New-York tribune., 1901-10-23
AMERICAN GUNS BEST
ADMIRAL O'NEIL REPORTS ON N,vr
ORDNANCE AND ARMoR.
SUBMARINE BOATS STILL IN THE EXPERT.
MENTAL sTAGE-NEw BATTLE
SHIP PLANS

Washington. Oct. 22-Increased efneisnc,, l.
big naval guns must be expected from tn. ,..
OF heavier projectiles and the product,on :,
powder possessing high ballistic qualities r.,,o
than from an increase in the weight and dir,.r
sions of the guns themselves saws Rear Adr,,r.,
Charles ONeil. chief of the Naval Burear :.
ordnance, in his annual report. The latest tvn..
or guns are so large and so heavy. ne saws tha.
1t is inadvisable to make an increase In eiths.
respect and the bureau now will confine itsel, 70
developing weightier projeetiles and powder a,
greater energy. The only material change in Tho
system of gun construction last year WA.
provision that guns of and above six inches h
calibre shall have an inner and outer tnh.
for greater safety. instead of solid for.
ing, heretofore. Admiral O'Neil bs
heves that the ordnance eauipmeut a.
American naval vessels is fully up to the hiyh-
est standard maintained abroad for vessels q,
corresponding age and class. and says he knows
of no guns afioat soon TO be put afioat eouaI
in energy to those manufacturing for the United
States navy. The manufacture of gun mounts
and other ordnance fittings for the new vessels
of the navy, he says. is we'll in hand and he has
every reason to believe that the outfits win ba
ready when the vessels are ready to receiva
them In the last fiscal year 1i3 guns for III.
finished.
In regard to smokeless powder. Admiral
O'Neil says there is no doubt that the grade ot
this powder made to-day is considerably su-
perior to that of year ago-due to a natural
process Of development, not TO inferiority in the
powder formerly manufactured. The ordnance
bureau considers the powder question in
satisfactory state at the present time.
Admiral ONeiI believes that the subject Of
submarine boats is receiving undue prominence
If these boats are shown TO have any value he
says, 1t will be an adjunct to the system OF
coast defence They cannot and will not he
continues. take the place of naval vessels O,
regular type or reader less number necessary.
Submarine boats. says the Admiral have not
yet emerged from the experimental stage
The use of torpedoes on large vessels has
been practically discontinued, no provision hav-
ing been made for them in the latest battleshps
and cruisers. Like the other bureaus of the
Navy Department, the ordnance bureau also has
suffered much delay in getting steel castings
for gun carriages. New carriages for 5-inch
guns were supplied to the Brooklyn. as num-
Der of these mounts were considerably injured
after the battle of Santiago. Experiments at
Indian Head with 3-inch gun have shown that
firing at the rate Of one and one-haf shots a
minute such guns are rapidly eroded. though
this rate IS below that required in battle. Ad-
miTal O'Neil says that the latest armOr con-
tracts extremely advantageous to the gov
ernment. the price being lower than that paid
abroad and the armOr being the best that can
be produced. AS president of the Board on
Construction he discusses at length the details
Of the plans for the new battleships and cruisers
called for by Congress and heretofore made pub
lc. Admiral ONeil says the real issue in the
board was not double versus single turrets, but
finch versus S-inch and 6-tnch guns and he
argues strongly in favor OF the l-inch weapon.
The estimates accompanying the report agsre-
gate S1O902 0O6 the largest items being $1,000
600 for armOr and armament and s.. 423OOO for
navy yard plants and ammunition. There also
are items for replacing the present foreign made
guns on the New-Orleans and the Albany and
new battery for the Newark.