New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-12
COAST-DEFENCE WORK.
CEN. cAsEY's REPORT AND ESTIMATES.
RIVER AND HARDoR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
DATIoNs FOR NETWORK WORK

DAJlONS fOk NEW-NOhh WOhk
rBr rrLEoRAPu TO THE TxIBuxn.I
Washington, Nov. 1l.-Gcneral I. i. Casey, the
Chief Of Engineers charge of the coasdecnce prob
lem ana the river and harbor work. has made long
and interesting report which will be submitted to Con-
gross IN December In his opening paragraphs on the
subject Of Notifications he says:
Fer hfeen years prior to August 49, 1880 no eppo-
praton had been made for the construction Of werks OF
seacoast defence In this period great advances have
been made the construction Of ofdnsnee ana the IN
creased power developed rendered necessary WORKS "
increased resistance to proc,ilcs In me naval oronarce
Of foreign powers to be found guns OF 100 ana iio
tens mounted vessels belonging Great Rritan ana
IAly The existence Of this ordnance anoat DeeessaeS
. certain corresponding resistance Of works Of dcehee
corresponding thickness Of cover 1t IS not probable 'na
G further increase OF will be required Aireaoy
the substitution OF ELTON fer those OF llV IONS
seriously discussed, and the tendency on the part OF
foreign powers Is toward the gun Of lesser weight of M
heaviest callbfe aaoat The time then Is propsoo' i'
tie construction OF modern Notifications
The 81 10000 appropriated in 1890 and 1901 mas
been used In furnishing emplacements Tor hghpowcr
guns. The works now under construction are par'
bette batteries including those In winch guns arc
mounted on lifts and mortar batteries. NO WORKS
which contemplate the use Of iron are now buiiulhg'
but covered with sand Is used to shea arma
ment and gunners and the disappearing principle OF
mounting guns has generally been had in view in de-
signing batteries The total amount OF the appropri-
alton asked OF the next Congress by the Cmef OF
Engineers is 500, as against S1,221,OOO and
$4,000 Of the two previous Notifications acts Tor
coast deiences. General Casey submits an estimate
OF 900 for the construction OF gun and mortar
batteries amount with available funds necessary to
supply emplacements for such armament as will be
fabricated by January i, 1894. Another half million
Is recommended for the acquisition OF SITES Snpse-
qnent appropriations have been partially expended In
the purchase Of ftyone and one half acres In Boston
Harbor, thirty-six and quarter acres In New
River, and the Department of Justice has been
requested to institute proceedings for the con-
demnation OF l67 acres more In New-forR Harbor.
while an award Of $4,000 for fifty acres ct Plum
Island, NewYork, has been made This latter sum
forms the besis Of the estimate for the addluohal
100000 to the 100000 set asid, by the LIST
Congress. An appropriation of $4,000 is also recon-
mended the repair and preservation OF Notifications
Five classmates at New York. two at Boston and two
NJ San Francisco have been completed, and projects
for classmates at SIX other places Portland, Phha-
delpha, Washington, Hampton Roads. Charleston ana
san Francisco. have been approved. These, with
three additional classmates, will consume available
funds and In order to out the plan for six other
auxiliary defences an cstimae of 100000 Is made'
II is recommended that $4,000 be appropriated for
an LOO foot wall and cmbankment at Davias
Island New-Yorl. and $4,000 for a 325foot wall on
the east side of Governors Island TO replace dccayng
wharf fronts and timber bulkheads The remainder OF
$1,000; repair Of Fort Marion. Fla. $4,000 ar'esiah
we'll ut Fort Monroe. $4,000.
Detailed reports Of the years results in cOastde-
fence construction in Newfork Har5or are maze 10
General Casey by Colonies Houston, Gillespie and
King Three Of the nine S-irch gun emplacements
have been constructed and three other emplaeements
sre under way All the excavations for the founda.
t,ons Of the northern half Of the two 1o-inch gun
battery and nearly all those for the southern half are
finished The mechanism Of one lift Is expected to
be erected early In the winter. Five mining case
mates from which submarine mines Will be operated
have been completed. The protection of the site OF
Fort Niagara N ", Is recommended, and to that end
en- estimate Of $4,000 is made.
Under the head Of river and harbor improvements
The bulk OF the recommendations is made Ncw-lork
Harbor II General Casey has his way, win get $780,
900 for its improvement during 1902. The total
amount expended on this harbor was 81 ,435,OOO
The work of dredging channel 1000 feet wide and
thirty feet deep at low water, from deep wSter
below the Narrows through the main ship and Gcd-
oey's channels to deep water outside the bar, Is the
project and 1t is estimated 20 cost in the neighborhood
of IS 1000 900. Other works 10 and about New-ioR
receive the following alloments Of amounts which
General Casey thinks should be expended during The
next year:
portchester Harbor removal Of rock and break
water 500 900; Larchmont IIarbor brealywater, $780,,
coo; Echo Harbor, New Rochelle removal Of rocks,
$1,000 Eastchester Harb0r dredging $4,000;
Grecnport Harb0r dredging anchorage BASIN $1,000;
harbor at Port jefferson Inlet, dredging, $4,000;
Huntington Harbor dredging ard pile protection,
ss2, 900; Glen Cove Harbor extending breakwater,
$4,000; Flushing Day. dredging to widen ard main
tain the channel $50 600: Patchogue River dredging
e25 900; Browns Creek, sayvile deepening entrance
to channel 100000 Peconc River, extending channel
1000 feet above Merritt Lay, $4,000 this is a new
project; Hudson River dredging, completion OF
project, Si45,O00 The dikes Eow completed have
made channel depth Of ten feet nearly all the way
from New Baltimore to Albany, and OF eight feet
nearly all the way from Albany to Troy SaugertleS
Harboc, dredging, 50 900: Rondout Harbor dkc-work,
$4,000; Wappingers Creek, channel work. no estl-
mate, $4,000 still on hand; Harlem RIVER
en- estimate Of 100000 of the Sl,ooo'-
600 necessary to complete the project of forming
q navigable channel between the East and Hudson
rivers, is submitted, During the last year 4o'2oo
cubic yards Of material were removed and 10
expended on the project. The expenditure to June,
1890. the East River and Hell Gate amounted 70
s3s14644 and the results have been OF the greatest
value to navigation. The completion Of the project
Of removing distractions will cost over S1OOo0Oo OF
which 100000 is asked for next years work.
Ncwtown Creek, dredging $4,000; Buttermk
Channel harbor, dredging 100000; Gowanus Bay,
dredging. 100000 Rsritan Bay, New-Jersey,
channel work. 100000; sumpawaDus Inlet.
Ing river, 5000 channel between Staten Island
and New-Jerscy dredging, $4,000 r1sSalc River be
low Newark, dikng and dredging, 81 1000. Above
Newark drcd sing S200Oo: Murdelcr'> Creek, JIud
River, the estimate Of $4,000 Is withdrawn suit
decided in favor Of railroad company tre builders Of
an alleged obstrucng bridge pronounces the creek not
o navigahle waterway BOnx River, il is estimated
that Ss59s5 will be required TO widen and deepen the
channel Wcsehcser Creek, the opening OF the chan
mel will cost S27 800. The preliminary examination
AZ from main channel from Jamaica Bay enscrly to
Long Beach Inlet New York. for canals has resulted
In the opinion thnt the locality is worthy OF improve
ment and survey has been ordered.
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GOVERNMENT CASES IN TIE SUPREME COURT.
Washington, Nov. l1--A tabulated statement of the
Business of Dc supreme Court shows that the largest
nupbcr OF Government cases ever disposed Of at one