The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-04

Of Hight and heavy drat most important ths light
low channels and mako sorties from whence least eS
pectcd the heavy protect the channels 10 ed
reserve the floating batteries aud Tor olensV
operations
Tho channels should have tFeir secret passages, 10
permit egroa 10 veseeiS These passages should Also
80 protected hy iorpedoes and defaneed BY glnboaS
But the torn@do RATE should be SO arranged rs 70 per
init their being placed out OF harms way While vesse
are passing over them Logs could be arranged as 70
prevent boat expedition nom r.tackur the yesseis
oored In the rear the obstrucoD, for IL not to he
supposed lhat an viii seek The distractions or
torredoes with the vessels they desire protect from
their effects IL by tho Monitor Paiaphcos too Dear
approach The line OF the torredoes When covering the
boats which we're IN search o. them ihat sho was blown
This system rcud be put In operation In a week; for
in the even; OF pressing necessity canal boats oored
stated connected with sdo thackes, chans and logs
and armed with heavy gun, would answer Zoe tempo
rary service while preparing more eiacacos deerce
MI zscStEss tosniTIos.
The defenceloss state OF the channels 10 New York
Bay demands .be governments immediate attention.
The difficulty In terrifying them ny means OF command
ing shore batteries, Is their distance from sandy Hook
and Concy Island But there exists an inteimedihtc
spot which could with facility he turned into terra
hrna refer 10 the Dry Romer Piles could DO driven
round the space required for an iron clad battery com
posed Of several Of Ericsson turreis coud % niiso
10 with little expense Tie rubbish OF the CITY woum
DO A batsery Roner would command AZ close range
ssw ash and East channels. t.ss AM
Bes des the mentioned obstacles nets OF old rope7,
hawsers &c could DO pla cd In the channels 10 iowi
the propeers The other point OF attack from seward
If through Long Island Sound Batteries on Rkcr's
other Islands the vicinity, on Throegs Neck, Cob
lcge and other prominent points would secure sew
York on that side particularly account OF the near
approach TO the isands Torpedoes nets. &C., would DC
batter,es Neyerthe iess this should suffice The
Sound should be Kept inviohie, To encnlys vesseis
shoud be permitted on US wa'ers TO close inc
sound batteries should DO erected in the following
plaees on Long and 9th islands:Rocky Point Pinmb
Cnll and Tshers Isian5s; New London, the Ice Of
Fishers Island would he the anchorage OF the and
o.fo hat
and distractions conid be planted. Thus the Sound
would BIZ open TO our commerce while closed 70 the
enemy and New London, New Haven, S'naln2fon, &C.,
erectualy secured from attack Indeed In lieu Of bat
teres New York aud At the entrance TO the harots
pirate for thoroughly securing the Sound from ATTACK
II would be economy and certainly M immense ad
vantage trade and travel The distances between the
points and islands follows These GLANDS, with tho
mainland form tho entrance ~ the Sonndpolnt from
Plumb Island nsic-ihat ", vessels would have 10
pass within half mile ranrc from Plumb Island TO Gull
Island two miles or within mile range; srnrn Gull
Island to Point Race Fishers Island folr and half
miles. New London, which is near at band could serve
az the arsenal Of tho recommended fortiLcafiona
OR SYSTEM DEFrcrvE
Tic importance OF the s universally admitted, but
the present system Of rams Is detective as ~ - made
auxiliary 10 the battery. The ram should not be weak
ened by port holes nor by turrets but shod DO per-
fectiy projected by heavy armor Those for halbor de
fence should be Of light draft OF great speed bows
wedged alike &c The cutting through Of wharf amt
pier by Of our river steamers Will cxempfy
then power.
Torpedo boats should 10 'modlfetyorn Of the cirnr
that H. that part nbovc The water line, the bottom
arv tofpedces Of various models all having their
merits yet subject to the same defect 10 being loaded
With powder, which dampena and makes them useless
rho appca Ion OF nitro rivcerine viii remedy the evil
srArroTsRy ASr LOCOMOTIVE aArrsRiEs.
There should be stationary and LOCOMOTIVES fortinca-
tons The stationary ones or earthwcrk with bombproof
rayerscs The number OF idle hands in the Amy could
be employed tracinc and laying out the ground &c Az
most of the points to be fortified 81 sandy nature
and liable ike the eartbworks OF Sulvals Island, "
crumbic and need much repair II will be advisable 70
support the parapets by four lines Q! piles. between
which the earth could BE- packed On the centre line
eries would DO mounted cars whose carriages Will
be the gun slide Al the points whence these batteries
viii used tables for lateral training projected by
works mus; he erected. these batteries could be
Available from point point ~ tho enemy advances or
recedea Tae turntables should be distant ten or fifteen
wards apart TO bahie the encinys fire while concenra
iow tow ." mod iSSation Or The Martsllo~w.h a
pigo. gun a,, on she ss1re, ana ere ons -
great importance 10 us, but OF considerable
annoyance 10 tho enemy who would, when least ex-
advanced At long ranges mixed batteries of oneth,rd
smooth borcs and twoIhirds rded guns are advisable
Bn, q short ranges a. the Islands n tne sa., rive
able their initial velocity greater and their vintage
facilitates quicker loading.
err pEyEscHA
Because OF great improvements In artillery city do
fences required for BROOKLYN must be carried 70 points
At least eight thousand yards In advance Of the main
works, should such strategic points exist.
FINAL REcUSMESDArov.
In the channels reserved FOR the letting In and out Of
vessels the instructions and t0pedoes shorld be
arranged as 10 he drawn down at Will. For instance,
large hawsers should be dashed 70 the frames which
they rest through rueys and conducted 70 ulleys
anchored in the rear. The hawscr through could
be taken In tow BY tug and the orpcdoes thus drawn
down.
In conclusion Il should he stated that the entrance n
Long Island Sound sboud be made what Gibraltar for
merry tho Mediierranean-no longer so, however
thanks 10 iron. cads and TO too deep strait TO be tor
pcdocd " admit Of other submerged batteries Iron
clads have rendered Of tho European ports
defcncelcss that Of New York.
such IL the result OF n-cads and counter result Of
torpedoes thanks TO Ericsson and 70 Fulton, who Fst
proposed the torpedo defence.
Empty torpedocs and gunboats should b kept In
dcpots at New York and New London ready FOR imInc
date use.