Evening journal., 1891-01-29
ONE CENT.
TO MOUNT BIG MORTARS.
Commencing the Coast De-
fenses Near Sandy Hook.
THE GUNS TO SHOOT ls MILES.

The Governments Breaks Ground for the
Construction of Formidable Mortar
battery, the OBJECT Of whfsh Is to De-
fend New York city from Attack.
New York, Jan. 2a.-The United states
government has begun the erection Of Is
mammoth fort at Sandy Hook, ground for
which was broken more than three weeks
ago. The fort is intended to be one az the
largest and best equipped IN the country
me plans and specifications Of thc new
building are now on file at the arnvbnild.-
ing IN t.is city with Lent Henry Savior.
The work Commenced.
For several years tho war depar,,nents
nas been endeayoring to have cnnuress
make an appropriation for an extensive
iortitication to receive she new nlor.nrs
that are being made for thiH section of the
coast
This appropriation has been matle and.
Lieut.. Henry Taylor, L. s. A.. having
been assigned to duty AZ constructing
engineer recently set more than io5 meu
ht work excavating preparatory To Grivius
piles and laying the foundation iar tie.
out walls.
Where the Fort is Located.
The site chosen for the new fort X about
onequarter Of mile from the ocean and
about one mile distant from tie present
fort az Sandy Hook. The new baitdins-
viii be q parallelogram in shapt iOO by
ooO ieet. The foundation walls viii start
several feet below and rise Co the present
surface of the ground, when the iesainins,
walls will be built and the earth hanked
up against them at an angle of fortt-iive
uegfees' leaving only two or three feel out
OF the ground
This will bring the floor Of the fort on "a
level with the present established grade of
the land
Walls Eight Feet Thick.
The retaining walls viii be abons eight
feet thick at the base and four feet thick
1T the top, with the batten or inciina on
the outside Large piling will be driven
We'll into the ground 10 support the wallis
and the appnrteuances OF the heavy nar-
ts1rs, and after being sawed off l,tr,.l the
piles viii be surmnnnted with a con1inu-
ous capping of concrete, made Of Portland
cement, good sharp sand and small spanes
q angular stone All around and ahnusa
their heads, 50 as to form a strong fonnda-
ton upnn which 10 erect the retaining
walls
These walls are 70 be run up of the same
material shoveled in and well tantpered
with tamping picks made for the purtose.
50 as thoroughly to solidify the mass ana
press out all the vOids The cement NH
be used III p nearly semi-huid state and
will set qurkly
The mortar carriages 70 be placed IN the
new fort are 70 be of the latest improved
kind II Il said that sixteen Of the rnr
rages eau be built In the new fort. The
present appropriation will provide for fhe
mounting oi only two Of the proposed nor
tars but It'll expected that sufficient money
viii be appropriated from time 10 time fn
mount all the carriages
The mortars used win be cast iron. hooted
and tubed with steel They win be 12in,ii
hleeehloaders the iiret oi their Kind ever
~ use by the government. Although they
are called martars they are really i2iuch
hfeechloading rihed guns, but are much
shorter than the standard gnn and ara
much less expensive % build. They retain
the name Of mortar because they are in
tended, as weie the old mortars, for high
angle fire
They VIII shoot Twelve Miles
II Is estimated that il win take about one
year 70 complete the fort ia an its details
Is generally understood that the working
force will be increased in the spring tn
about 800 men. A tramway has been built
from the pier 70 the new works TO facilitate
the transportation of the mortars and ma
terial for building purposes
The new fort will prove a valuable addi-
tion 70 the government facilities for the
testing Of ordnance. One IL the guns TO be
used at the fort was tested recently bv
Capt. Charles Shalcr, and Il Is claimed that
2 shell was thrown twelve miles seawanl
with 20 pounds Of powder
Great secrecy Employed.
The Importance Of the work and the me-
cessity for secrecy make il incumbent tfpom
the officers in charge % exclude All visitors
from the government grounds. This seem
ing lack Of courtesy is in accordance with
orders from the war department. The
plans, estimates and requisitions are made
az the war department, but the general
construction of the work and other details
are carried ont by Lieut.. Taylor.