Chapter 1033. 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
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CHAP. 1033.— An 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. June 6, 1902.[[Public, No. 145](/us/pl/32/145).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That the sums of moneyFortifications appropriations. herein provided for be, and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be avail-able until expended, namely: fortifications and other works of defense.
For construction of gun batteries, two million dollars.Gun batteries. For installation of range and position tinders, three hundred andRange finders. twenty-five thousand dollars. For purchase and installation of search lights for the defenses of ourSearch lights. most important harbors, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the procurement of land, or right pertaining thereto, needed forSites. the site, location, construction, or prosecution of works for fortifications and coast defenses, two hundred thousand dollars.
To enable the Secretary of War, in his discretion, and if in his judgmentCushings Island, Me.Purchase of lottery sites.*Post.* p. 1024. it will be for the best interests of the Government, to purchase all land on Cushing’s Island, Portland Harbor. Maine, necessary to be used to erect additional batteries and for buildings for the troops, two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary: *Provided,* That no part of this sum shall be expended*Proviso.*Title. until a valid title to said land and property shall have been acquired by the United States.
For the protection, preservation, and repair of fortifications forPreservation, etc. which there may be no special appropriation available, three hundred thousand dollars. 306 “Fort Griswold tract.”Granted to Connecticut for a public park.There is hereby granted to the State of Connecticut the right to occupy, improve, and control, for the purposes of a public park for the use and benefit of citizens of the United States and for no other purposes whatever, the tract of land owned by the United States which is situated on the east shore of New London Harbor, in said State of Connecticut, known as the Fort Griswold tract, and partly occupied by an abandoned fort and earthwork of that name, said tract being bounded northerly by the Fort Griswold monument reservation and by the land of various private parties, easterly and southerly by the land of various private parties, and westerly by New London Harbor and by the land of various private parties.
The provisions of this grant are that the State, of Connecticut shall have and exercise power to make and enforce police regulations concerning said tract and shall protect it from injury and Secretary of War to approve plans for improvement.defacement; that before beginning any use or improvement of said tract the State of Connecticut shall present to the Secretary of War detailed plans of any improvement and shall have received his approval Right to resume possession reserved.thereof; that the United States reserves to itself the fee in said tract and the right to resume possession and occupy any portion thereof whenever, in the judgment of the President, the exigency arises that should require the use and appropriation of the same for the public defense or otherwise, without any claim for compensation to the State of Connecticut for improvements which may have been made thereon or damages on account thereof.
Plans.For preparation of plans for fortifications, five thousand dollars. Electric plante.For tools, electrical and engine supplies and appliances, to be furnished by the Engineer Department, for the use of the troops for maintaining and operating electric light and power plants in gun and mortar batteries, twenty-five thousand dollars. Sea walls.For construction of sea walls and embankments, one hundred thou-sand dollars. Submarine mines.For the construction of mining casemates, cable galleries, torpedo storehouses, cable tanks, and other structures necessary for the operation, preservation, and care of submarine mines and their accessories, thirty-three thousand dollars, to be expended by the Engineer Department.
Torpedoes for harbor defense.For the purchase of submarine mines and necessary appliances to operate them for closing the channels leading to our principal seaports, and continuing torpedo experiments, seventeen thousand dollars, to be expended by the Artillery Corps. Fort Totten, N. Y., school of submarine mines.Incidental expenses.School of submarine defense at Fort Totten. New York: Incidental expenses of school and depot, including fuel, lights, chemicals, stationery, hardware, extra-duty pay to soldiers necessarily employed for periods not less than ten days as artificers on work in addition to and not strictly in line of their military duties, such as carpenters, black-smiths, draftsmen, printers, lithographers, photographers, engine drivers, telegraph operators, teamsters, wheelwrights, masons, machinists, painters, overseers, laborers, repairs of and for materials to repair public buildings, boats used in connection with the school, office furniture and fixtures, machinery, and unforeseen expenses, ten thou-sand dollars.
