The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-24
GUNS FOR THE COAST.
Heavy Ordnance for Protec-
ton of American Ports.
DerEnsEs URGENTLY NEEDED.


The recently published war department.
report that over 100 modern high-pow-
cred guns will be necessary to the proper
protection of the American coast indicates
in q measure the calls that viii soon be
made upon congress for coast defense par
roses. These calls. Ii is safe TO say, will
be made as soon as the war department
discovers an opportunity. for il is gener-
ally recognized that the preponderating
pressure for navy legislation during the
present session has checked the majority of
war department plans
It Is q mooted question among military
men-end the term military men" is used
in its broadest sense-what system of de-
Tense is most likely to insure protection TO
long stretch OF coast line At the pres
ent day the question Is one of
fleets against Notifications Shall we look
for protection from foreign invasion IN the
presence Of q strong and mobile feet of
war ships, or from long coast line dotted
with forts and earthworks? By the mill
tary leaders of this country it has been laid
down as an established principle that all
assailable points on the coast should be
guarded by forts and land batteries. so as
to leave the naval forces of the country
available for naval operations Forts. it is
believed. can be made impregnable against
any naval force that can be brought against
them, and are needed for the protection OF
the fleets while preparing for service on the
ocean.
Furthermore. it is believed that If we
rely for the defense OF our coast on our
naval force our means OF protecting our
foreign commerce. small though it may
be at the present. must by so
much be absorbed. To employ. there
fore. our active navy, in whole or
in part, for the defense of our coasts. in
stead of strengthening our Notifications
and constructing new ones, would be TO
supplant impregnable buiwarks by perish
able ones, fixed securities by changeable
ones; and it would be to expose ourselves
to the chances of being suddenly left with
out adequate defense. The consequence
would be, under this established principle,
that we should resign our sense of security
and our competence of safety: we should
divert our navy from the highest duty. de-
prive it of its chief honor. and its chief
claim to the respect and confidence OF the
people; and we should lose by go much the
power of vindicating the national honor
and our Independence on the seas.
The principle OF coast defense established
many years ago in this country is in the
main strictly adhered to by military men
of the present day. Though many forts
fell during the civil war before the attacks
of federal fleets. the reason may be at
tributed TO an improper defense OF the be-
sieged place. On the other hand, Fort
sumter held out against the combined at
tacks OF an iron-cIad feet, and was stronger
after the bombardment than ever before.
The great majority of the forts guarding
our coasts tsday are similar 10 Fort Sumter.
They were for the most part built Just prior
to 1860. and of material similar TO that en-
ployed in the construction of Fort Sumter.
In some cases. such as Forts Wadsworih
and Hamilton. New York, stone was used
in the construction, while the Sumters are
all built of brick and sand.
The only difficulty in rendering these
forts impregnable is the prov ding o. proper
high-powered ordnance. and 10 this end
congress will be called upon to appropriate
money for the loo guns which, it is be-
lieved. will afford the needed security.
The proportioning of these guns will have
10 be decided upon by the ordnance
people. for ii the demand of the commit
tee of the Chamber of Commerce of New
York, that congress provide for New York
harbor sixteen turrets, mounting thirty
two 100-ton guns, fifty rifled mortars. 100
six to eight-inch riied cannon. fifty Hotch-
boats. and twelve miles of submarine
mines, be granted. the number OF guns on
the whole coast must be greatly increased.
Although very little is known of the mat
ter outside of military circles, the war de-
partment has pretty well decided what
course to adopt should it be necessary to
put in defensible condition the old forts
now standing. As result of conference
OF board of prominent army officers, held
IN 10 N a md nj
which board Major General Wright was
president. two reports, one majority and
the other minority report, were sub
mitted to the secretary OF war. One report
suggested that all standing forts OF more
than one tier of guns in height be RACED TO
the lower tier and that the face of the wall
OF the lower tier should be covered with
steel armor.
The second report recommended that all
forts, of whatever number OF tiers in
height, should have the lower tiers filed in
with sand to the level of the barbette guns,
and that the upper face of the wall should
be steel riveted. The latter report, how
ever, was the minority one, and it may be
OF interest TO military men to know that
General Wright favored the latter plan.
Inasmuch as the war department intends
to make our coast defenses a system of
earthen batteries mounted with high
powered ordnance, the question OF coast
defense resolves itself, with US, into proyid-
ing ourselves with the proper ordnance. 1t
has been estimated by the engineer officers
of the army that SD ,000 600 will be needed
TO fortify and arm all the harhors of i'm
portance on the coast, and that S25, Geo. 600
will be needed for the heavy guns and EN-
placements necessary for defense OF New
York, Philadelphia, Boston ana Baltimore.
In order to insure the construction of
the guns needed, it has become absolutely
necessary for congress to not only appro-
pirate large sum of money for immediate
purposes, but one that shall be perma-
nent appropriation. In this way the object
may be achieved of keeping the private
manufactures OF the country up to state
of efficiency, for it does not appear to be
the policy of the government to establish
gun foundries. wherein the work viii be
performed wholly by government officials.
but rather gun factories, where the heavy
forgings may be received from private es-
adjustments, then worked over in the gov
eminent factory and the machined parts OF
the gun assembled. IN this way il is hoped
10 create sort of dependency of the gov
eminent on the country
j is pretty definitely settled now Whist
type Of gun viii be adopted by the war de-
partment for general coast defense pur-
poses. This has long been q vexed aues-
ton, not only with army boards, but with
navy boards. To the average man in COM
mercial life the matter OF ouving the best
type OF gun would appear at first thought q
comparatively easy one. The business
man would at once suggest going into the
open market and bidding for the hest ma
terial. But in the matter of guns there are
hosts OF inventors who claim that their pat-
ent is by far superior to any in service. and