OBITUARY NOTICES. 
373 
center-fire cartridge was adopted for manufacture October 5, 
1866, being chosen for its several apparent advantages over 
the rim-fire cartridge, which was then generally in use in 
arms made by private manufacturers. The proper develop¬ 
ment of breech-loading small arms had been chiefly retarded 
up to this period by the defects of the cartridge, but owing 
largely to what was then accomplished at Frankford arsenal 
in perfecting the cartridge, the successful and rapid develop¬ 
ment of breech-loading arms was assured. 
Appointed Chief of Ordnance in 1874, General Benet ad¬ 
ministered the affairs of that department for the seventeen 
years following with much ability and clear foresight into 
the rapid and extensive changes in ordnance construction 
that marked this period. He took special interest in the dis¬ 
semination of knowledge of current improvements to the 
whole army, and gave every encouragement to the officers of 
his own corps for study and investigation. Between 1873 
and 1884 there was published from the Ordnance office a series 
of 357 ordnance notes, now comprising 12 volumes, which 
were distributed to the army, and in 1882 there was instituted 
a series of more technical papers, entitled “ Notes on the Con¬ 
struction of Ordnance,” which is still continued and has 
reached the seventy-first number. 
General Benet always evinced a deep interest in the militia, 
and was instrumental in having the annual appropriation 
for it increased from $200,000 to $400,000. The splendid 
system of target practice in the army also owes much to his 
s efforts. The .45-caliber Springfield rifle was introduced in 
the service about the date of his accession, but before his 
retirement the preliminary steps had been taken to introduce 
the present service .30-caliber magazine rifle. Probably the 
most important change of recent years in ordnance has been 
the substitution of steel for cast and wrought iron in the con¬ 
struction of guns, and in this General Benet was an advanced 
advocate. He clearly foresaw the benefit of the change, and 
directed the experiments necessary to lead up to it in a man¬ 
ner that made it an assured success, and, following this, under 
