FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

In compliance with the act of February 24, 1891, which requires “a detailed statement of all contracts, allotments, and expenditures made by the Board," an exhibit, marked Appendix A, accompanies this report, giving this detailed statement for the period from October 31, 1899, the date of the last annual report, to October 31, 1900.

No contracts are entered into by the Board, since under the terms of the original act creating the Board these must be made, under the direction of the Secretary of War, by the several bureaus of the War Department having jurisdiction of the same under existing law.

The following table gives a summary of the balances of appropriations at the date of the last report, the appropriations and allotments made during the year, and the balances remaining on hand October 31, 1900:

The usual number and variety of subjects have been considered during the year, and in the accompanying appendix, marked B, will be found a complete list of these subjects, together with a brief statement of the action taken. It is believed that no meritorious invention has failed to receive due encouragement and recognition, although in the great majority of cases the devices submitted by inventors have not been deemed of sufficient military value to warrant an allotment from the funds of the Board for their development and test.

The experiments undertaken by Mr. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, under allotments made by the Board on November 9, 1898, and December 18, 1899, to determine the practical value of the aerodrome in aerial navigation, are still in progress, and have become of additional interest to the service in view of the recent successes achieved abroad in the construction of dirigible balloons.

The increased importance for coast defense of rapid-fire guns of 4-, 5-, and 6-inch calibers has been fully recognized. The Board has recommended the adoption of the pedestal type of barbette mount for all such guns. The question of supplying our field artillery with the latest and very best modern material has received careful consideration. In order to obtain a type field equipment for the service at the earliest possible date, the Board has prepared and recommended a programme covering a series of competitive tests to take place early in the coming year. It is believed that as a result of these tests the United States will secure for the use of its troops the most efficient material of its kind yet produced.

With the introduction of smokeless powder and the great developments taking place in rapid-firing guns, the character of our national armament will be correspondingly improved.

THE HUNDRED-GUN CONTRACT.

Under the contract of November 7, 1891, between the Bethlehem Iron Company and the Chief of Ordnance, United States Army, the company named agreed to deliver twenty-five 8-inch, fifty 10-inch, and twenty-five 12-inch guns. The present condition of this contract is shown by the following extract from a report of the company dated September 13, 1900:

This contract is dated November 7, 1891, and calls for the completion of 100 guns. The twenty-five 8-inch guns have all been shipped some time since, as already reported. Of the fifty 10-inch guns, 35 are shipped and 2 are now being prepared for shipping, having been completed and tested; 1 more is completed and will be ready for shipment within two weeks. The parts of the balance of the 10-inch guns are forged, and these guns, if desired by the War Department, could be delivered very rapidly indeed; but we are ordered to have only a very limited number of them completed in the fiscal year following the 30th of June, and have laid out the work accordingly. Of the twenty-five 12-inch guns, 7 are shipped, 1 will be shipped next month, and 2 more before the 1st of next January. As in the case of the 10-inch guns, the parts of all these guns are forged, and many of the pieces are in an advanced stage in the shops; but the number that we are permitted to deliver during the fiscal year beginning on the 30th of next June is very limited, and we have of course laid out the work in accordance with these directions.

The 10-inch Brown segmental-tube wire-wound gun.-The action of the Board of September 15, 1896, recommending an allotment for the purchase of this gun, was as follows:

It is recommended that there be allotted from the appropriation "Board of Ordnance and Fortification" the sum of $33,000 to enable the Chief of Ordnance to procure a 10-inch Brown segmental-tube wire-wound breech-loading rifle, according to the plans submitted by the trustees of the Brown segmental wire gun.

The gun shall be 45 calibers in length, designed to fit on a service barbette carriage, and to use the service projectile. The physical qualities of the metals used and the details of construction shall be as given in the letter of the engineer for the trustees dated September 13, 1896. The gun shall be subject to inspection by the Ordnance Department at all stages of its manufacture.

Payments for the gun shall be made as follows:

(1) Eight thousand dollars to be paid when the rolling mill and winding machine are completed.

(2) Forgings to be paid for upon delivery on cars after inspection and acceptance at the place of manufacture, in accordance with bills approved by the inspector of ordnance.

(3) The balance of the allotment to be divided into four equal parts, the first to be paid to the trustees when the gun is certified by the inspector of ordnance in charge of the work to be one-fourth finished, the second payment when it is onehalf finished, the third when it is three-fourths finished, and the last when the gun is delivered at Sandy Hook.

The cost of transportation from Reading, Pa., to the Sandy Hook proving ground will be paid by the United States.

The Secretary of War approved the recommendation of the Board, and the gun was contracted for.

