REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ORDNANCE AND FORTIFICATION. The Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR: WASHINGTON, October 24, 1891. The "act making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes," approved February 24, 1891, contained the following provision: Provided, That the Board of Ordnance and Fortification shall make an annual report to Congress, through the Secretary of War, on the first Monday in December in each year, showing the general operations of the Board, and shall give a detailed statement of all contracts, allotments and expenditures made by the Board, the first of these reports to cover these subject-matters from the beginning of the operations of the Board until the first report which they shall make. Pursuant to the foregoing provision of law, the Board of Ordnance and Fortification herewith submits its first regular report, covering the first three years of its operations. ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD. The Board of Ordnance and Fortification was created by the act of September 22, 1888, being the same act which initiated the new project of seacoast defenses and the Army gun factory at Watervliet Arsenal, New York. The first section of that act provided— That the appropriation hereinafter provided for shall be available until expended, and shall be expended under the direct supervision of a Board to consist of the Commanding General of the Army, an officer of Engineers, an officer of Ordnance and an officer of Artillery, to be selected by the Secretary of War, to be called and known as the Board of Ordnance and Fortification; and the said Board shall be under the direction of the Secretary of War, and subject to his supervision and control in all respects, and shall have power to provide suitable regulations for the inspection of guns and materials at all stages of manufacture, to the extent necessary to protect fully the interests of the United States, and generally to provide such regulations concerning matters within said Board's operations as shall be necessary to carry out to the best advantage all duties committed to its charge: Provided, That, subject to the foregoing provisions, the expenditure shall be made by the several bureaus of the War Department having jurisdiction of the same under existing law. This statute created the Board and established its general jurisdiction. Other provisions of law have from time to time enlarged or narrowed the scope of the operations of the Board in special matters, to be hereinafter referred to, but this general jurisdiction has remained substantially unchanged. Pursuant to this statute the following designations for the Board were made and promulgated by the Secretary of War, to wit: 7. The following order has been received from the War Department: WAR DEPARTMENT, Under a provision of an act of Congress entitled "An act making appropriations for fortifications and other works of defense, and for the armament thereof, for the procurement of heavy ordnance for trial and service, and for other purposes," approved September 22, 1888, a Board, to consist of the officers hereinafter named, "to be called and known as the Board of Ordnance and Fortification," and to “be under the direction of the Secretary of War and subject to his supervision and control in all respects," is hereby appointed “to provide suitable regulations for the inspection of guns and materials at all stages of manufacture to the extent necessary to protect fully the interests of the United States, and generally to provide such regulations concerning matters within said Board's operations as shall be necessary to carry out to the best advantage all duties committed to its charge." Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield, U. S. Army. Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers. Col. Henry W. Closson, Fourth Artillery. Lieut. Col. Alfred Mordecai, Ordnance Department. Capt. Charles C. Morrison, Ordnance Department, is detailed as recorder of the Board. The Board as thus constituted met and organized October 30, 1888. These designations for members of the Board have remained unchanged to the present time, but Capt. Charles C. Morrison, Ordnance Department, was relieved as recorder of the Board, and Capt. D. M. Taylor, Ordnance Department, was detailed in his place, Capt. Taylor assuming his duties January 14, 1890. By the fortification act of February 24, 1891, provision was made for an increase of the Board as follows: And one additional member shall be added to the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, who shall be a civilian and not an ex-officer of the Regular Army or Navy, and he shall be nominated by the President, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate appointed, and he shall be paid a salary of five thousand dollars per annum and actual travelling expenses when travelling on duty. In accordance with this law the President on the first day of July, 1891, appointed Hon. Byron M. Cutcheon, of Michigan, as such civilian member of the Board, who duly qualified and entered at once upon the performance of his duties as such. THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD. The act before recited requires the Board to make a report (1) show ing "the general operations of the Board," and (2) to "give a detailed statement of all contracts, allotments, and expenditures made by the Board." It will be observed that according to the organic act (September 22, 1888) the Board is to be "under the direction of the Secretary of War and subject to his supervision and control in all respects," upon the one hand, and that "subject to the foregoing provisions the expendi ture shall be made by the several bureaus of the War Department having jurisdiction of the same, under existing law," upon the other hand. The Board is thus only advisory to the Secretary of War, and itself makes no contracts and expends no appropriation except for the necessary expenses of the Board. So far as contracts and expenditure of appropriations are concerned its functions are to make recommendations to the Secretary of War. In the matter of allotments its recommendations are advisory only, and may be approved or disapproved by him. By the acts of 1888 and 1889 the appropriation for fortification and armament is placed "under the direct supervision of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification." Under the acts of 1890 and 1891 that part of the appropriation which relates to armament of fortifications is placed under such supervision, and by the act of 1890, the appropriation for gun and mortar batteries and for the procurement of land for sites, also is so placed. With this statement it will be understood when it is said that it is impossible to report "contracts made by the Board," inasmuch as no contracts have been made by it. In order, however, to afford as far as possible the information desired, the Board incorporates herewith a detailed statement, showing all appropriations made (beginning with that of September 22, 1888), subject to the supervision of the Board, also a detailed statement showing all allotments made or recommended by the Board from such appropriations. For convenience of reference these two statements are combined, and are made Appendix