK.
THE SECRETARY SEES IMPORTANT
TESTS OF GUNS AND EXPLOSIVES.
STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT FOREIGN GOV
ERNMENTs FROM LEARNING THE RE-
sULTA OF THE EXPERIMENTS.

STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT FOREIGN GOV
ERNMENTs FROM LEARNING THE RE-
SUITS OF THE EXPERIMENTS.
Since becoming Secretary of War ENhu Root
has largely devoted his energies to mastering
the manifold duties Of his office In pursuance
Of this policy the Secretary yesterday visited
tho proving grounds at Fort Hancock Sandy
Hook. and there Witnessed number Of tests
" high explosives rapid fire guns. disappear-
Ing carriages and the like.
When the steamer General Megs. flying at
her foremast head the flag Of the Secretary Of
War left Pier No. 3. East River. yesterday
morning at o'clock she carried besides the
Secretary. the Board Of Ordnance and Fortih-
cations consisting ~ Major General Nelson \.
Miles president: Colonel Royal T Frank. of the
artillery. Captain Kuhn. of the Engineer Corps,
Captain c p Wheeler Of the Ordnance Corps,
Judge Joseph H. Outhwaite. Of Onto. civil Nom
her of the Board and Lieutenant I. y. Lewis,
OF tho artillery. recorder ~ the BOARD Victor
!. Mason. Mr. Roots private secretary, also ac-
companed the party After stopping at Gov
ernor's Island 10 pick UP Major Butler. the
Chief Of Ordnance Of the Department or the
Last and the local Ordnance Board. the Cen
eral Megs proceeded 20 Sandy Hook, where she
arrived at 1890 o'clock. The party was re-
ceived 10y Major Heath and salute Of seven
teen guns I'm honor Of Secretary Root was ired
from the field gun platform The party tn'n
proceeded hy a train consisting Of an engine
and parlor car. to the proving grounds, where
the tests were held.
GENERAL MILES ARRIVES.
General Miles. who was the first Of the party
10 arrive at the wharf said that the tests were
t. consist Of various high explosives, rapid fir
ing guns. and the like when Secretary Root
arrit ed in response TO request that representa-
tiyes ~ the press be allowed to be present AT
the tests he said.
Il am sorry. but I don't think It is possible 70
allow you to go along The Government in these
tests is fin very much the same position any one
engaged I'm any branch Of trade Is. where there
are competitors. such one would not snow
his books to his rival and enable him TO learn
an the secrets of his trade. and yet if YOU were
to accompany us. that is exactly what we
would he doing for the Government would
throw open its books and expose 70 all its rivals
this part Of its method Of carrying on its bust
moss. My visit 10 the proving ground Is solely
fo~ the purpose Of famlllarizing myself with the
various departments of my Department. / IN
tend making a thorough inspection Of the guns
thofr emplacoments the fortifcatons and other
matters ~ interest but IL is largely that may
increase nv knowledge ~ such things. Ger
tain tests arc TO 20 made that render II nec's-
ear-. that II should he carried on privately. and
he. IN eact n sort = Army family affair When
return II IS possible may have something of
intoresi to the public. 10 say with regard 70
what has gone on"
The General Melgs after disemharking the
Governors Island party. returned to Pier 80 ,
u az f-s
70 her arrival the Government side oi tAe "nf n
was cleared II the various watersIde waits and
etravs that are Indigenous 10 all piers. A good
uatnred stcvedore got rid Of number of such
boys engaged in fishing by telling them that as
r. was n Government wharf each fish they
caught would require revenue stamp.
r-ron the arrival - the General Meigs Secre-
tar, Root declined 70 say anything for puhlica-
ton. except that he had had a very pleasant
CADET SMITHS DISMISSAL
He was then asked about the dismissal Of
cadet Philip 8 Smith from the West Point Mill
tarv Academy. which vas announced In the dis
patches from Washington in yesterdays even
irs papers. and I'm reply said that the matter
was finally closed.
General Miles was equally reticont concerning
the experiences Of the day. and when Idouten-
ant evils the recorder II the Board. was seen
ho said:
Secretary Root IS very anxious that nothing
definite should get into print. either about the
experiments had to-day or those 20 be h"lH
h.roafter heartily agree with him. and feel
that no efforts too strenuous can he taken TO
a,connlisb his end There has been altogether
700 much publicity I'm the past Take thorlte az
an instance Nothing should be known # this
has Tffl
urns concerning II The direct result Of this
nuluc,tv is that We are experimenting not alone
for ourselves but for the whole civilized world
as V,au and this publicity has become serious
drawback m the development Of our modern
b,eb oxnloslve The Secretary is determined
that o. shall sfop and that hereafter there shall
be- no more leakage
The Board of Ordnance and Forun'au""S
holds two kinds Of meetings paper and nom
,.,.r ,,oetines nv that mean proving ground
,,,.+t,f,s such as have been held to-day, ana
toaotinrs where paper work viii be gone ln'o'
such as Will be held AZ the Army BuhHlns To-
morrow morning at 10 O'Clock. l do not Kh""
v,nerhe, Secretary Root will be present al TO-
inYrrow's meeting or not
"A series IF general tests were held at tne
sandy Hook proving grounds to-day hetote U'e
Secretary II war ~ith thorite ana the IS"a'"
shau which is a system OF throwing hsh eN-
uloslves The Secretary also witnessed sH"'7
ar.l from g. and 10 inch guns. mounteA on
tr. service disappearing gun carriages Arm9r
piercing proiectos we're eNpenm,n.e,d WIN, IN,
and various armor. that had been iurniShe' i''
.t ',',,.g. u.as thoroughly tested. some eX-
,y ranfs Iur o'f Of guns and explosives ar u.s. In the
phuI-.ntnes we're tried but cannot Tell what
thcy we're Thorite was also tested satSia'-
There were no tests Of the sim-pud!ey
gun This is an can say Of to-day's eNperi-
,,, Already too many attaches ~ foreign
'' d., .lt,eether tuo we'll informed as
10 "ba' we are doing Nore Of them we're pres
ent today Foreign newspapers also are get
ting deal too much Information "s 70 our
doings In this line
TuoRITE AND IT'S PROPERTIES
T. d, t,terasting 20 note. in connection with