Materials.Purchase of materials for use in instruction of artillery troops at Fort Totten, New York, in their special duties in connection with loading and planting of submarine mines, one thousand dollars. Special apparatus.Department of electricity, etc.Purchase of special apparatus and for experimental purposes of the department of electricity, mines, and mechanism, two thousand dollars. Department of chemistry, etc.Purchase of special apparatus and for experimental purposes of the department of chemistry and explosives, one thousand five hundred dollars.
Electrician ser géants' division.Purchase of special apparatus for electrician sergeants division, one thousand dollars. 307 Purchase and binding of professional books of recent date treatingProfessional books. of military and scientific subjects for library of school of submarine defense and use of school, one thousand dollars. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to apply the moneyContracts. herein appropriated under the heading “Fortifications and other works of defense,,” in carrying on the various works, by contract or otherwise, as may be most economical and advantageous to the Government.
Where said works are done by contract, such contract shall be made after sufficient public advertisement for proposals, in such manner and form as the Secretary of War shall prescribe: and such contracts shall be made, with the lowest responsible bidders, accompanied by such securities as the Secretary of War shall require, conditioned for the faithful prosecution and completion of the work according to such contract. ARMAMENT OF FORTIFICATIONS.Armament. For finishing and assembling eight-inch, ten-inch, and twelve-inchArmy Gun Factory.Eight-inch, etc., guns. guns at the Army Gun Factory, including any new tools or machinery necessary, eighty-one thousand five hundred dollars.
For oil-tempered and annealed steel for coast-defense guns of eight-inch,Steel. ten-inch, and twelve-inch caliber, one hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars: *Provided,* That no contract for oil-tempered and*Provisos.*Maximum price per pound.Steel-wire seacoast guns. annealed steel for high-power coast-defense guns and mortars shall be made at a price exceeding twenty-one cents per pound: *Provided, *That in the discretion of the Secretary of War a portion of this money may be used for the purchase of material for a limited number of steel-wire seacoast guns.
For purchase, manufacture, alteration, and issue of carriages forCarriages. mounting seacoast guns of eight, ten, and twelve inch calibers, including any new tools or machinery necessary for their manufacture at arsenals, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars: *Provided,* That no*Proviso.*Disappearing carriages, test. money appropriated by this Act shall be expended for disappearing carriages or emplacements or magazines therefor until a thorough test has been made by a disinterested board of officers of high rank and at least one mechanical engineer of high standing, with not less than thirty shots from a ten inch gun. with full charges of smokeless powder and full weight of shot, under all the conditions of actual service, the whole, time elapsing between the firing of the first shot and the tiring of the last shot being reported, and also the, time elapsing between the firing of each shot in succession, the cost of such test to be paid out of this appropriation.
For alterations and improvements of twelve-inch mortar carriages,Mortar carriages. fifty thousand dollars. For powders, projectiles, and explosives for reserve supply for cannon,Reserve supply ammunition. three hundred thousand dollars. For rapid-fire guns, including their mounts, sights, implements,Rapid-fire guns. ammunition, and so forth, to be procured by the Secretary of War by contract or otherwise, including any new tools or machinery necessary for their manufacture at arsenals, one million two hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars.
For eight, ten. and twelve inch guns manufactured by contract underContract guns.Vol. 26, pp. 319, 770. the provisions of the Fortifications Acts approved August eighteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety, and February twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, three hundred and twenty-five thousand six hundred and thirty three dollars. For proof of eight-inch, ten-inch, and twelve-inch guns, nine thousandProof of eight-inch, etc., guns. one hundred dollars. For armor plates and deck plates, including backing and cost ofArmor plates, etc., for tests. erection, for testing armor-piercing and deck-piercing projectiles, twenty-five thousand dollars. 308 Ammunition for practice, etc.For ammunition for artillery practice, including components thereof, and tools, etc., for reloading the fired cases, two hundred and ninety thousand and fifty-eight dollars.
