Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-02
THE RHODE ISLAND PORTS.
The need Of Suitable Deiences for the Entrance
to Narraganset Bay.

W W,sHINGroN. July l.-Nearly two cen
turtles have passed since the Importance of
Narragansett bay caused forts to BE- cree
ted at Newport for protection against a
naval attack. In the Revolutionary war
the British showed their appreciation of the
value of this place by occupying it, and the
history of the war bears testimony in other
WAYS to that value. Since then Newport
has always been a military and naval sta
ton. A garrison under Col. Mendenhall
occupies Fort Adams, and the navy depart
ment has there it's torpedo station and the
naval war college.
The Notifications board of 1856 put Mar
ragansett bay in their first list of places to
be defended under the new system of coast
protection, il being placed eleventh in
order of importance. They proposed to
defend il not only by barbeite and mortar
batteries and by submarine mines, but by
erecting = turret, which should carry a pair
of big l6-inch lotion guns. and by provid-
ing it also with half dozen torpedo boats.
In addition TO giving it two of the
few lG-inch guns proposed for the
coasts, the board also assigned to it ten
l2-inch and ten l0-inch guns and forty
eight l2-incb mortars. They estimated the
cost of the masonry and earthwork needed
at ~ .2sG, ,0os that of the armor at $3.50, =
900: that of the structural metal at $50.
600 that of the guns and mOrtars at
S ,314 900. with $3.50, 900 more for car
riages. Add Sl13. 900 for submarine mines
and So $3.50 900 for torpedo boats and the
total il a ,253 900. The estimate for tor
pedo boats was no doubt too small, and il
the other items need no revision the aggre.
gate cost would probably be about ~ 800, ).
600.
If this seems a great sum, it is well to
look at what is to he defended. II is pretty
much of Little Rhody and part of Massa.
chusetts. In the first place, as a writer in
the Providence journal shows, there is
Newport. which not only contains the i'm
portant naval stations just spoken of, bu,
many costly residences. which would make
easy the extortion of rich ransom from
their owners or from the city as represent.
ing them Then there is the town of Bris.
tol. containing large manufacturing works,
1 including the plant of the Herreshoffs
where torpedo boats are turned out A
/ little further on is the great manufacturing
| town of Fall River, one of the most famou.
/ and important in New England. The
towns of Somerset and Taunton would
(
/ trouble to send an expedition against them
while ligbt-draught vessels, carrying long
range guns. could throw their shells into
| Providence.
! 1t is. therefore. clear that a properly
| equipped fleet could make great havoc ir
/ the waters of this famous bay, lined will
busy and productive industries of many
sorts And, besides the destruction Of
property. we must take into account tn.
/ strategic advantage which the possession oi
this bay would give to an enemy. Thers
| he would find e1ceIIeu; anchorage and
naval rendezvous of high importance. In
/ the revolution this was understood wheT
| the French made it the point for assembling
| and retitting their feet to cooperate will
/ the struggling eoionies- Situated betweer
I Boston and New York. it possesses an obvi
{ Gus advantage of location.
| The whole problem IL, of course, that OF
Defending the entrance to the hav. It il
necessary to concentrate strength here. be
cause If this defence is successful every
/ thing beyond il covered whereas. with tn,
/ forcing Of the entrance. protection eoulf
no, be relied on for anything within Oi
/ the Notifications now there, the principa
! is Fort Adams. which IL large masonry
work carrying in the main fort something
/ like a dozen I0-ineh smooth bores, hal
| that number Of old style mortars and foal
small siege cannon. This array wouIs
amount to little in any case, bn, wouis
/ soon he rendered Ineffective by the batter
| ing down of the masonry, rendering it 4
useless defence More valuable il ar
/ sarth~ork at one corner Of the fort. which
! carries two IJ-inch smooth-bores and foui
s-ineb rifles. made from i0-inch smooth
bores by lining them with rified tubes
But these. of course, though more efficient
could not expect To block the passage Of /.
I tnOlern fleet.
There is no doubt that submarine mine
to some extent have already been prepared
and in a year or two some Of the new ans
pow erfnl breeehloading steel guns and NOR
tars will be moahted at Newport, in bat
teries suitable for them. There are sew
erai places in and around the harbor uhici
have been marked ont in past times ss goo.
sites for defensive works, AMI sonae o
these will 30 doubt he covered with feriifi
cations. when the guns ami moFtars 70
them approach completion There will b
no trouble about edectaal.y defending Sar
ragansett bay when the cannon are ready q
be mounted