Evening journal., 1892-10-26
GENERAL CRSEY'S PLANS
The Chief Of Engineers Dis.
cusses Our Coast Defenses.
HIS OPERATIONS TO BE EXTENDED.

HIS OPERATIONS TO BE EXTENDED.
He WIN Ask the Next Session Of Congress
for an Appropriation of s2,e5O, 900 20
Execute the Fortiheations He Has in
View-The Need for Guns.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-There are two
distinct parts in the Preparation Of the sea
board fortifsations, and they are intrusted
TO separate bureaus of the war department
The engineer corps has charge Of the works,
Or the emplacements for the guns, while
the ordnance department supplies the arma
ment for these works. Hence the estimates
for the annual fortifcation appropriation
bill come from two different officers.
The chief Of engineers, General Thomas
l.. Casey, has already prepared his portion
Of the estimates for the next session of con
gress, and they amount to s2,250,000. OF
this sum S50O00O is for going on with the
purchase of sites at various points, and
81, ,750, 600 for the construction of gun and
mortar batteries upon sites that have been
or may be acquired It is not expected Of
course to get the whole Of the amount de
sired or deemed important, but there are
some good reasons why a liberal appropria-
tion should be made, the general says.
As to the sites needed, it is clearly ex-
pedient that they should be acquired as
soon as possible, whether by private agree
ment with owners or by the award of
land jury or commissioners where the
value is disputed. As soon as it is known
that land is wanted for the purpose devices
may be expected for the increase of the ap-
parent value and in addition there is
natural growth in the real value in the
neighborhood Of great seaports.
Hence it is desirable that appropriations
should be available for the prompt acquisi-
tion of such sites as may be settled upon.
The first annual appropriation made for
this purpose was $500, 600, and it is believed
that this is a moderate sum to set aside
each year until all the land has been ac-
quired or its probable cost provided for.
New Gun and Mortar Batteries.
Quite as strong is the argument for a
liberal appropriation toward erecting new
gun and mortar batteries. The guns and
mortars which are to be mounted in these
batteries are fast coming along General
Flagler, in his testimony last spring before
the house committee on this subject, stated
that at the end of the fiscal year then under
consideration, or in other words by the 3Oth
Of June next, there would be ready for
mounting eighteen S-inch guns. fourteen
1O-inch and six l2-inch. Accordingly it is
necessary to make ample provision for the
emplacements.
And it is to be remembered that guns
will continue to be turned out after June
30 1898 and at a still more rapid rate. The
capacity of the Watervliet gun factory alone
viii be twelve s-inch guns, fifteen lO-inch
and about seven 12-inch.
Thus at the end Of the fiscal year for
which provision is now TO be made there
would be really in all, mounted or to be
mounted, thirty S-inch, twenty-nine 10
inch and thirteen 12-nch guns, assuming
the factory to be kept at work, or there
would be the equivalent of these calibers.
1t is true that some gun batteries are
now in course of erection, but they are not
nearly enough to accommodate the guns
thus spoken of, while in addition there are
the mOrtars, which can be turned out with
a good degree Of rapidity. And then there
will be coming along after a time 10y in
stallments the hundred heavy guns which
are to be fabricated at South Bethlehem
1t is seen therefore that the proper con
struction OF the batteries to receive thi.
armament ought to receive liberal support
OF course some sort Of emplacement coulC
be hurriedly supplied in case of need witt
the guns once ready, but the construction
should go on methodically and properly.
To Extend Operations.
It further appears from General Casey
, estimates that he now proposes to exten'
his operations TO additional ports. Tn
, plan for distributing the appropriation
, which he asked for at the last session i'm
cluded emplacements for two l0inch gun
nj Portland. Me; two l0-inch and one /.
/ inch at Boston, three s-inch, one lO-inc
and two l2-iuch guns and sixteen l2-inc
L mortars at New York; one s-inch gun a
{ Washington two l0-inch and one l2-inc
, guns at Hampton Roads, and one Sine
I and two l2-inch guns and sixteen l2-inc
L mortars at San Francisco
The work at New York, Boston and Sa
Francisco, under this plan, is going on wei
r although last sessions appropriations weI
! very far short of what had been asked.
J. But those at the remaining points mer
n toned are still TO be pushed, and now
n addition General Casey proposes il is sale
r il he receives the appropriations asked fo
. to begin work at Narragansett bay, SavaI
r. nah and New Orleans.
"a 1t is Of course highly desirable to di
tribute work in this way, not only i'm ord,
. that it may go ON simultaneously at VI
y rious seasons and under various condition
but especially in order that none Of on
ports most in need of protection may
# left entirely dofenseless Even one {
r two modern high power guns, suppl
d mented by a system of torpedo defense
,- might delay an enemy, and ms others con
1 forward they can be mounted in turn, OIL
a or two at time.
! anags swIrl 20 ne Arrestea.