Machine guns.For machine guns, including metallic carriages, with limbers and protective shields, complete, and also automatic and semiautomatic guns, with their mounts, ammunition, and so forth, fifty-five thousand three hundred and fourteen dollars. Range finders.For range finders, including instruments for fire control and azimuth instruments for coast defense, and for instruments for field batteries, one hundred thousand dollars. Equipments.For implements and equipments for service, and also for mounting, repairs, care, and preservation of armament and of range finders, fifty thousand dollars.
Material, etc.For material, poorer lathes, machinist tools, and tools and implements for the use of battery mechanics at the fortifications, fifty-five thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. Mountain guns.For mountain guns, with their carriages, packing outfits, accessories, and ammunition, eighty-two thousand dollars. Field howitzers.For field howitzers, eleven thousand dollars. For carriages for field howitzers, fifty thousand dollars. Breech-loading rifles.For breech-loading rifles, siege, seven thousand five hundred dollars.
For carriages for breech-loading rifles, siege, including implements, equipments, platforms, and ammunition wagons, fourteen thousand four hundred dollars. Breech-loading howitzers.For breech-loading howitzers, siege, eight thousand two hundred dollars. For carriages for breech-loading howitzers, siege, including implements, equipments, platforms, and ammunition wagons, fourteen thou-sand dollars. Sights.For sights for cannon, twenty-two thousand eight hundred dollars. Fuses, etc.For fuses and primers for cannon, fifty-four thousand five hundred dollars.
Inspecting instruments.For inspecting instruments, gauges, and templets for the manufacture of cannon, projectiles, and carriages, five thousand dollars. Subcaliber tubes, etc.For subcaliber tubes, fittings, and ammunition for artillery practice, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Bethlehem Iron Company contracts assumed by Bethlehem Steel Company.All contracts of the Bethlehem Iron Company, of South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, heretofore made between it and the United States, except the contract of November seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-one. for one hundred eight, ten, and twelve-inch guns, shall be completed by its successor, the Bethlehem Steel Company, or its successor, which has acquired or may acquire all of its assets and has assumed or may assume all of its liabilities under the said contracts; and the said Bethlehem Steel Company, or its lawful successor, upon giving good security in same form and amount, conditioned for the performance by it of the said contracts, shall be substituted therein for the said Bethlehem Iron Company and be entitled to exercise all rights thereunder which the said Bethlehem Iron Company had or would have had if it had continued in existence.
Pneumatic Gun Carriage and Power Company.Proposition accept-ed.The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to accept the proposition of the Pneumatic Gun Carriage and Power Company contained in its letter of August ninth, nineteen hundred and one, addressed to the president of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, for settlement of its contract dated November fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, to furnish the Department with a ten-inch disappearing gun carriage. proving ground, sandy hook, new jersey.Sandy Hook proving ground.
Maintenance.For current expenses and maintenance of the ordnance proving ground, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, including expenses incident to the 309transportation of men and material therefor, general repairs and alterations and accessories incidental to testing and proving ordnance, including hire of assistants for the Ordnance Board, skilled mechanical labor, purchase of instruments and other supplies, building and repairing butts and targets, clearing and grading ranges, thirty-seven thou-sand dollars.
For the necessary expenses of officers while temporarily employedExpenses of officers. on ordnance duties at the proving ground and absent from their proper stations, at the rate of two dollars and fifty cents per diem while so employed, and the compensation of draftsmen while employed in the Army Ordnance Bureau on ordnance construction, eighteen thousand seven hundred dollars. For repairs of railroad tracks connecting the proving ground withRailroad truck repairs. the Central Railroad of New Jersey, four thousand dollars.
