Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-09
Long Island Sound.


The Nations Harbor and Sen Coast De- fences-An Important Report. From 1869 to 1875, while appropriations for l coast defense were granted by Congress, much progress was accomplished in our earthern batteries. and various notifications were made in the plans of these batteries by l which their strength was greatly increased, by adding to the thickness of the parapets; by frequently interposing high and bonnetted traverses between the guns to guard from 1 enfilade fire and from splinters by adding to the combined masonry and earth coverings of magazines by increasing the heights of the parapets, and by introducing monolithic masses of hydraulic cement concrete for the platform of the guns in lieu of the granite blocks previously used for the purpose. No ap- propriations have been made for the construc tion of Notifications since the latter of the aforementioned years, and the sudden fail ure of appropriations left these earthen bat teries in all stages of incompletion-some just commenced, some nearly fnished-and by reason of their incompletion the storms and the waves have been undoing much of what had been accomplished. The same may be said of the earthen mortar batteries which were. e.commenced during the same period.
 In conclusion: with old casemated works (than which there were none better in the world in their day) designed long before the introduction of the 800 and 2,OOO-pound- CT rlf1ed guns into modern warfare; their walls pierced for guns long since out of date without iron armor or shields, and but par tially armed, even with the old ordinances
 with old earthworks, some of them built in the last century; with new ones for 1---L built, and rapidly being destroyed by the clements by reason of their incompletion
 with gun batteries without guns and mortar batteries without mortars with no carriages whatever for barbette guns of large size, ex- cept such as require the cannoneers to load from the tops of parapets, from which they can be picked off in detail by the enemy's sharpshooters with an excellent defensive torpedo system developed at our torpedo school at Willett's Point, but only partially carried into effect with very small number of our works prepared with the torpedo case mates and galleries necessary for securing the electrical apparatus from the enemy's fire, and for conducting the electric wires to the torpedo lines which must be laid when the day of trial comes and with less than 200 engineer soldiers educated for torpedo and other engineer service, instead of the 752 men now authorized by law, and of whom not less than 52O ought to be AOoAJ GO oupp1y tuS uSLtCuuISudn I6- quired for torpedo duty in our fortified harbors, we can but make feeble defense against the powerful fleets now prepared and rapidly increasing, which will sooner or later be brought against us by some of the most powerful maritime nations of the earth, or by others nearer at hand whose offensive naval means exceed our own, and whose pow CTS are not to be despised. The estimates sub- mitted based on the several estimates of the officer in charge, exhibit the amounts which are.deemed necessary by this department for the commencement the continuance or the completion of the several works of defense during the next fiscal year.
 Special attention is invited to the estimate of $1OO, 900 for providing torpedoes to be stored in our Notifications and planted on the ad- vent of war in the channels and fairways of our harbors, and for providing the electric apparatus by which the torpedo lines are to be fred It is for procuring and storing tor pedoes and such portions of the apparatus as cannot be readily obtained in the event of sudden hostilities that the appropriation is asked.