Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-02
POSSIBLE DEFENsEs OF NEW YORK.

A Talk With Rear Admiral Braine About the
Naval Forces Available Here.
From the New York Tribune.
Rear Admiral Braine commandaut of the
naval station Of New York, was seen at the
Brooklyn navy yard by . Tribune reporter.
The admiral said: 1--WE are not well prepared
for war. cannot think that Italy would seek
war with this country, but il she does she
viii not find Us wholly unprepared. I have at
the yard now one OF the most formidable fight
Ing ships afoat-the monitor Miantonomoh.
She has two guns Of ten-inch caliber mounted
in her after turret, and the guns for her for
ward turret are at Annapolis and could
be got here in short order it were
necessary. She. is ready to 60 into
commission and would give any vessel
afoat hard fight Then there is at the yard
the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, with her capa-
biiities OF throwing great quantities Of dyna-
mite; the old monitor, Nantucket, which has
stood some hard batte-ing and could stand lots
more; the Alarm, with her torpedo tubes; the
Concord, Bennington and Terror. The Mian-
tonomoh is, however, the only fighting ship
now at the yard. The Maine has not single
one OF her armor plates on nor have they been
delivered. They were to have beenjhere year
ago, but are not delivered yet. II Italy means
war 1t would be impossible to get the Maine
ready in time. The Terror also Is out Of the
question. She is 30 incomplete that q long
In commission. l have no fear Of an Italian
ship lying outside Sandy Hook and throwing
shells into New York.
COULD NOT PUT A SHOT INTO NEW YORK.
1.-THE guns on the battle ships Of Italy are
mounted in such a manner that it would be i'm
possible to elevate them sufficiently to put q
shot into New York They might reach Brook
Ign, but not New York. / have been on board
those battle ships Of Italy and have seen trials
OF their guns in the Bay Of Spezzia. It is doubt
full If great Italian battle ship would dare to
force the entrance Of New York bay and steam
eighteen miles up to the city. Distractions
might easily be placed in the narrow channels,
which would render the entrance Of an Italian
fleet impossible. The army has a complete sys-
tenn OF submarine mines with which the en-
trance Of Throgg's Neck is alreaded defended
the lower bay. With the feet we could mus
ter and the distractions we could place it
would be an extremely difficult thing for Italy
to lay New York under contribution. The great
weakness OF New York is by the way Of Long
Island sound. The forts at the passage Of
Throggs Neck are indefensible and that pas
sage once forced New York would be at the
mercy OF any hostile man-of-wsr. But the
value OF hidden battery is as to 100 against
q known one, and where those batteries would
AN ITALIAN FLEET MONT BLOCKADE THIS PORT.
can italian feet might easily blockade New
York, however, and stop that great tide of COM
merce which now daily GIBBS and flows through
the Narrows What are our naval resources?
Veil, with the exception Of the Miantonomoh,
there Is not ship we have a1oat that could face
In fair fight one Of the great battle ships Of
Italy. Still, there are several monitors up the
James river which are ready to 60 into commits
sion at once, and would be now, as in times
past, very dangerous fellows. The Texas, a
armor is not ready, and the others Of our new
navy are simply commerce destroyers and
could not stand a moment against the battle
ships Of Italy. They are mere egg shells, and
a Hotchkiss gun could kill their gunners and
disable them. Ihope that the present crisis. if
it is crisis, will force upon the people the
necessity Of building fighting ships. view
with pain tho building by my country of COM
merce destroyers. What would be thought of
an army organized for the purpose of destroy
ing cities and villages and not for fighting?
You may destroy the commerce Of a natlcn,
but you canot conquer it if you cannot fight it.
Under the pressure OF necessity much might
be accomplished, but the building of battle
ships Is a matter OF years, and the construc-
ton of guns OF modern type not thing OF q
day.
NO DOUBT AZ TO THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME.
"Ihe ultimate outcome Of q war with Italy
cannot be a matter of doubt, but in the mean
time we might be called upon to suffer great
humiliation. In the matter of torpedoes we
are wofully deficient. BY torpedoes / do not
mean submarine mines. We have expert
mented and talked and talked and experi-
mented, but al yet we have Just two auto
mobile torpedoes, one at Newport and one at
Wiliets Point, used for purposes Of expert
ment and instruction. That is all. As to
coast defenses to supplement the operations Of
a naval force why, coast defenses are q minus
quantity in this country. When will the coun-
try give up its laissez faire policy. The posi-
biiity Of the seaboard cities of this country
being placed under contribution by foreign
power should not be u subject for discussion
at time like this 1t ought to be entirely out
OF the question. trust, however, that war
will not come until we are better prepared
for it."
Walter johnson, colored, who recently a.
saulted Mrs. Elizabeth Majors Of Nottaway