A. A detailed statement is also appended showing all expenditures made by the Board. From these several statements it will be seen that the total amount appropriated subject to the supervision of the Board to date has been $11,385,332; and in addition thereto the sum of $3,500,000 will be required to fulfill the contract with the Bethlehem Iron Company, approved by this Board, which will need to be estimated and appropriated from year to year, as the contract progresses. The total amount allotted by the Board has been $10,526,625.26. And the entire amount expended by the Board for its expenses to the date of this report has been $5,567.50. GENERAL OPERATIONS. Under the head of "General Operations of the Board" a vast number of subjects have come before it, embracing almost every possible form of project for fortifications and armament. To all of these the Board has given careful and conscientious attention, though the greater number have been such as could not be adopted or recommended. There is one hopeful and favorable feature, however, in all this, and that is that it shows the great and widespread interest and activity in the matter of national defense. To specify the action taken on them all would be to transcribe the proceedings of the Board, which fill several volumes. It will suffice to state briefly the action taken upon each of the most important elements of fortification and armament which have been considered. ARMY GUN FACTORY. One of the most important and interesting steps in the progress of the new policy of seacoast defense inaugurated by the act of Septem ber 22, 1888, is the installation of the Army gun factory at Watervliet Arsenal, West Troy, N. Y. In fact it may be said to have been the initial step in that policy. The act above named provided For the erection, purchase, or manufacture of the necessary buildings and other structures, machinery, tools, and fixtures for an Army gun factory for finishing and assembling heavy ordnance, to be erected at the Watervliet Arsenal, West Troy, New York, seven hundred thousand dollars. This amount became at once available; the Board on November 6, 1888, allotted the full amount for the purpose intended, based upon plans for the factory, which had already been prepared by the Ordnance Department and submitted to the Board, so that by December, 1888, it became possible to let some of the contracts for construction and to begin work. For details of the progress of construction reference is made to the annual reports of the Chief of Ordnance for 1889 and 1890, under which Department the work has been done. In about two years from the making of the appropriation the north wing of the factory was so far completed as to be occupied for its intended use, with the machinery, except the heaviest, in place. By September 30, 1890, the whole amount of the original appropriation of $700,000 had been expended or obligated by contracts. By the act of August 18, 1890, a further sum of $526,300 was appropriated for the completion and equipment of the factory, of which $165,000 was "for machinery to complete to full capacity the present gun-factory building," and $320,000 was "for boring and turning-lathes, rifling machine, and 80-ton traveling crane, fully equipped for the manufacture of 12-inch guns," and the remainder was for miscellaneous purposes. This appropriation was apportioned by act of Congress to the special purposes for which it was intended, and required only the formal action of the Board. This allotment was promptly made. So far as it has been expended it has been done through the Ordnance Department having jurisdiction of the same. By the act of February 24, 1891, provision is made for the erection. and equipment of the south wing of the gun factory; $248,743 being appropriated for the building, including ways for traveling crane, and $268,000 for machinery, tools, power plant and fixtures. The Board has not visited the work since this appropriation was allotted, but is informed that good progress has been made with the building, and that contracts for its equipment are progressing satisfactorily. Other appropriations, amounting to $29,500, for completing the equipment of the gun factory, were made by the act of 1891, making the total amount appropriated for that object to date $1,772,543, without taking into account the value of the site. The entire amount has been alloted, as shown by the following statement: Allotments for Army gun factory. 1888. ACT SEPTEMBER 22, 1888. Nov. 6. Buildings, machinery, tools and fixtures.. 8. Erection and completion of two sets of officers' quarters.. $680,000 20,000 FORTIFICATION ACT, AUGUST 18, 1890. 1890. Sept. 2. For machinery to complete building to full capacity. $165,000 5. Oct. 1. For building for wash room, closets, etc....... 12,000 4. Fireproof brick office building (not approved until September, 23,000 Sept. 2. Railroad sidings, etc., and weighing scale 2,800 Engine and shafting 3,500 Boring and turning-lathes, rifling machine, and 80-ton crane. 320,000 These figures relate to the new gun factory for the fabrication of seacoast guns of heavy caliber. In addition to the allotments for the new gun factory the Board has been called upon to make and has made the following allotments to complete the equipment of the old (or small) gun shop at Watervliet, which is engaged in the fabrication of field and siege guns, projectiles and experimental guns, to wit: Oct. 1, 1890, for increase of machinery and plant for manufacture of projectiles and for castings... Dec. 4, 1889, for making alteration in machinery and for purchase of new machines for experimental guns.. $13, 888 16,000 Total.. 29, 888 The factory is now turning out guns up to and including 12 inches caliber. The 8-inch gun, the only one which has been fully tested, has proved itself satisfactory. When completed, as contemplated by the act of 1891, the factory will be equipped for manufacturing all calibers up to and including 12 inches, and the building will be adapted to receive machinery for finishing and assembling 16-inch guns, should Congress hereafter authorize their construction. The Board has carefully considered this question of additional machinery, and is strongly of opinion and now recommends that it should be of a size adapted to finish and assemble the 16-inch gun. If designed for calibers of only 12 inches or less, it will be unable to work upon guns of a larger size, while if designed for the 16-inch gun it will be entirely serviceable for smaller calibers. If the vacant space in the factory be filled with these smaller tools, much loss of time and needless expense will be incurred in removing and replacing them when Congress elects to commence the manufacture of a larger type. That a larger type than the 12-inch gun is necessary for our coast batteries is certain. No one proposes to reduce the heaviest naval guns below 13.5 inches in caliber, and nothing can be more certain than that land batteries should be equipped with guns of higher power than those to be brought against them. The difficulties of limited flotation, restricted space and excessive weight of armor do not apply to guns mounted on the solid earth. The mere fact that the English 16-inch guns now a pear to have insufficient strength, should not condemn the entire cla |