Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-10-28
81 TELEGRAPH.
rHe coasY eeFescEs.
The uoft al sn tezdins PENIS ~'tA iAfss
Others u Sc isked.

w .suIS.rox. ts,i. .s.--Ihcre are Ia
iissinrt parts in tlle pEspafasion OF seaeosru
Notifications. and they are intrasted to sep
arsfc bureaus Of the war department he
engineer corps hiss charge OF the works. ar
tn. siAplacenIents for the gsns. Shste the
er.!nsiiee department Supplies the arfnafla-
rse,.t for these works Hence the estimates
for tn. saaual f,s.ihestiou appropriation
bib coma. from txo sliaeren, officers
The ei.i.f Of engineers. Gen. Thomas L.
Casey, has alresiy prepared his portion of
the EST aiates for the next session OF ean-
,rass, and they amount to - 300, Um- III
this sun ss'1n,t Is for going on WITH the
purchase of sites 1t various points, and ST.
10 ossf for The construction OF gun and
mortar batteries upon sites that have been
or may BIZ asquired- IL is rot expected of
course, TO get the whole of the amount de-
sired or deemed important. but there are
some good reasons WHY liberal aiipropsia-
ton should be made.
As to tIte. sites needed ii l. clearly eAp-
dent lhst they should he acquired as soon
as possible. whether by private agreement
with Owners or by the award of land Jury
or commissioners where the value is DIS
puied rs soon a. it is known that land Is
wanted for the purpose devices may De
expected for the increase of the apparent
value, and in addition there Is natural
growth in the real value in the neighbor-
boob of great scaports, Hence II Is desira-
BILE that appropriations should he available
for the prompt acquisition of such sites
As may be settle, upon. The first annual
appropriation made for the purpose was
$3.50 900. AZ ii Is believed tina, this is -
moderate sum 10 set asl ic each year until
all the land has been acquired or lis proba-
bile cost provided tor.
Quite a. strong i. tie argument for lib
| eral appropriation tow ard erecting new gun
/ and mortar batteries. The guns and mot
/ tars hicl, are to be- mounurl in these bat
/ teries are nov ft>t coming along. zen.
/ Flasler, in his testimony last
| Spriuc before the liuuse committee
on this suhjcct, stated hat at the
end of the fiscal year then undrr consiiera-
/ ton or, in other words, by the Jbth OF
june next there wouli IL read for mount
/ my l., >-inch guns, II loUch and six T.
| inch. Accordingly it is necessary TO make
ample provision for the cmplacemcntS.
| And ii is to be remembered that guns viii
continue to be turned out after jane 80
| 1898, and at a still more rapid rate. The
capacity of the Watcryliet gun factory
alone will be II s-ineh guns, II 1o-ineh
| and about seven l2-inch. So that 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, 80 3
inch - l0-inch, and Is l2inch guns,
assuming the factory to be kept at work
or there would be the equivalent of these
calihres.
1t is true that some gun batteries are now
in course of erection; but they are mol
nearly enough to to accommodate the guns
thus spoken of, while in addition there are
the mortarS which can he turned out with
good degree of rapi'lity. And then there
will he coming along after time, by IN
staliments, the hundred heavy guns which
are to be fabricated at South Bethlehem. II
is seen. therefore, that the proper construe-
ton of the batteries to receive this arina-
ment ought to receive liberal support OF
course some sort of emplacenenis could he
hurricdly supplied in ease OF need with the
guns once ready; but the construction
should 20 on mechanically AMI properly.
1t further appear, from Gen. tas'N's cs-
Inmates that lie nov proposes TO extend hl'
operations to additional ports. Th" fiaI
for distributing the appropTiat on~ which he
asked for at the last session included en-
placements for two l0-inch guns at Port
land. Me: two i0-inch AMI one l2-inch a
Boston; three s-inch, one 10 inch and TIVE
l2-inch guns and Ii l2-lnch mortars at New
York one S-irch gun at Washington two
iU-incl and one l2-inch gun at Hampton
Roads. and one S-nch and two II inch gum
and Is l2-inch mortars at San Francisco
The work at New York, Boston anf
san Francisco, under tbs plan, il
gong on we'll, although last SEES
sions appropriations were very fal
short of what hal been asked. But those
at the remaining points mentioned are still
10 be pushed: and now, in addition, ten
Casey proposes, it is said, if he receives The
appropriations asked for, to begin work a
Narragansctt bay, Savannah and New or
leans.
1t is, of course, highly desirable to distr
butte work in this way, not only in order
that it may 90 on simultaneously at various
seasons and under various conditions, bu
especially in order that none of our port
most in need of protection may be left ell
tirely dcfenceless. Even one or two moderr
high-power guns, supplemented by "A system
of torpedo dcfences might delay an enemy
and AS others come forward they can be
mounted IN turn. one or two at "A time.