National Republican., 1883-12-21
AGAINST THE WORLD.
Tho Question or Canals Means of Ma
tionaI Defense Discussed,
Tnihn EdKd

To Nte Editor.
Now that the question of canals, as n means OF
national defense is being brought prominently
before the country, II may not be improper to in
quire how they would best serve as an auxiliary
aid In defending our large cities from attack by
the heavily armed vessels that constitute az pres
ent the fleets of foreign powers and also how It
would be best 10 utilize them in the most econom
ieal way 10 attain this object for there can be no
doubt that such large cities as Wash tngton, Balu-
more, and Philadelphia will have TO trust In
great measure 10 their local powers of resistance
any one OF them. With this point in view
cannl on tho bank Of river say the Potomac for
instance, by way ofexample would, in all proba-
that could be devised for the safety of the capital
Presumng of course that an attacking fleet
would be superior TO our own, and that amid tho
chances OF war they might pnss Fort Monroe and
steam up toward the city. Then the vantage
ground OF canal would become apparent, and
with one constructed sufficiently deep to float
armored vessels and running parellel with the
banks of the river, connecting with both forts
having no interwater communication but being
lana locked nt us lower terminus, there would be
ample means of defending the channel OF the
river against the advance OF any Il Get. The canal
would, to all intcnts and purpose dominate the
river in the most effective man ner. because It
would afford u pc rfect freedom of movement and
action to our own vessels Of war while the
river could be torpedoed and otherwise
obsIructed in advance as would seem best
to our naval engineers The bank of
could be constructed Of clay so as to ford ample
protection for some distance above the water line
to vessels engaged III conflict upon it, On the
other hand, the broad expanse of the river proper
where the channel would run out from the bank,
would expose a vessel to n destructive fire from
guns trained on that channel by previous practice.
The advantages OF a canal Of this k Ind cannot be
Overestimated while its cost of co Instruction would
not figure very high. In addlti OH to a well-con-
structed fort, armed with guns of modern inven-
ton and high penetrating power, II would be q
barrier of defense sufficient to protect any city
from the danger of a hostile fleet. No vessels
could thread their tortuous way up the chan
mel of u river and fish mp torped0es aud
other obstructions in the face of fire from
two or three vessels running as 1t were along
side of them on smooth surface of water, with
their sides almost completely protected from the
fire of the enemy. Indeed, the very fact of the
existence Of IN inland naval canal of this kind,
combined with knowledge OF the superior I'D
vnntages II would afford, not only as a means of
defense, but also of attack, would III all prob
ability deter any power or enemy from yenturing
within range OF 1t, as the maneuvering of a
fleet on the chanuel of such river MS the
Potomac the Delaware, or even the Mis-
sissipp would in all probability be at
tended with serious results TO them
from tho combined action of forts, canal, and
torpedoes And then it should be considered
that without canal the safety of city would, in
great measure, depend on distractions in tho
river, in conjunction with our forts. These OBJ
structions would, 70 great extent isolate the
forts from the city, whereas, with a cana, com
municatlon between the forts aud the city would
reference to the canal aud its advantages will
hold good in regard to most of our seacoast towns
and cities approached by water.
Tuos Mc(Apr