For one locomotive crane, eleven thousand five hundred dollars.Locomotive crane. For repairs to dock, thirteen thousand dollars.Dock repairs. For adding to the wing of the brick bouse for accommodations ofOfficers’ quarters. officers temporarily at the proving grounds, including heating, lighting, and plumbing, eleven thousand dollars. For one water tower, with connecting pipes, joints, and so forth,Water tower, etc. one thousand six hundred dollars. For replacing plank roads by macadam, five thousand dollars.Macadamizing roads.
For storehouse, eight thousand dollars.Storehouse. For barracks for enlisted men, forty thousand dollars.Barracks. For enlarging and furnishing the office and instrument house atOffice. Sandy Hook proving ground, ten thousand dollars. For completing and equipping the chemical laboratory, ten thousandChemical laboratory. dollars. For structure for refrigeration and heat tests of smokeless powders,Structure for smoke-less powder tests. with its equipment, including the necessary boiler and engine, six thousand dollars. sea-wall at sandy hook, new jersey.Sea wall, Sandy Hook, N.
J. For construction of a riprap or stone wall and causeway for the protection of the eastern beach of the United States lands at Sandy look. New Jersey, and the Government railroad thereon, seventy-five thousand dollars. frankford arsenal, philadelphia, pennsylvania.Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia, Pa, For establishment of a power plant for the artillery ammunitionPower plant, ammunition factory. factory, and the removal thereto of engines and boilers on hand, fifty-eight thousand dollars.
For box-making and packing shop for small arms’ cartridge factory,Box-making, etc., shop. twenty-eight thousand dollars. watertown arsenal, watertown, massachusetts.Watertown Arsenal, Mass. For completion of erecting shop and new gun-carriage storehouse,New shop and gun-carriage storehouse. by completing basement and providing the necessary floors, eight thousand nine hundred dollars. For improvement and maintenance of gun-carriage plant, eighteenGun-carriage plant. thousand five hundred dollars. watervliet arsenal, west troy, new york.Watervliet Arsenal, N.
Y. For machines for an increased output of the field and siege gunMachines, gun shops. shops, twenty-five thousand dollars. 310 board of ordnance and fortification.Board of Ordnance and Fortification. Purchases.To enable the board to make all needful and proper purchases, experiments, and tests to ascertain, with a view to their utilization by the Government, the most effective guns, small arms, cartridges, projectiles, fuses, explosives, torpedoes, armor plates, and other implements and engines of war. and to purchase or cause to be manufactured, under authority of the Secretary of War, such guns, carriages, armor plates, and other war material as may, in the judgment of the board, be necessary in the proper discharge of the duty devolved Vol, 25, p. 489.Civilian member.Vol. 26, p. 769.upon it by the Act approved September twenty-second, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight: to pay the salary of the civilian member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification provided by the Act of February twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and for the necessary traveling expenses of said member when traveling on duty as Per diem.contemplated in said Act; for the payment of the necessary expenses of the board, including a per diem allowance to each officer detailed to serve thereon, when employed on duty away from his permanent Tests.station, of two dollars and fifty cents a day; and for the test of experimental guns, carriages, and other devices procured in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, one hundred thousand dollars, the expenditure of which shall be made by the several bureaus of the War Department heretofore having jurisdiction of the same, or by the board itself, as the Secretary *Proviso*.Right to use inventions.of War may direct: *Provided,* That before any money shall be expended in the construction or test of any gun, gun carriage, ammunition, or implements under the supervision of the said board, the board shall be satisfied, after due inquiry, that the Government of the United States has a lawful right to use the inventions involved in the construction of such gun gun carriage, ammunition, or implements, or that the construction or test is made at the request of a person either having such lawful right or authorized to convey the same to the Government.
Purchases to be of American manufacture.Exception.That all material purchased under the foregoing provisions of this Act shall be of American manufacture, except in cases when, in the judgment of the Secretary of War. it is to the manifest interest of the United States to make purchases in limited quantities abroad, which material shall be admitted free of duty. Approved, June 6, 1902.