The New York herald., 1879-08-23
OUR SEAPORT -DEFENCES.
Report of the Engineers for
Fortifications.
BARBETTE GUNS AND TORPEDOES.
Work of the Past and Recommendation
Tor the Future.
wAsu1Norox. August %. 1879

49, WASHINGTON. August %. 1879.
Tho Board of Engineers for Fortihcations. OF which
General z. b. Tower United States Army. is chair
man. have submitted their report for the last fiscal
year. After giving synopsis of their iabors up to
July - they sketch tho following outline of the
work which is deemed necessary for the ensuing
year.
Two years this Board eannual report set forth
Atlantic the Gulf and tho Pacific coasts accordance
system not too costly and quito pracieabie in an on.
81 sa p" Of apu Ss rs a s
Board involved consideration of harbor upon
Besides modifying nearly all Of sarSets
% as S S.
OF o ~ Guns r h the To.
slight alterations and the substitution Of suitable
built be %as 20 s
recently manufactured at the Essex. wooweh and
the opinion such guns should put under cover
s them Sn HS s ssias
Of some o the more mPo,in forts to the reception Of
from the width of their casemates their of
% the method s sops u
work pannod Tor the old Fort Lafayette Designs
entrances 70 New York haT1orSis for Fort ss1ay
roll entrance 20 Baltimore harbor and for Fort Wool
There are many important forts which arc finished &C
se fS S
for the reception Of tho large guns required
Cal How utilize these works by what pre-
pare them for guns absolutely defending
which they propose taking up during the present year.
men, ther,scivSs capable mschancai engineers
ten years Shore defence hsvs gone but little
Of the cabre and pow" of guns TSers has beon
but little accomplished in the provision for
problem is provide protecting eplaeements fo these
appliances that they be man@uvred with
faelity like those shipboard Until that is
attack, tho safety harbors will depend
the face OF a fleet OF iron -cads.
roRrEpo DEFENCE.
time and labor to hna reduction OF the data accu%u-
ing Of torpedo defence for harbas and navi
The subjects subaqueous explosions and of electrcs
fuses have been thoroughly discussed and 6
and now the hands the Board
The results OF these analyses are highly satisfactory
formula so that j. Is evidently applicable to al varieties
destructive torpodoes cam thus treated in the
manner usually adopted for engineering problems
b Iss;ionsd but the iesxns
explosives when exploded under water In tor
Peao eases ana is given as ~; q sample Of the work.
Ssa sessoa... g Mia S
Dynamite No. 2... 80 Hercules Powder No. 3 80
should be added that for various reasons neces
disenss tho Board that dynamito No
AS% Ss 81 with No.
dualin aud gun cotton with charges varying from
and crater varying from 10 i4i feet The max
ton Of tho was aud feet IN the crater radius
the main dsesspsnSy v being ing and inches che
chiefly to tost explosives and this work will be
Many experiments boon mado with electrical fuzes
employing original methods and apparatus The object
storage The result has that adopted patterns
exhibit none and Of the samples have been hand
Of mines after boing submerged In the
has been found to be I'M perfectly ervccabe condition.
Attention should be Invited to the very canpact and
simple dynamo.eieetre maehine made by the Latin &
is admirably adapted portable gnit-
been carefully tested during the past two
supply of torpedo cable. insulated with kerite and
made in this country has been purchased for trial during
hundred megohms mie but the promises
we'll IN respect Of penanence Time alone can properly
Experiments have been with electric light
70 test It's value as means of mines against
ns af n 70 The % s'% the whole
which may be by enemy against
exploded Last autumn THIS charge contained an
iron torpedo resting just upon the bottom in twenty
GUS distances aud the result proved that its power of
given in their own journals. A charge ef eight
pounds of dynamite No. contained in
of or feet from the charges ss
oSs & asa
when npon roeT IN air and the charge eight
men has been repeated several tmes and in
mite in tin cases suspended ut various
distances from the great mine and were not fired by
sympathetic explosion of mines charged with dynamite
To obtain SOME precise data upon tie manner in which
forces dsve%p @ p cy % eNroson acting upca
let's Point Her name WAS the Olive Branch; length. II
deep Two torpedoes oach beer kog containing fty
pounds o msrsr % mere ten apart
submerged feet Six Cameras were placed nj dis.
views could the pleasure OF the
s ns sss ss OF ss and Of cseh
graph The torpcdoes were exploded simultaneously.
bow and storm plunged in the aud tho middle of tho
I and a Ns'a a s Ind rsaeGIS s
about seventy feet The picture AIKEN of
feet high eonianns many fragments Of the wreck The
third picture s soTse % isa ss Us maximum i feet high
begun fall back to the The fourth picture
tSs wafer aFIta,sd y heavy sPiashs, and
cloud aud smoke aud evidence violent action
had only consumed o of second the explosion
o. S Action AS osss % sS. 'S hort
upon the 'mean and not upon the maximum intensity of
The paEslasS % aud storage a. our ports Or the
continued daring tho past year, far pcr-
United by tho limited appropriations granted by
Congress II should be understood that large
be indcious expended and that In the present
satisfactory condition OF ordnance
ia the reports of that department. the safety
depend having suitable supply available for
immediate use.
HkcOMMRNDATIONs.
Tho Board In conclusion recommend tho Of
enlisted of the pngineor battalion $40 1t Is also
recommended that special appropriation be made pre-
forts for operating orpedocs A. the outbreak Of
hostities IL VIII DO too late for this work properly
done The cost IL small. The necessity Is evident
appropriations OF SluuO would suice to place many OF
the important works la efficient this
service
For tho purchase of torpedo materials aud Instruct
ing the engineer troops in tho of tho and for
continuing the trials designed to perfect the system
further appropriation OF @lUu 100 s recommended.
NEW FIRE ESNApE