Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-06-23

err guns oceupying low positions. reeours
naay Tx had 10 Inrrets. hydraulic lifts, an.
patented disappearing carriages
T The great objection Ia turre,s on shore i
rhslr immense cost. Ii is of little use Z.
haibi iRrrei capable of having lis inne
surface balgesi, and TO gusri against bulg
ing thickness of srfnor Of nearly thre,
! fee; becomes imperative. 70 construct
foundation, with machinery for revoiyin.
tons upon tons of heavy metal and the tar
ret itself, involves an output calculated b,
engineers Of the srmv Al about 81 $40 ooo
tin board ship turrets are obviously made
lighter, owing TO the Necessity OF economiz
ing in weight. The hydraulic lift ans
disappearing carriage systems present q
much cheaper method of protecting ordi
nance, In the former system the gun i.
raised bodily from pit. is fired, and again
lowered into the pit for loading. In ths
second system the gun recoiis down an in.
elinei slide TO position out of the plane oil
Gre,
Owing 10 the immense output necessary
10 establish a suitable foundation in For,
Sumter for revolving turret. ii is doubtful
II a tarEet will be recommended On Nor,
ris island and Sullivans island the nature
of the sands hardly admits of the consider
alton of the tarret system
some ten years ago the war department,
directed board of prominent engineer and
ordinance officers of the army 10 rcport
upon the best methods for improving the
condition of the numerous old forts along
the coast. Two reports were submitted To
the secretary of war as result of the de-
hberaiions, one majority, the other a
minority report. One report recommended
the razing of the sea walls of all forts TO
the height of the lower embrazure ami steel
lining the outer face of the walls The
second report recommended filling up with
sanj all walls To the heigh, of the terre-
piein, backing the walls on the inside for
some 30 feet and mounting the guns en-
barbette- Neither of these two reports has
been acted upon, but in the Improvement of
the sea coast Notifications now in progress
the 1irst recommendation of the second re-
port is undoubtedly TO be carried out, sub
stiruling disappearing system for guns en-
barbette.
There is, perhaps, no engineer better
posted today on the defensive possibilities
of Charleston than Major John johnson.
the Confederate engineer officer who
throughout nearly the entire period of the
Federal bombardment of Fort Sumter had
charge of the defences of that post When
the attention OF Major johnson was called
today by The Times correspondent TO the
above reports, that gentleman did not hes
itatc al once to diseountenance the
idea of steel riyeting the wall of II fort. In
Major Johnsons opinion, steel available
for such purposes would serve to much bet
ter advantage on a turret
The strategic Importance of Morris island
as position of defence for Charleston is an
open question with engineers Prominent
engineer officers who have looked over the
ground contend that Morris island should
he fortified not only to enable a heavier
array of batteries TO he brought to bear on
the channel approach, but to compel an
enemy 10 reduce such works before attempt
ing TO pass further up the harbor. In other
words. there are prominent engineers who
hold that defensive works thrown we'll in
advance and having available good rear
escapes do serve TO hold an enemy in check
and thus aid in the general defense. These
same engineer officers assert, however, that
batteries to be placed on Morris island
should not be constructed below the point
on the beach midway between were Bat
terics Wagner and Gregg stood.
Major johnson has not Il very high opin-
ion of the strategic value of Morris Island.
In his recent work on The Defense of
I harleston, perhaps one of the most fair
and unbiased military works-he LAYS par
ticular stress on the ease with which at al
most any time the small boats of the Union
fleet. assisted by boats from Gilmore's
army. could by night have formed Il Gordon
around Cummings Point, completely shut
ting OFT communication between the garri-
sons and the shore. The same thing could
he done now, Major johnson said, In the
event of the small boats of the defense at
tempting to break the Gordon. the fight
would be entirely one with small arms and
boat guns. The batteries on shore would
not dare fire in upon the engaging boats for
fear of killing friend as well as foe.
Had the boats of the Union fleet eo-ope-
rated with boats from Gimore's army and
shut ont Cummings Point, history, said
Major johnson, would not have had oeca-
sion To chronicle upon its pages the bloody
assaults on Wagner or the subsequent ear
mage over every foot of the traverse work
up TO the ditch of that battery. With Bat
teries Wagner and Gregg taken, the STRAIT
egic Importance of Morris Island became
all. Gut of Cummings Point today from
the city and Morris Island must fall.