The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-12-27
hAai MILL|UNS'j HASIED.
uor!ar Purchased tor Coast De-
tense Denounced by Experts
as Without Value.
BlTTiEsHlpS DO NOT FEAR THEM.
Army aud Navy Men Declare IL Is iinpos"i
bic Il, Aim the MoTtsrs al Moving snip
war Vessels In More Danger OF Being
ksfuch by Lightning Than One OF ihese
AlorIars.


Mortars.
Washington, Dee. 25.-Strenuous Ell
forts are being made by certain IN
terested parties TO prevent an expo
sure. of one tremendous item OF eN-
travacauce which has accumulated
from year 10 year in the work of for
-tifving the coasts of the Cnited States.
# is not generally known. but there
are corporate influences which have
been eNerted upon congress year after
year for the express purpose of in
ducing thar body 10 provide money
for the building and installation OF
large number of ritied mortars for
coast defenses.
There are now in position or under
construction 372 of these mortars,
and the total number contemplated
under the general coast defense
scheme is no less than 800. These NOR
tars cost an average of about $4,000
each, so that the cost of the mOrtarS
themselves will aggregate fully So
100000. To place these gums in posi-
ton. providing them with the neces-
sary carriages and the usual heavy
cmplacemcntS, costs more than as
much again.
1t IS estimated that the total eN-
pendture ON account of l2-inch NOR
tars when the present cOast defense
scheme is completed will be not far
from $4,000 900. This enormous rN-
penditllrt. would be justified as Il nee
essary feature OF the defense of our
coasts. but inquiry among both ar
my and navy %nnnery experts de
veloped the fac1 that in their opinion
these mortars are absolutely useless
for the purposes for which they are
intended Distinguished ordnance
officers admit that there is not u
mortar in existence which can be de
pended upon to drop its shell any
where within Il radius of about ten
times the length Of an ordinary war
ship
1t is an open secret in both the
navy and war departments that the
average batTlcship would think moth
ing at all OF sailing right up against
Il whole battery of m0rtars, whereas
il would hesitate TO encounter sin
gle 12-inch rifle. The mortar bat
terry fires it's shell up in the air at
an extrayagant statement to say hat
there, is not one chance in Il thousand
of the shells striking battleship
moving even at the lowest rate Of
speed.
II Is impossible to aim these NOR
tars at moving ship, and even tn
range finders are of slight assistance,
Naval experts estimate that battle
ships are in more danger of being
struck by lightning than a hostile
blow from all the mortars in the
world. There are now in position
240 of these 12-inch mortars, scatter
ed along the coast and supposed to
guard important ports on the Allan
tic. gulf and Pacific coast. Besides
that the mortars take as much care
as ritied cannon.
To cap the climax of the absurdity,
it is 10 be noted that even during the |
last year no less thug "a of the T.
inch mortars have been put into posi- !
ton. 70 show the contempt with
which military men view these relics
of bygone days it is sufficient 10
say that proposition has seriously
been made by certain gunnery cN-
perts absolutely defying the war de |
partmeut to anchor an old barge a |
mile or SO of Sandy Hook and then at |
tempt to hit ii with any of the NOR
tarS in position there.
1t is declared by those on the in |
side that these mortars are the laugh |
ing stock OF both the army and navy, !
but no one cares to undertake the |
simple test suggested for the reason |
that the influences behind the con |
struction of the mortars are so pow |
erful that AN officer suggesting such |
an experiment would get the worst |
OF 1t sooner or later,
GunnerN experts will not talk for |
publication ON this subject. but il is /
Il well understood fact that the scan !
dai has reached the ears Of President /
Mckinley, who has determined TO put |
stop 10 the construction of these !
useless guns. which bear the same re |
lation to Il modern rifled cannon that |
the old muSket does 10 the krag-Jor- |
SenSen or the Mauser.
-
NATIONAL GUARD MUST WAIT /