Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-22
rHE MlL1rARY USES oF COAT ISLAND.

The Secretary of War has sent to Con-
gress voluminous protest against the
cession of Goat Island to the city of San
Francisco. from the Chief of the United
States Engineers. The purport Of General
Wright's argument is that the Island 6 IS
&c of very great Importance to the defense
"of the United States, and especially Of
the city of San Francisco; and even if
"the proposed Act was intended to cede it
g to the city for its corporate uses-which
q. is not the fact-it would no doubt be for
g the best interests OF the city for Congress
''to refuse such concession, since this
island occupies precisely the point which
is necessary to be fortified to prevent its
capture or destruction by an enemy's
vessel, which, in thick weather or fog,
might run past the outer batteries. F"
Such an argument as this may appeal with
some force to Congressman who have never
seen San Francisco, but to those who are
familiar with the localities it must appear
preposterous in the extreme. The idea OF
defending San Francisco from Goat Island
is certainly one which may lay claim to
the merit of originality, but it is out Of
place in grave protest addressed to the
national legislature. The truth is that
neither the outer batteries nor any inner
batteries which may be created on any of
the islands of the harbor are capable of de-
Tending San Francisco. If an enemy's
ship had run past the outer batteries, and
placed herself between Goat Island and
the city, the people of San Francisco would
| have little to choose between the prospect
of bombardment by the enemy or by the
| United States batteries on the island. The
latter could hardly fire at the ship without
hitting the city; and if one may judge
! from the character of the Federal artillery
practice exhibited year or two ago on the
occasion of certain famous sham naval
engagement, the city would be in far
more danger than the enemy. It will
be remembered that on the occasion
referred to all the batteries around
the harbor fired for several hours at a scow
which was anchored within easy range,
and not a single shot struck it. The
ridiculous scene was ended at last by the
dispatch of boat to set fire to the scow
which none of the batteries could hit.
This experiment gives fair notion OF what
might be expected if these same artillery
men were called upon to fire at a moving
vessel, which, in its turn, was bombarding
them. 1t is safe to conclude from such an
experience that an enemys ship would
have no difficulty in getting past any pres
ent or future batteries But, in truth, should
war break out with a foreign power, the
latter would not need to run the gauntlet of
the batteries at all to capture or destroy
| San Francisco. Its fleet could lie out
at sea, several miles from the shore,
and pitch shells into Montgomery street.
During the present war between Chile and
Peru effective bombardment has been done
at distance of eight miles, and the guns
used on that occasion were by no means of
the largest range procurable. The ad-
vances in artillery science and naval archi-
lecture have been SO rapid of late years
that the batteries of Fort Point and Alca-
traz are completely Anticipated and obsolete
to-day. There is not second-rate iron
clad belonging to any of the European
powers which could not knock them to
pieces III a couple of hours. They have no
guns which could pierce the sides of such
yesseis, and in the event of a naval attack
they would be powerless to defend either
the city or themselves.