National Republican., 1886-12-31
FULL DRESS Goats, satin lined, at Barnum's
Our Coast Defenses.

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: have Just
read IN your issue Of the 22d instant COM
munication from Joseph Nimmo, jr., in regard
TO the seacoast defenses of San Francisco.
Every one will doubtless agree with him in his
statements Of the defenseless condition of our
coasts and bnrbOrs and the necessity OF I'M
mediate action for their protection. But the
people may well stand aghast at the enormous
amount OF money which the estimates now
declare necessary for the construction aud ar
mament Of the required Notifications.
Besides, these estimates possess popularity
likely TO injure their chances of approval by
Congress-the popularity which causes them
to increase from year to year. One does not
In 1884 the board OF engineers ior Notifications,
whose report l have now before me, estimated
for the complete defense OF San Francisco Sl1,-
9i2,000 In 1886 the estimates have grown to
s27 S6e 0OO If Congress should take no action
this session We may expect tho estimated
amount in 1887 to be s36, 900, 900, and so on.
II is true that In this sum of nearly twenty
eight millions there Is included nearly eleven
millions for the construction Of floating bat
teries- heavily armored ships, Isuppose from
the use TO which Mr.. Nimmo says they Will be
struction is, says Mr.. Nimmo, "that, in the
case of San Francisco 1t is not possible to place
guns In defensive position upon the land far
enough from the Si.y in order TO- prevent YES 1
lance" IL use his own words) This Is an as
sertion the correctness OF which 1 am pre-
pared 10 deny.
Experts know (whatever may be loosely as
serted in public that the extreme range-for
efiectiyeness-that can be expected from the
largest guns capable OF being carried on board
the most formidable of modern ironclads Is
seven miles, and even that range Is doubtful
1t is equally well known to those of our ex-
perts who have examined into the subject that
the bay, harbor, and city Of San Francisco
could be effectually defended and protected by
three revolving towers, mounting ten guns,
ench placed, one on Point Lobos, one at Lime
Point, and one on Alcratraz island. These
tower and Shield system of fertilization" and
armed with 100-ton guns, would eilectually
prevent vessels from approaching the city
within shelling distance" The line of seven
tour-mile range from both Lobos and Lime
Point; and the guns of these two towers, oper-
ated with the rapidity and certainty OF aim
peculiar to the Timby system, would most as
suredly keep at a safe distance from the city
any fleet, however powerfully, armed, that
might attempt the experiment OF shelling.
The cost OF three such batteries, guns and oil
would be about s.. 900 900, S21 000,000 less than
the estimates of 1886, and Sl0.000,001 less than
those estimates exclusive of the cost of the
floating batteries,
There has been great deal of loose talk in
the papers about the range OF the modern
breech-loadng steel rifles, and. If we were to
believe all the stories that are thus tod us, we
might, with reason, come to expect from the
Messrs. Krupp o gun which would enable our
possible European foes to stay at home and
she'll US from the opposite shore of the Atauticl
Thiskind of talk may give the obstructlonlsts
and chronic howlers in Congress apparent
grounds for opposing appropriations for fortid-
cations but, sensible as our representatives
must be Of our urgent need, Il VIII have nc
litical parties. A. SHELLBAcH.
DEC. H