The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-04
QUE COAST DEFENSE,S.
The Artillery TriaI1 at Fortress Nom
rOG-LrLIer from aaemerM nArmnrh.

To the Editor of tue New York TImeS:-The
importance OF The subjects involved Stems to
require some notice Of editorials which appeared
in your issues of the Goth and 25th, concerning
d. our "Coastwise fOrts' and the recent eXperl-
mental fril gs at Fortress Monroe.
Let me first say that no one connected with
those 6rrrgs is accountable for the expressions
which you quote from newspaper accounts.
Had you yourself been present, or reporter
delegated by you not only would you have had
free access, but full explanation. Indeed, the
character OF the targets az d the object IN
constructing them were, In the beginning, eX-
plained to all who choose to be present aud
listen. 1t, therefore, you have not such de.
tailed accounts as are given by the London
Times of ShoCbUrynCsS experiments it is not
the iauit OF those who directed those at Fortress
Monroe,
At these recent frngs it was sought by the
"engineersn % bring together some of the most
prominent rcpreseu tatiyrS of ltOu manufacture,
OF civil engineering, of science and OF naval
and military construction. There was NJ other
limit to the number invited than that imposed
by the limited accommodations TO be found at
FortIess Monroe.
Ana now q word as to the targets themselves
and the objects IN view. There we're three tar
gets. First, $dcs,mUe of the rotten casematp
designed by the eminent military engineer
whose name 1t bears, after Ella aJOrate aud pro-
lopged experiments, aud a type OF the most
perfect construction, for IT'S date, in the world.
UntUrtunAteIy, that date just preceded the great
revolution in artillery and naval construction
1t is an easy solution of the problems which this
revolution mas propOunded to denouuce "gran-
tant works butt on this plan. 1t j. at least a
fair matter lOr experiment to ascertain Just
what degree OF modern artillery fire they will
endure, and whether they can be made. bg any
modification, available for the defense Of the
harbors they were designed to defend: or, if not,
to see the ocular proof exhibited. We know,
indeed, that Fort Sumter (nCt even a granite
work. only brick.) with its old armament 'of
small ordnance, had a contest with "mOnitors,"
armed with "l5nch guus,n aud that the
ADVANTAGE certainly was not with the monitors.
SpnOnn a A'Onpn
strengthened by non about the throat, de
signed as a modification OF tue "bdtbetten sys-
TEN, and Intended for tue projection OF gunners
and guns hTiug over "cartrruh pLrapets.
Third, gun casema.e Wuh an iron front or
shield.
These two last named structures can alone be
@consideTed ''eXpp1mtuta" in the proper sense
of the term. They we're both de igned three
years ago, before single experiment had been
made in England for harbOr forts, If we except
the futile Que III 1861 upon tue IhOinYCrOit bars,
for the FIRST experiments Ia Eugland on land
casemate tron were made III November, 1866,
with granite casemate, aud with a shield on
Chalmers plan, some what modified by the eng.
lish engineers; but the accounts thpreO did not
reach us till lOUg after that date. 1t is not ne
Cessary here TO consume space in explaining
why it took so long TO &c. these cons slructions
authorized, nor why so much delay occurred
after the constructions were complete. It IS
enough to say that, dcslgued aud built 50 long
represented the knowle lge OF the day in this
sort Of construction. Indeed, could this delay
have been anticipated, considerable changes
would have been made. 1t auy one, Therefore,
expected co nplete "suCCessh Tor the targets, il
was certainly not the designer.
Considering these quail ing facts, the results
were By no means dIsCrcduaOe, AT the iron
portion, the entire area of winch was only
eleven feet by twelve, six rounds were fred a. a
distance OF $50 yards. All tnese were made from
some of the heaviest guns known, viz: the
15-incb smooth-bor and the I2-inch rihe. Tae
first fire was with reouced charge, the second,
third and fourth with the maximum charges
the guns could bear the fifth and sixth with like
charges, only reduced to represeut tue longer,
but still very close, range OF 500 yards. -Four of
these shots were deslGuediy fired at the Weake /
Z points that could be selected ana so great was
the accuracy that but one OF these SIX shots
deviated perceptbly from the precise spot
4 aimed al.
The fifth shot directed at an unessential
appendage of the snield-au isolated piece OF
iIon, continuing a sort of Intel over the en-
bIasuTe-brOke II III two, the sh VI aud a portion
of the fragments entering. or the other five
shots, no one penetrated through the shield OF
fragments thrown OIL from The IRON, bat two or
three, detached from the rear surfaces OF the
l2-inch plates Showing tnat that thickness, un-
backed, is insutliCient), were dangerous, and
these would have been stopped by a skin. In.
deed, on removing the board-screen after the
fourth shOl 10 take photograph, there was bat
one single maIk OF flying fragments upon it,
and that high overhead.
AS to the guns used, you need no in Ormatlon
concerning the l5.mch. The l2-inch rife, with
seventy pounds OF powder and an expanding
HrOleCtle, Is 1ullY equal In It's eQeCtS TO the
English l2-inCh gun with seVenty.siX pounds of
English powder. The two projecliles from the
rifle were 6S5 pound steel and 65S pound
chilled iron shot From the l5-iCch gun three
46O pound steel and one 45O pound cast-lron
shot were tied. Three of the six blows upon
the iron of this target were the most powerful
that have been produced by moderR artillery,
and two others only inferior to these.
But the target was erected and the expert
ments made with other objects than to test this
particular shield. Your own remarks Novem naI
20 on '"our Coastwise forts" certainly make
prominent enough the necessity for expert
mental firing; indeed, your very first paragraph
suggests reasons TO lre at even so 'antiqudted'
material as granite which are not iuValidateG
by your subsequent statement that "5Oid
masonry crumbles before the ire of l5.inch and
20-inch guns brought TO bear at that shOr
range which the monitor may establish fot
itself with inpunty. Suppose we giant this
fact and tuen submit that ear,h shall be sub
stituted. In that case We have ciphered out o
existence millions of dollars expended OF
granite walls in times gone by"
We may indeed have cIphered the money Out
of existence, but not the works themselves
There they are, and, perhaps, may yet have
certain in pOrtant uses though, as you rightly
state, 'tbey al e founded on anliquated systems.
At any rate it is the duty OF the engineer" u
test that point. And feel Coddent that ever
engineer ould most gladly substitute earth
for crumbng Granite; lar more gladly, indeed
than TO resort TO a material 80 costly as iro
and as yet, so unsatisfactory, Earth is tn
cheapest OF ell materials aud the best pOsslbl
medium to resist cannon shOt. Let any one
however, look at l5ipCh or 2Olnch gu
mounted behind an earthsn paraDet, and he vii
recognize that those who load and direct thes