Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-05-17
Our Coast Defense.

coast Of this country. Their defense
less condition was brought very forci-
bly, to the attention Of our national
Solons about three years ago when
Hoper's Teeiiy, in very handsome
and striking illustration, showed plain
ly how five vessels OF any foreign ma
ton, could, with case, sail past the
forts in the harbor OF New York, and
then in one hour, destroy property to
the value OF $3O0,O0O,OOO. This
done, they could retire to the narrows
and then reduce to dust in a few mo-
ments, forts Wadsworth and Lee, de-
stroying on their route the cities OF
Brooklyn, Jersey City and Hoboken,
and the towns OF Clifton and Temp
klnsville on Staten island. When
that fact became generally known the
residents OF that section, through their
representatives, became clamorous for
more and better harbor defense. Nor is
this true of New York alone. There
is nothing to prevent the same fleet
few days later, from entering the
Chesapeake bay, ascending the Della
ware river, and, in like period of
time, laying Philadelphia and Ger
mantown in ashes, and there destroy
ing property valued at a sum equal to
little less than that Of New York city.
Our own coast is in an equally de-
feneless condition. 1t would be SIM
Ply childs' play to an ironclad of any
hostile nation to take a little run into
San Francisco harbor and level the
metropolis of the Pacific coast within
an hour, besides sacrificing human
life. The forts at the Golden Gate
would only be as toy balloons in front OF
a gas jet. One or two shots from a
wooden man-oi-war, supplied with
such death-dealing instrument as the
lately patented dynamite gun, and all
would be over. They have nothing
but smoOth-borc guns, and few small
calibre rifles with which to defend
themselves. And these would be prac-
tically worthless against a steel cruiser
with even only a lO-inch armor at a
distance OF q mile.
Coming further up the coast, what
is there to prevent an iron-clad from,
entering Puget Sound, and, on her way
to the headwaters at Olympia, destroy
ing in her march Port Townsend
Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia? Moth.
ing; absolutely nothing. While in
Tacoma the other day, the writer heard
; man who has lived many years
and who has been cool, shrewd and
successful in o business career oI
!; 40 years, say as he rubbed his
hands in glec on observing the
} Thetis laying quietly at anchor
"Thank God our Government has a,
last sent us a man-of-war to protect
, the Sound" This man meant every
} word he said. He really believed that
] the Thetis, armed forward rs che was
with Long Tom Hotchkiss gun and
a pair of small Calling guns peepine
out over her tafrail aft, was inyincible
What mistaken notion it was! Such
o vessel as she is would have no more
business bristling up against even the
, guns of the old Ganges, that was on
the Victoria station 90 years ago, than
man would 70 60 to sea in a tin-pail
Happily, however, the next decade
will witness q complete revolution in
the coast and harbor defenses and
navy of the United States. Within
the past few years q number of very
fine, fast and formidable cruisers have
been built and many more are now
under construction. The Charleston,
the latest TO be launched, is now under
going her test of speed and strength
and has developed in the former little
less than IS knots, her requirements.
This indicates q speed of more than 81
miles an hour at sea which is more
than any other vessel OF like class,
af1oat.
The Senate committee on Coast and
Harbor Defenses are now in California
examining into the requirements OF
the coast. In session the other day
Gen. Miles, commanding officer of the
Department of the Pacific, with head
quarters at the Preside, in San Fran.
cisco, deplored the TACT that from O
military standpoint, our country from
Maine to Florida and from Blaine to
Lands End in Lower California did not
have one Ct her many splendid points
If defense in condition to Withstand
the assaults Of even the weakest mill
tary power afloat.
4 OF course many matters are TO be
considered in preparing the harbors
for defense. Military affairs have,
more than any one other in the lives
of the various n.tions of the world,
undergone the most severe change.
The fort Of twenty years ago would be
OF no avail now. Modern rified guns
and more powerful explosives must be
met with materials of more resisting
power. Erickson with his monitor
and his revolving turret revolutionixed
modern warfare and disclosed to the
world the secret Of combating and ap-
plying the greatest force with the least
exposure to danger. On this same
principle the military architects Of the
world now propose to construct the
forts of the future, low, convex and
offering the leaet resistance to the
missiles OF an enemy. The Depart
ment OF War ut Washington are now
considering the advisability of pro-
viding the large harbors OF tho United
States with this class of ratification
which are said TO be the best OF modern
| timee.