118 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



and a full and fair trial accorded to all devices offered to the 

 government that promise a sohition of the ordnimoe problem. 



6. That more eflicient means for hiirlior defence shoukl be 

 adopted. The lute war demonstrated that sand was the best 

 material for defensive works, and that forts of masonry, such as 

 we have now mainly to rely upon for the protection of our sea- 

 board cities, are inellicicnt to prevent the passage of armored, or 

 even wooden, vessels. The destruction of such defences is only 

 a question of time to ordinary guns of heavy calibre. It was 

 also demonstrated th:it forts alone, of whatever character, cannot 

 resist the entrance to harbors of powerfully armed ships if the 

 ])rei)onderanee of guns on the assailing Heet is suflieient. In the 

 oi)ini(>n of the ccmimittee, obstructions must be largely relied 

 upon for harbor defence, in connection with properly constructed 

 fortifications. 



7. That no officer of the army or navy should be allowed to 

 receive a patent for any article required, or likely to be required, 

 for use in those branches of the public service, or to be in any 

 way interested in the manufacture or procurement of such arti- 

 cles. It should be the duty of Congress to recognize in suitable 

 rewards the services of such officers as might make inventions 

 of especial value to the government. 



8. That the Ordnance Department of the army can be entirely 

 abolished with great advantage as to economy, and without 

 detriment to the good of the service. The; duties now performed 

 by officers of that corps could be i)erformed by oflicers detailed 

 from the artillery service, under the direction of a chief stationed 

 at Washington. In this manner the whole expense of the ord- 

 nance establishment would be saveil, and artillery oflicers, who 

 have not only scientific training, but practical experience, would 

 have a voice in the selection of the guns and ammunition they 

 are required to use. 



The committee are of the opinion that, for the reasons shown, 

 the interests of the public service demand a change in the system 

 of procuring ordnance and ordnance stores, and the manner of 

 conducting experiments with a view to determining the value of 

 the same. The present system has failed to answer the purpose 

 for which it was designed, and the United States is in the position 

 to-day of a nation having a vast coast-line to defend, and a large 

 nav}', without a single rilled gun of large calibre, and a cor2)s of 

 ordnance officers who have thus far failed to discover a remedy 

 for the failure of the guns, or to master the rudiments of the 

 science in which they have l)ccn trained at the pui)lic expense. 

 The importance of an immediate change is shown by the fact 

 tiiat the chief of ordnance of the army asks for appropriations to 

 purchase over 1,900 guns to arm tlie lorts, not of a new and bet- 

 ter system to be decided upon after more thorough and careful 

 experiment, but of a kind tiiat experience has shown to be in- 

 ferior in range and penetration to the guns of foreign powers, 

 and unreliable as to endurance. 



It is proposed that 8o of these guns shall be smooth bores of 

 20-ineh calibre, 490 of lo-inch calibre, and GOO of IJ-iuch calibre. 