On December 22, 1899, the trustees having reported the completion of the gun, the Board made a visit to the shops of the Reading Iron Company at Reading, Pa., for the purpose of inspecting the gun and the machinery used in its manufacture. The gun was shipped to the proving ground at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, on January 9, 1900, but a programme for its test has not yet been completed, owing to delay on the part of the trustees in designating a suitable powder. Recent correspondence, however, with the trustees indicates that a suitable powder will be determined upon at an early date.

WAR 1900-VOL 1, PT I—11

GUN CARRIAGES.

The Emery 12-inch elevating carriage. This carriage was originally contracted for under a special act of Congress, approved February 18, 1893, appropriating $130,000 for the purpose. An additional appropriation was made on June 6, 1896, of $10,000 to cover the cost of the loading apparatus, and the act making appropriations for fortifications approved May 25, 1900, contains an additional appropriation of $40,000 to complete the carriage. The present condition of the work of construction is shown by the following extract from a report from Mr. Emery, dated Stamford, Conn., September 28, 1900:

My report to you of September 29, 1899, showed from the shop as finished during the time covered by that report 1,563 pieces, of an aggregate weight of a little over 62,500 pounds. Since then there have been reported as finished 3,438 pieces, of an aggregate weight of 78,000 pounds. This includes the 384 pieces mentioned in my letter of October 2, 1899.

The work of finishing this carriage came largely to a standstill by reason of insufficient funds to complete it, by which the work was delayed directly, and indirectly by my having to spend several months in efforts to obtain them, which was finally accomplished by appealing to Congress.

It is impossible to say definitely when the work will be done, but my hope now is to have the carriage completed, erected, and tested during the year 1901. *

The 10-inch pneumatic carriage. This carriage was constructed under a special act of Congress, approved August 1, 1894, appropriating $50,000 for the purpose, and it is now mounted at the proving ground at Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

In a letter to the president of the Board, dated October 10, 1900, the contracting company reports as follows:"

Referring to the condition of the work on the 10-inch pneumatic disappearing carriage now at Sandy Hook, I have to state that the latest advices from our engineer are that the carriage will be ready for test between the 1st and 15th of November. All the new parts of the carriage replacing the portions that were demolished in the accidental fall of the gun when the carriage was ready for test in December, 1898, are now in place, and as soon as certain portions of the carriage which have been exposed to the weather are cleaned and put into proper condition the tests can begin.

The 10-inch Howell disappearing carriage (counterpoise).—This _carriage was constructed under a special act of Congress, approved June 6, 1896, appropriating $50,000 for the purpose, and it has been tested, accepted, and paid for. On April 25, 1899, the Board recommended the adoption of this carriage as an additional type for the service. The Secretary of War in withholding his approval of the recommendation again referred the matter to the Board for further consideration and report. At its meeting on July 12, 1899, the following action was taken:

The Board, having fully and carefully considered the subject, desires to state that in taking its action of April 25, 1899, recommending the adoption of the Howell disappearing gun carriage as an additional type carriage, it was not the intention of the Board to supplant the present service carriage. It was, and is, the opinion of the Board that the Howell carriage possesses certain mechanical and economical advantages, and may be used in such numbers and at such places as may be determined by the best interests of the Government. The Board therefore adheres to its original recommendation that the Howell disappearing gun carriage be adopted as an additional type service carriage for use in our coast defenses.

Before approving this recommendation the Secretary of War desired further and more complete firing tests. These tests have not yet been

made, but Mr. G. Y. At Lee, licensee of the patents of Admiral Howell, reports, under date of October 10, 1900, as follows:

Referring to the Howell counterpoise disappearing carriage, now undergoing certain alterations and improvements under allotment from your Board (contract dated July 20, 1900), I have to state that the parts of the carriage required to be removed during the work have been shipped to the Bethlehem Steel Company's works, and the work is now in progress. We expect the work to be completed within sixty days from date.

RAPID-FIRE GUNS AND MOUNTS.

The Driggs-Seabury 4.724-inch rapid-fire gun.-This gun was originally purchased under an allotment from this Board, and was first submitted for test on May 3, 1895, since which date several changes in the breech mechanism have been made. Since July 3, 1898, the date of the completion of the present mechanism, the gun has been fired 48 rounds. At the conclusion of the firing test at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, under date of March 23, 1900, the Ordnance Board reports as follows:

The gun body is of the usual type of rapid-fire guns of this caliber, and its construction offers no unusual features. The breech mechanism now fitted to the gun is similar in general construction to that of the 3-inch 15-pounder coast-defense guns now being procured from the Driggs-Seabury Gun and Ammunition Company. The mechanism is simple, and in the limited tests to which it has so far been subjected has performed in a satisfactory manner.

