The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-22
COAST DEFENSE
The Helpless Condition Of American Harbors
A Plea for the Use of Torpedo Boats.

their people many and poor. England
has her hands about full, but Germany
and France are spelling for a fight.
Hardly daring TO tackle each other, a
war of some sort would naturally as
sist either of them in reducing her pop
ulatiOn, while, as it has become the
correct thing for the YanquiShed to
paw the victOrs for the thraShing re-
ceiVed, a wal of tribute is not among
the impOssibilitieS. For such a war
any pretext suffices. This may seem
absurd unLGr present conditions, but
it is by no means improbable. The
question of the Panama canal is going
to make a world Of trouble one of these
days, and as at present fitted the
United States must either keep still or
be thrashed. An extended inquiry
anon naval men reveals the fact that
one and all regard the final settle
ment of this question with the greatest
concc"- They feel that the country
must arm itself, not for the sake OF
fighting, but for the sake of avoiding
it.
Nor is 1t alone from the great pow
ers that trouble can be expected. The
verIest One-hOrse South American re-
public can make life a burden for the
residents along the western coast If it
owns a decent boat. How long would
San Francisco stand against some
switt-mOving, hard-Striklng Huarcar
or ESmeralda, lighting upon the city
before it knew what had come TO hand?
1t is the custom in war 70 take from
Eln uynnb nr II tlr ,NDr+oI 1o nrt;nlnC nF
value, and is not the ransOm of such a
city worthy of the guarding? Think
of New York and Brooklyn under the
guns of some foreign fleet, the com
mander of which was bent upon the
creation of an emergency fund for his
.,cuntry's benefit! What a collection
would have to be taken up; and who
would be the givers? Boston, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore. and in fact every
city and town from Eastport to the
Rio Grande and from the Gulf of Cali
fornia to Vancouver's island, are
equally, if lot more imperlled.
But" says the uniformed, 1--WE
have forts. I've seen them myself"
Yes, forts there are, and forts upon
which nothing has been done since the
hour long since when they were called
complete, The piles of earth and
stone lining the approach of New York
harbor look imposing and are nice
places whereat to spend a holiday.
The grass is smooth and green and
the band plays finely. Plenty of can
non lie about, some of them large
enough to hide in; the only trouble is
that they can't shoot far enough.
True when they first went on guard
the world had few like them, but that
was long ago and they are now al
most Acknowledgement so, at least,
to fail against those likely to be sent
against them. If the enemy's ships
would only come within range it
would be all right, but not accommo-
dating, and, relying upon IN ability to
shoot two miles further, would aristo-
cratieally stay out of range and pull
verize the opposition. Therefore it is
needful that the forts along both coast
lines be supplied with cannon equal to
any yet made, and that these be pro-
tected beyond the power of penetra-
ton yet possessed by any gun, that
the harbors may be made inaccessible
from without.
All this is good, and calls for care.
full consideration. The needs of the
country, however, are immediate.
Three years time will hardly suffice
to properly arm New York harbor with
the worlds at hand. A good
deal a happen in three years. Hence
the burden of actual present defense
rests wholly upon the navy, and
navy there is lone. In the
event of any misunderstanding
with some foreign nation. about
all the officers and men could do
~ould be to go out in the poor old
ships TO do and die, especially die.
The wooden vessels would stand about
as much of an assault as do the paper
ports Of China Thirteen monitors are
In fair condition and near at hand,
but their guns could hardly indent the
armor of their opponents, while the
armament Of the latter could make
scrap-iron Of the monitor In short or
der, and then attend solely TO Oom-
bardment.
as stated, the master Of the IRON
clad il at hand waiting cali, and il Is
to the torpedo that those interested in
immediate coast defense look for aid.
The torpedo and the tOrpedo-b0at
fill all that is lacking for present
needs. The massive forts and swIfs
cruisers, with better guns than armor,
are Of the things to come; but the
country must have torpedo-boats now.
BY torpedo-Doats are meant powerful
little steamers, too small to offer a tar
get to the. enemies marksmen and
heavily enough armored to resist at
tack. They should be swift and sure,
that no steaming about can shake
them of, that when once started to
end d war-ship's career their own con-
struction mayoffer no impediments for
the purpose. How can these be fur