New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
TO PROTECT THE HARBOR.
SPLENDID SCHEME OF COAST DEFENCE:

SPLENDID SCHEME OF COAST DEFENCE:
yRowNINo BATTIRIEs WILL KEEP OFF An
ENExY-How THE yoRrs WILL
BE EQUIPPED.
Any pleasant afternoon whom the weather p not ~
cold, travellers By 50 ~ End down By the Iow,lytng
stores OF Sandy Hook WIN hear every nov and then
the boom Of Q cannon and viii . wreath OF smoke
loyerins fos moment In the air. Thxt IL the Ord
ssnce CoFps Of the Army, gentle savage reader.
Don't disturb Il. The Officers ct work, and while
profoundly mysterious at ell times, the deep mpene-
trsble gloom which surrounds them when q work 10
something so terrible that few can look upon IL and
fee, oulte we'll aftcrward. For many years the Ord
nance Corps has been It work there at sandy Hook,
testing all sorts OF guns which the minds Of cran OF
ncompctents could deySe and got the Government TO
order tested From GU, the mystery and gloom designs
for new guns have been brought FORTH but the ruins OF
forts which are scattered along the Atlantic coast sim
have their embrasures filed with Jolly looking TAT old
smoothbores long fallen into harmless desueude ana
looking actually envous Of tho sunset gun that Is soe
to go or
There are the rnns Of some uncompleted ior''hcs-
lions at Sandy Hook too the beginning OF whst was 90
signed in the days Of the War, when II was staTed !"
be q great work. It's lines were drawn WIN al mo
science that yauban or NolZet ever dreamed o. ana
beach to build its walls. But the war chansea ti'
art of fertilization as 1t did the methods OF naval war
fare and at It's close work stopped on the deehcos
Of Sandy Hook. So sand. blown by the STORMS VIZ
twenty five winters has piled up against the uh''h-
shed walls, and sea grass grows aoou' ''e"''
week or ago . young man with Gamers .s"s
gayy cavorting over the sacred precincts OF the uo'
eminent reservation and began TO snap away st every
thing he saw after the manner OF amateur pho-
tOgraphers. He was seized upon by horrfed sodiey
and taken into the august presence OF the comn'aus
officer. His camera was taken away from him ana ne
Informed that 1t would be restored to him Whcn III
| had bctaken himself outside the reservation.
When . civilian tried 10 "cha' an onicer ABOUT I"
afterw ard-the officer was young oniccr-ne d'oh s
| the joke, and gravely replied:
at you were to go into any European fort ana uho
pictures, do you suppose they would permit III l"o
civilian frankly admitted that he did not think they
| would. From this 1t appears that 50 strong - oio
force Of tradition In the Ordnance and Engineer corps
Of the Army that they actually regard the ruins OF
sandy Hook officially IS o fortress. But signs Ok
new life beginning now to STIR in the Engineer ana
| Ordnance corps. The new Navy brings with 1t new
| coast defences. G0ard Of Ordnance and Fortinca-
| tons has been appointed and Is holding ire'l"e"s
sessions Before this board laid plans OF guns ana
forts and there discussion galore as to the proper
| system of defending the Eastern harbors compie"
plan was drawn up about six ago for the deicho
~ New.York and several other seaboard cities ms
plan for the defence Of New York has since been soe
what modified but In essentials Is the same. ~ mah'
Sandy Hook and Coney Island the outer line OF 40
fence with possibly chilled iron turre' on the Df'
Romef The second line is the Narrows.
When the plan is fully carried out II VIII De some
| filing like this: At Sandy Hook battery OF l2nca
breach.loadng riHed mortars and battery OF hea'y
| high powered guns in Gruson turrets' 1o"aru u'o
western end OF Coney Island more morsrs anu moro
heavy guns in Grlson trets: in the chilled iron tur
ret on the Romer many heavy guns a. the turrrea
can hold.
ubicb vould make it, oh so warm for any hostile nrct
that tried TO advance its banners up the watery pain
way OF Cedney's Channel. But II hostile heet shonr'
force the outer line, then comes the nhor ie vi t'
Narrows. The old specimens OF antique aele"''.p
works which now occupy the sides OF the NarroW' VIII
have disappeared and In their places VIII De pa'ver'
Of disappearing guns and arInored foF's' iheS u'Sp
nearing guns are mounted in pits on carriages moving
on an inclined plane When they are ready ior hr'
they move up by hydraulic power, and As soon a. S
are fired disappear again. These guns II ID ho' III
tended to mount in regular battery, out IN Z HUN
so that II will be the more dificut for an ehe'. ~
Get their range As to the forts 1T is probable that
thor win no ~ The tyne used somewhat extensively in
England which give good satisfaction for the amount o
cost They consist OF armor plates between masonry
PIERS the plates being pierced IN the centre io -
guns A fort entirely Of armor Is an exceediheN eA
pensive affair, and these composite io''S a'o sou "
he highly effective There is no limit on the amount
Of armor which can be placed on fort except ''e
length of the gun used. As the system OF iehe'i
been changed from 80 calbres to 30, thus giving ~
inch puu for instance, length Of 20 10 feet IL VIII
he seen at once that armored fort Is inVuIeraoe "
the heaviest ordnance. =,
| IN the island In the Narrows where now stahis oio
Fort LAFAYETTE will be turret OF steel or chiied ifoi
with a heavy armament In it, Each OF the forts OF
! | hat
| Sandy Hook and Coney Island 1t Is not prooaoe 'iia
tho interior line of defence, consisting OF GoNerho
Bedlow's and Ellis Islands, will be fortified a no,
military men believe that the Narro"s once pA,'ou
New York is at the mercy Of hostile heet ie' 'c'
are advocates of terrifying these islands for this reason
fleet or a portion of it may be able TO run uie iort
| az the Narrows without sllencng them. Theh IL ti'
interior line of Notifications was there mounted VIII
heavy gins the feet would be exposed 10 q ueh'en
dous converging fire nom six forts at comparative
close range The ships would have to engage 'he io'
In life and death struggle, and would nave ITO 'o
spare in bowling down the cities lying "o.. ~, o,,
forts Of the interior line were seneed ue hhe yo
womld be at the mercy OF the c0nquerOrs out ou,
last great struggle cSmaSs W NO Mf be- as nothing
AS TO the guns with which these forts wl be o ncD
they be from the designs OF t Ie spendd pee
ordnance designed by the Ordnance G2a Of RAM a
Navy only Of greater sabe The l mortars VIII be i
inch % he; with ;r ranT Ss Million of s
miles This Of course Is al IN tne th s ann can be
Come reality When 1t is, the officer o, emg,,'c ,h
and ordnance will be justified In shooins away LIN
Within year the Board of Ordnance ana aors'
tons hope to make beginning by paSn nowep brec
loading riaed gun on Sandy Hook battery OF = @
mortars on the west end OF Coney Satery of fou
ride on a disappearing carriage anu oA''''
l2.inch mortars at the Narrows .,. East River b.
The passage nom the sound sa gs0 .c the old fort
hers must 70 and armord fort, taSe tneiT p', mi
it is hoped to begin the WORK Oh gun on Wtt
wear oy nroh,bie that when the whole scheme