Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-06-27
MAI, GEN, POPE.
HIS Opinion Conceruing Coast Defenses,
Torpedoes, Guns, and Cannon.


-
"Arc the facts as set out recently by
Lieut.. Griffin concerning our coast de-
| lenses correctly
"WCll, answered Gen. Pope with a
smile, those facts as now stated ought
not TO occasion any general surprise,
| Tor they have not long been known to
| the business mon of our commercial
| cities. The defeases of San Francisco,
| tor instance, are very poor. The guns
| are few and small. There arc some 10.
inch guns which explode $50 pounds of
| powder ut a charge, but these are not
| well mounted. | understand that q
congressional committee will come
here to look ut the works. Some of
these committees so combino pleasure
| and work as to eliminate the work, but
this committee will probably be an OK
| CCptton. As to your question concern
| ing the ability of civilians TO judge Of a
| question of defense better than military
men, the wisdom Of the nation has
named congressional committee to
| consider the facts and report. New
| York harbor can not be much worse
| defended than San Francisco is. Twen-
ty years ago the defenses here would
command more respect than they do
| now"
What would be the probable cost
! of making the defeuse Of San Francis
co adcquate9"
"Oh, that could not say. could
not even approximate an estimate. Be-
fore any figures could be suggested it
would be necessary for the engineers
to make surveys and for some plan to
| bC adopted"
And what general form would the
| Improvement IN our defenses takePn
There should be changes, of course.
But no nation has yet reached con-
cluSion concerning defenses. The con-
| ditions change constantly with the in
vcntion OF firearms and ships. The
| torpedo service seems to bc moderately
| satisfactory, but not completely 80.
| Experiments are continually going on
with large and small torpedo-boats
and fixed torpedocs. The torpedo SER
vice can be made only auxiliary to tho
land service. 1t is one thing to carry
| on torpedo experiments, under favor
| able circumstances, in time of peace,
aud it is another thing TO try the same
| experiments when an enemy is doing
his best to thwart you. The difference,
i'll fact, is about like that Of firing at a
target for practice and firing at another
man when he is taking aim and firing
ut you at the same timep'
Are not certain kinds of torpedoes
found to be controllablc and navigable
| some distance from the shore?"
Yes, they appear to be. but this has
been demonstrated by experiments and
| not by actual war, which is different
thing. If the enemy will give you all
| the time you want and allow you to
impose upon him all your conditions,
ii is probable that you will be able to
| blow him out of the water almost
every time. But he will be busy him
self trying 10 foil your plans"
Are you familiar with the plan pro-
posed by Lieut.. Graydon for the de-
Tense of San Francisco harbor recently
his plan being to attach torpedocs to
wire cables on the principle of our
| cable roads9"
~ have not studied it. My impress
sion is that torpedoes can be only aux
| iliary to the land service for defense.
At present We could not stop with our
| land defenses an invasion by iron-clads.
| puCh NtbStls tOuIa SoHiC VOL luC DuI
and into the bay. But there is no sign
OF foreign war now. Our nearest dan
ger in this country is internal, not eX-
| ternal'
Has any new principle of import
ance been applied to the manufacture
OF arms since our civil WARP"
There have been improvements iu
the manufacture of guns and in the
materials used, but do not think there
is any new principle in the manufacture.
Guns are made larger and further
reaching. We have guns which can
carry five miles effectively"
is there any fort in Now York har-
Dor which could withstand q lombard
| mcnt?n
"Na. sir. New York is better guard .
ed than any other large seaboard city
on the Atlantic coast.
| Are experiments made continually
in warlike instruments in this coun-
try?"
| Yes, in torpedoes, guns, brcech-
| loading cannops, etc, and they may
lead to some advantage. '--hterUieU
Wth Gen. Pope, IN san Francisco Buk-
| letin