The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-17
THE PACIFIC COAST pErENsxs.
Aae New York "Sun" on Needs Of Puret
sound and Seattle.

~Ae New York ''Sun" on Needs Of Puget
sound and Seattle.
Last Sundays New York Sun contains
an interesting dispatch on Pacific coast de-
lenses under the title, Seattle and San
says: " VIC '"''
growing importance of the Pacific al a
s.sus OF the worlds commercial activities IL in
sica'eo oy the present movements there for sea.
s soasu protection. On the high ground of the
besoIo, al San Francisco. busy work has lately
hesrs Sung on In building emplacements for
1s1sy, hlsn-power. breech-loading fies. which
WI. De mounted there this year. The armor-
ciao monterey Is approaching completion. ana
one OF ner big twelve-inch guns viii soon reach
nsf py rail- across the continent The feet ON
ING american side OF the Pacific, Including the
p rssssls south OF the equator, comprises the
baltimore. the Boston, the Charleston. the San
francisco, the Yorktown and the Mohican. he.
1loes the lroQuois at Apia and the Pensacola az
ououiu. shipment of 10000 pounds of gun
COTTON TO Mare island is an example of thu war
material going to the Pacific coast.
Two points on that coast, however. NAV ner
laps uenAnd the special attention oil congress
az. ms session. iney form the extremiiies of
our principal Pacific coast line. exclusive of
AiaskA the Claims of Puget sound have been
specially presented in resolutions passed by the
Inamoer OF Commerce of Seattle, Those of San
Diego nave been urged in the report of Briga-
aier-deneral A. Med. McCook, who commands
the military department of Arizona.
After discussion of the details of forti-
ncations for San Diego, the writer contin-
ues:
AS 70 Puget sound, q glance at that remarka-
pie BODY OF water will show Its high CONNER
e s anu military value The new and capacious
ofy oocx 10 be established there will no donbt
form the nucleus of an important naval estab
hsnment IN time. This should be supple
"ehteo oy land notifications, commanding the
appr 1acnes, and for that purpose there are ad-
mirable natural sites on which guns could cover
hostile vessels for long distances, beth when
coming up and in passing beyond The seattle
cnamper OF Commerce properly dwells on the
fact that the British naval station. only q
snort distance away, makes IL still more import.
ant to protect Puget sound. OF the total ton
mage, steam and sail, on our Pacific coast. now
amounting probably to nearly 100000, q great
part belongs to Puget sound
A proposal which has already been brought
before congress Is that OF establishing at Benicia
gun factory like the one at West Troy, n. V,
TOT finishing heavy ordnance. he success of
this project might be increased by assurances
that forgings for the largest calibers required
can be furnished by the steel works of Califor-
MIA 1t Is known already that all the forgings
Tor ten-inch guns could be turned out there. and
II Is probable that twelve-inch guns would be
sunicicnt for defensive purposes. The question
OF the cost OF labor is a serious one in this in
curry, but II may be offset to some extent by the
cost OF trans portation of the finished guns by
rail across the continent Since IL lie estimated
that about $50 guns. and more than that num-
Der oil mortars, would be required for the Pa
cihc coast, the establishment of a gun factory
thereis at least worth consideration, especially
as there appears to be no reason why it should
not also furnish ordnance for war vessels that
may hereafter be built there.