The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-29
EDITORIAL NOTES.

The House recently passed pension bill that
no one had the hardwood to object to. allowing
Mrs Mary B. Cushing $50 month. Her son,
Lieutenant Alonzo II. Gushing, was one OF the
heroes of Gettysburg. On the third day of that
historic battle, while holding his flghtiuily
lacerated abdomen with one hand and hflng
cannon with the other, when ordered TO retire
Oh account Of his wounds be answered, Let
me give them one more shot," then oied upon
The field. Another sen, Lieutenant William b.
Gushing of the navy, blew up the Confederate
irOnclad Albermarle. her captain afterward de-
claling that no more gallant deed was done dur
ing the war. Another son, Lieutenant Howard
g. Gushing lost bis life in an Apache campaign,
and his brother, Milton. died In the naval ser
vice Congressman Wilson, In appealing for
pension for the old mother, 50 years of age, elo-
quently declared: " The mother of the Gracchi
never pointed with more pride to her jewels than
did this mother of heroes, and no Spartan mother
who sent her sons TO the field OF battle in de-
tense OF Sparta with the injunction to return
with their shields upon them, ever manifested
more heroic, self-sacrfcng devotion to her
country than did this now venerable old lady
Not even War Claims" Enloe had the heart to
object to this appeal.
The new Fertilization Act provides funds for
the commencement of the lOng-needed improve
ment OF our harbor defenses, aud though the
poets are that 1t will be followed by annual
allowances till the work is completed. The act
also devotes funds Tor Strengthening the de
lenses of New York and Boston. Al The latter
port, Colonel Mansfield, the engineer in charge
Of the work, in outlining The plans oil the Gov
eminent. states that it Will cost more than
5000, 600 to execute them. Ultimately the
forts Of Boston Harbor will be armed with 100
sea-eoast mortars of the largest size and some
fifty guns OF the newest and heaviest patterns,
ranging from the S.inch breecll-ioader, weighing
thirty tons, to the giant 1Ginch destroyer weigh
ing 10Y Tons and carrying ton shell nearly
fifteen miles. The first work undertaken there
will be the location OF an S-Inch gun as soon as
possible at Fort Warren, where IL VIII be placed
on an elevating carriage behind ramparts OF
earth and stone seventy feet thick. The plans
foI the new defenses of San Francisco are more
elaborate and more costly than those OF Boston.
Between 1871 and 1890 England spent on her
navy 1857, SO, 3o5, yet the recent naval maneu-
vers, which cost the country about a million dol
lars, were, like the late experiment of France,
far from satisfactory. The maneuvers were in
tended to elicit information as to the possibility
of hostile fleet securing and retaining posses
sion tor ten days OF the various trade routes,
thereby cutting of England's food supplies. The
hostile feet in this instance was successful, but
TO accomplish this an average OF 100 tons be-
vond the prOper coal capacity OF each ship was
taken aboard, The extra supplies being slowed III
the batteries. The home feet only carried the
ordinary supply, and although her guns were
ready for action, the Two fleets got no nearer
than fifty miles 10 each other. The expense OF
repairs will be enormous, and as a result OF the
affair Sir Thomas Symounds declares that 10 Of
GrItains a larger irOnclads and 10 transports
are either dangerous or useless, owing to made
quaie bulkhead arrangements or obsolete ma
cninery and armaments.
American engineering skill scored another
triumph when the big span of the Ohio Railroad
bridge was safely swung into position. Five
hundred and twenlythIee feet in length, weigh
Ing 1900 tons and supported on scaffUlding
erected on nine big barges 1t was recently hauled
into position and deposited ON stone piers eighty
feet above low-water mark, settling into Its
fnal resting place without a jar. The bridge,
which cost 81, 500, 000 is 4557 feet in length.
Salvatoi's wonderful performance yesterday
astonished those fortunate enough TO be present
at Monmouth Park. Carrying 10Y pounds as he
did, he not only beat RavelOe's phenomenal time
but went 334 seconds better with a record of
:3542. The King OF the Turf fairly won an
ovation, the like OF which was never before Wit
messed on the track.
France would like to see Italy sever her rela-
tons With Germany and Austria. President
Carnot, in keeping with popular sentiment, has
ordered a squadron to visit SpeZzla on Septem-
Der 21st, TO salute King Humbert, who VIII be
there on that date to witness the launching OF an
Italian ironcad