Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-27
NO DEFICIENCY.
Report of General Casey, Chief
OF Engineers.
The Rivers and Harbors Appro-
priation

on the Work of Next Year Particular
Attention Given TO Our seac6;.st De-
fcnses, Which Work is Wholly Under
General Casoy's Charge.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-The report of
Gen. Casey, chief Of engineers, conveys
information which will not be pleasant
to those lightning calculators who were
so busy Of late figuring up deficiency
Gen, Casey says that very large part
of the appropriation made at the last
session for rivers and harbors remains
unexpended, because of the late date at
which the bill passed 1t was found
that the amount on hand will be suifi-
cient to Gerry ON the work throughoutthe
working season of 1891
Consequently the war department
will not submit estimates for river and
harbols for lS91~lS92, except in those
cases where contracts are to be made
for completing certain works under ex-
listing laws. With these exceptions, the
| engineer department now has all the
money on hand which can be proftably
eX Xpended during the next fiscal year.
Scaooast Defenses.
That part of Gen Casey's reports per-
is wholly under his charge, is both in
teresing and exceedingly important. Tt
is the opinion of many leading men of
both parties that this question is assum-
ing such importance as to make it mat
ter OF grave and inexcusable neglect for
congress to fail to make early and lib
eral provision for carrying the work of
coast defenses forward with energy.
Gen. Casey says:
At the close of the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1890, no appropriations for con-
structon Of works of seacoast defense
had been made since Feb. /, 1875 The
sums appropriated, from time to time,
for tho preservation and repair of fOrti-
fcations, have been applied TO the more
urgent work OF this character. includ-
ing, al. o, the renewal of platforms for
heavy artillery practice While some
of the defensive works thus cared for
can be utilized in the new system of de-
fcnse, and thus present special claims
for attention, all have some importance
as parts Of system which, though
antiluated, forms the only means of
land defense, until supplanted by works
Of modern type Hence they should
not be allowed to go to RUM an esti-
mate is submitted for their preservation
and repair.
"Thc main features of the new works
have been presented in my annual re-
port for 1889, as embracing armaments
Of the heaviest rilied guns. submarine
mines and batteries Of rapid firing guns
of small calibre for protection of the
mined areas Projects for those works
relating to gun defense provide for
mortar batteries; barbette batteries OF
l9Y,t
armed with guns mounted on disap-
pedring carriages, or lifts, or in iron
clad easements, and iron or steel tur-
rets.
DEMONSTRATION Of these works, omit
ting for the present those Of iron and
the tulrcts, should keep pace with that
of their armaments. Accordingly, sup
Elemental estimates were submitted to
The secretary of war Feb. ID, 1890, based
on the number OF high-power breech-
loading iifled guns and mortars, which,
it was understood, the ordnance depart
ment would have completed by JAM /,
1892 1t was recommended that en-
placements be provided for this ord
nance at New York at an estimated cost
of Sl26, 600 ~ Boston, $235, ,000 and at
San Franciaco, $2G0,000, or at a total
cost Of IS ,22t ,000-this amount TO be ex-
pended in the construction Of the epaule-
nents, magazines and bomb-proof
spaces of the several works, and the
funds for this work We're provided in
the act of Aug 10, 1880,
1t recommended that the additional
ordnance, which viii be completed Jan.
/, 1893 be placed in position at the three
points named and also in the defenses
Mt Hampton Reads, Virginia, and be-
low Washington 1t is believed that
two twelve-inch five ten-inch, and six
eigbt-inch rifles and twenty-seven
twelve-inch moltars will be available by
Jan. 1893, and for their emplacements
estimates are submitted as follows: For
Boston harbor, $295, ,000 New York
hahor, Si77 900; Hampton Roads, $685.
900, Washington, 100000, and San
Francisco harbor $5Sj, 900.
AS modern heavy rifles have by their
increased effective range necessitated the
advance of the exterior line of defense
to a distance of from eight to ten miles
from the object OF defense, where one
mile was once more than ample, ii win
be necessary for the United States TO
acquire additional sites for defensive
works About ne acres will be needed
Mt the five points above considered; ap-
proximately the same amount will be
required at various other points The
amount provided in the act Of Aug. 16,
1890, viii not be sufficient to purchase
the sites needed and an additional esti-
mate of $500, 600 Is submitted 10 aid in
their requirement.
The construction OF torpedo case
mates and cable galleries at defensive
works in the harbois at Boston, New
York and San Francisco has continued.
OF these casemates two are located af
Boston, five at New York, and two at
San Francisco five are essentially COM
plcted The sums appropriated will
suffice for the works already com
menced Estimates are submitted for
constructing additional works of this
character ut these and other harbors.
The following four items Of estimates
clearly indicate the character of the
work ia hand. For construction Of gun
and mortar batteries at Boston harbor,
New York harbor, champion Roads,
Washington and San Francisco hafbor,<
81 ,735, 600; for purchase Of land for
Notifications, $500, 900; for purchase Of
submarine mines and necessary appear
ances 70 operate them for closing the
channels leading to our principal sea
ports, S2jG, 00Oi for needed casemates,
cable galleries, etc, from which 10 oper-
ate submarine mines, $685. 900.