The Delta independent., 1889-03-05
EoRrlE,Ep RY FIRE.
A Defense Of New York Harbor
That viii Battle an lronoIad

A Defense OF New York Harbor
That VIII Battle an l-onoIad
Fleet.
The nation may have to go to war at a
days notice. In such an event. immediate
defense OF the seaports will be necessary.
Word comes from Washington that the fer
tile American mind has grappled with the
subject, and that the armored ships Of Eu-
rope will be held at bay by flooding the har-
Dor entrances with blazing petroleum con-
veyed under the ship channels through
submerged pipes.
A powerful company Of capitalists, al
ready organized, with millions of dollars
behind it, has proposed to the government
plan to defend the entrance to harbors by
forcing petroleum to the surface Of the
water through pipes laid at the bottom for
that purpose and igniting it with burning
bomb, thus creating a sea of fire, through
which the enemy's feet must pass An ex-
pertinent will soon be made to demonstrate
the practicability of the plan, and the ap-
paratus necessary is now ready. This is no
insane theory. 1t is q revolutionl 1t is just
what this country has been looking for.
Consider its application in the defense Of
New York and Brooklyn. An enemy's IRON
clad feet arrives of Sandy Hook. As long
as they can be kept outside the Hook there
will be little danger, and people may go
about their business as usual, for, although
guns have been built that would throw pro-
tectiles from Sandy Hook to Brooklyn, the
gun carriages on board ship do not admit Of
a sufficient elevation of tho guns to attain
that range The enemy must come inside,
up near the Narrows, at least, to bring its
guns to bear effectively. Their vessels
nearly all foreign. ironclads-draw between
fv.f1v n fs1I RI " a nf
must manPuvre with caution, therefore,
and avoid all shoal places, entering only
through the main ship channel; the vessels
of lighter draught through the Swash
the Hook and in underground passages on
the Long Island shore, the plants and ma
chinery Will be established for forcing the
petroleum as desired. From each Of these
laid, running to different points In the main
ship channels at intervals of a few hundred
feet apart, beginning at the extreme sea-
ward entrance of the channel The pipes
will be fitted with valves, which will be
closed by the water pressure, but opened by
the hydraulic power used to force the petro-
leum from the reservoirs. Some OF these
pipes may even be brought to the surface in
shoal water and being pointed towards the
channel. the petroleum may BE- fired in
stream from considerable distance and
fall in the track Of vessels at different
points,
The enemy decides to enter and forms in
column one vessel ahead OF the other, to
steam through the narrow channels. They
can only come in at high water, or at the be-
ginning of the ebb. AS the leading vess el
approaches the entrance to the channel
heavy charges Of petroleum are fired through
the nearest pipes and, rising to the surface
spread over wide erea. At the same time
the dynamite guns, placed in the proper Po-
extinguishable buoys, which fall in the
channel and set fire to the petroleum. These
huoys, being light may be thrown great
distance d from guns hidden from view, sunk
has proposed to throw such buoys to light
up the water that guns on shore may be
trained upon vessels attempting to enter
haTbors ta at night The buoy scheme is pe,. per
the petroleum. The fire spreads rapidly,
but the leading vessel dashes ahead, nothing
daunted, thinking to pass beyond the linn
its of the fire, followed by the ships in the
charge Of petroleum will be forced through
the pipes successfully as they are approach
ed and the flaming buoys will continue to
os Tne al ever sne
soon becomes q lake Of fire, completely en-
veloping the ships.
An iron ship may burn, thopgA y viii
make good furnace. But the snShs-that
that smoke will be an important element in
future naval battles. Vessels Of great speed
will race each other, friend sinking friend.
me ,, smoke from the burning petroleum
making II impossible for them TO see each
other or the shore. The harbor buoys will
all be removed in time of war, and the Of
acers, not being able to see the landmarks,
may attempt to steer by compass, but that
will not save them in a narrow channel.
What will they do; They cannot turn in
the narrow channel! Signals cannot be
her down. They cannot get out again as
they came in. The utmost confusion-a
panic will be the result. Some ships will
ses % while ora grSrns ss aosns sSe in o the
surface pipes will fire the petroleum high in
to the air landing it on the decks and against
the sides of iron-clads. They will not burn,
Of course but the petroleum , wiz. 1T It will
Or, and the flames will creep up the sides,
setting fire to boats and all exposed wood
work. The flames running up the side may
reach the ports and the guns.
The gunners can see nothing. They can
not aim their guns, surrounded by cloud
Of dense black smoke. The sitting fumes
OF fiercely burning petroleum will render
the tn crews helpless II it does not sufiocate
thus inextricably mixed up, bewildered and
aground, other means Of attack may be
used to complete their destruction. The
dynamite gun mounted ashore on fixed
platform is acknowledged to be wonderfully
accurate, and at q known range shell after
shell may be thrown among the enemy's
feet. Small, fast vessels, with their bows
strengthened for ramming, may dash out
from inside the Narrows, and with their
crews protected from the smoke may rush
upon the helpless enemy who cannot use his
guns to keep them of, and thus sink his
ships. A feet in this position, while 1t can
sec nothing, can itself be seen from the
shore and thus be target for all guns and
yius type, iowever vulnerable to shot,
would be Of great service when the enemy,
shut in by the smoke, could not train his
combined would leave nothing Of tho proud
iron-clad feet Of the enemy. They may
come to these shores prepared to fight the US
nal weapons-guns and torpedocs-but they
will not be ready. like Clusters cavalry, to
.'charge through hell and back again.
New York World.