The Vickers-Maxim 75 mm. mountain gun.-This gun was adopted as a type for the service to the extent of supplying the immediate necessities of troops in the field, and two complete 6-gun batteries with pack equipment and ammunition were purchased and sent to the Philippines for service test. Reports received from the artillery officers in charge of these guns having been favorable, two additional batteries were recently purchased from the manufacturers.

The Hotchkiss 1-pounder balloon gun.-On February 15, 1898, the Board made an allotment to enable the Chief of Ordnance to test this gun with mount. The Chief of Ordnance reports that

The gun was purchased in accordance with the action of the Board and sent to the Rock Island Arsenal by the Chief of Ordnance, with instructions to make a wagon for it, and detailed report after its construction. There being no drawings or other data on hand, a wagon had to be devised.

Considerable time was required to prepare drawings and procure material for the construction, which was completed last April and tested by a practice march.

This test developed defects of construction which had to be remedied, involving loss of more time.

The wagon is now at Rock Island Arsenal completed and ready for issue.

The 6-inch rapid-fire gun on Buffington-Crozier mount (disappear ing). The tests of this gun and carriage have been completed during the year at the proving ground at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. As the result of these tests the Board, at its meeting on October 5, 1900, took the following action:

While the mechanical operation of the carriage is satisfactory, it is the opinion of the Board that, in the interests of economy in the construction of carriage and emplacements and of the general efficiency of the service, this carriage should not be adopted as a type, and it is recommended that no additional carriages of this type shall hereafter be procured for rapid-fire guns.

The 5-inch gun, pillar mount (carriage No. 2).—This carriage, known as pillar mount No. 2, was constructed to embody certain improvements which were decided to be necessary in order to overcome mechanical defects in the original carriage manufactured at Watertown Arsenal. It was delivered at the proving ground at Sandy Hook,

New Jersey, on May 16, 1898, and was under tests from that date until May 12, 1899. In all 29 rounds have been fired from this carriage. The final firing test of this type of carriage took place in the presence of the Board on October 1, 1900. As the result of the tests conducted the Board, at its meeting on October 5, 1900, made the following recommendation:

While no serious defects in the mechanism developed during the inspection and test of this mount, the Board does not consider it, in its present form, a suitable type for the service, and it is recommended that hereafter all emplacements for rapid-fire guns should be made to provide for pedestal mounts until the success of a satisfactory balanced pillar mount for these guns is definitely assured.

RAPID FIRING FIELD GUNS AND CARRIAGES.

The Darmancier-Dalzon field gun, 3-inch, 15-pounder. This gun was purchased under an allotment made by this Board on November 17, 1897, and up to February 1, 1900, 232 rounds had been fired in testing the gun and carriage. At this time it was noticed that the tube of the gun had moved forward slightly, and in the further firings the movement continued until it was deemed dangerous to make further tests. The manufacturers, Messrs. Vicker's Sons and Maxim, have been requested to replace the gun by another, and they have agreed to do so. During all of the tests made 394 rounds were fired.

The Driggs-Seabury 3-inch minimum recoil field carriage. -This carriage was contracted for on March 2, 1898, under an allotment from this Board. It was delivered at the proving ground at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in April, 1900, and a Driggs-Seabury 3-inch gun was mounted upon it. Up to July 31, 1900, 28 rounds had been fired, when at the request of the manufacturers, the Driggs-Seabury Gun and Ammunition Company, the carriage was temporarily withdrawn, but was returned at a later date for further test.

PROPOSED COMPETITIVE TESTS OF FIELD-GUN CARRIAGES.

In order that a definite plan might be adopted for the tests of the various field guns submitted, the Board, at its meeting on August 23, 1900, appointed a committee to prepare a programme covering the proposed tests. A programme was accordingly prepared and adopted by the Board at its meeting on October 5, 1900, and, if approved by the Secretary of War, will be carried into effect at the earliest practicable date. Manufacturers desiring to submit guns and carriages for test are to be given four months' time from the date of notice in which to do so, and it is hoped that this test will be completed early in the coming year.

HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

Since the date of the last annual report no further progress has been made by the Board in the development of high explosives for service use, or in the method of throwing high explosives with safety from service guns.

POWER APPARATUS FOR COAST GUNS.

Experiments with electrical power apparatus for manipulating the guns and carriages of the coast armament have been continued during the year at the type fire command, Fort Wadsworth, New York Harbor. Both the General Electric equipment and Sprague Electric equipment have given satisfactory results under the usual conditions of drill and practice, and it is believed that they are now sufficiently well