The Delaware farmer., 1883-11-16
OUR UNPROTECTED COAST.
Gen. Wright Says il is DefenceIess Against
a Modern Naval Attack.


I coast defences IN his annual report. sub
m1ts the report of the Board of Engi
neers stationed at New York city. in
which they express the opinion that If
the near approach of war should find
our coast in its present condition, there
would be no probable chance of resist
ing modern naval attack, made. as the
interest OF an enemy would dictate. with
force and celebrity. Gen. Wright invites
attention to this statement. and to the
annual reports from the Engineers Of
flee IN the hope that their careful consid-
Grafton by the War Department and by
Congress may secure the means by lib
eral appropriations ''for that improve
ment of our defensive system which is
so imperatively demanded by the vast
interests it is designed to protect"
With reference to torpedo defence,
Gen, Wright submits the report of the
Board OF Engineers, which report rec
ommends large appropriations for the
purchase of imperishable torpedo mate
rial for storage in harbors, and details
experiments with satisfactory results
with the Sims movable Fish torpedo and
other tOrpedOes, and in defensive sub
marine mining.
An interesting summary of the opera
tions of the Board of Engineers stationed
at New York city is submitted by Gen.
Wright. The Board reports that. in it's
| consideration of the question of coast
defence, it has not overlooked the ne
| cessity for the use Of armOr, and has
prepared plans for two dOuble-turreted
iron forts, one for each shore of the
NarrOws at the south entrance to New
York harbor, and has also suggested the
application Of the turret system to Bos-
ton and other harbOrs Of leading COM
mercial interest These turrets. the
Board reports, would form a necessary
adjunct to the Barbette system, and no
ship ever built or designed could remain
under their close fire long enough to do
them damage. The Board in another
part of its report says:
''It Is well known that our coast, with
its important ports is virtually defence
less against a modern naval attack. and
proper anxiety for the care of the ma
tional honor and interests which such a
state OF things should suggest may per-
haps be quieted by the impression that
upon the approach Of hostilities our vast
resources would enable us to improvise
SOLl6 SOIb VI du6ludG6 uGIeQCe.
''There are in this country no rifles
of a size sufficient to combat
heavily -armored ships, nor has any type
for such guns been yet adopted. Upon
the approach of war it would be impos-
slble to obtain in season from abroad
the requisite calibres and numbers of
guns, and our own establishments, from
want of proper encouragement, are
not now prepared to do this work
with the prOmptitude necessary for any
useful effect. Without heavy rifles in
numbers, the lines of tOrpedoes
planted for the protection of our harbors
could not be defended against any at
empt of the enemy to move or counter
nine them.
In discussing torpedo defences, the
epOrt says that to make it successful. it
S absolutely necessary to have suitable
upply Of material on hand, the needful
asemates, cable galleries, etc., in the
orts for operating the mines when
llanted, and a sufficient force of
ngineer soldiers so well instructed
n their duties as to be able to
lace the tOrpedoes In position before an
nemy's fleet could arrive in front of the
7apOrts. 1t recommends an apprOpria-
on of 5000, 600 for the construction of
asemates and galleries, and an increase
the engineer battalion to 752 men
'om the present force Of 200.
The appropriations recommended for
le coming fiscal year are: River and
arbor improvements, according to esti-
ates of amOants that can be proftably
zpended during the year, $32, 113, ,285;
and surveys of rivers, har-
0rs and contingencies for which there is
D special appropriation, $4,000 sea
,ast and lake frontier defences. So. $685.
10; construction of casemates and cable
llleries for defences in Atlantic har-
'rs 100000; purchase Of torpedo ma
rial for storage for San Francisco har-
II, $500, 900; maintenance of Engineer
,hOol at Willet's Point, N. Y, S17.2OO;
results of geographical sur
Us west of the Tooth meridian, 50. 900:
rveys and recolnoissances in military
visions and departments, $50, 900. To
|, $50, 730, 4S5.