The Indianapolis journal., 1892-01-25

by the seizure of Sandy Point, an interest
ing Chilian settlement in the Straits of Ma
mines. AS the place is not fortified it
wonld be easy of capture By even so small
a force as the gun-boat Concord.
In talk with Secretary Tracy few days
ago on the Chilian matter. he remarked
that should there be actual hostilitles there
would be needed at least twenty thousand
men for the ships. but the question was
whether so many men could readily be OBJ
tanned for active service. He remarked
that the enlistments were so slow that 1t
seemed necessary TO adopt something more
systematic than the present method of re-
cruiting. He expressed himself in favor or
the plan suggested by Capt Henry Erben,
commandant of the navy-yard. In report
to Secretary Tracy in October. lsS9. On
Tuesday the President submitted to Con-
Rress communication from Secretary
Tracy, accompanied by the report OF the
board OF the navy officers appointed under
the provisions of the naval appropriation
M 6,l to. to select a suitable site site fSr,as Tor
of the Gulf of Mexico. Secretary Tracy
says that he approves the selection or
Algiers. on the right bank Of the Mlssis-
sippi river. In view of the conditions found
reservation has now 3S4 feet front on the
river. and depth of 2,SS0 feet and while
for q navy-yard additional ground would
have TO be purchased, this could be done
at reasonable price.
A dispatch from Philadelphia says the
Ohio will leave that port for the Charles
town nsvy-yard, Boston, at 8 o'clock to-
morrow morning. Several naval and ord
nance officers arrived there tonight from
Washington and will go as passengers on
the steamship. On her arrival at Charles
town, Captain Sargent, who has been the
Ohio's commander since the organiZa-
tion of the International Navigation
Company. Will, withs the, present
crew, leave the vessel. and she will be
turned over to the United States suthori-
ties lt has not yet been decided whether
the Ohio will be converted into O repair
ship to the American squadron. or be used
as transport craft for carrying provisions
and ammunition in "r7e of war. 1t is be-
lieved that the s.eaU5hips Pennsylvania,
Indiana, Illinois and Conemaugh, oil sail
ing under American cOlors and owned by
the International Navigation Company,
will be ordered to Boston as soon as they
ar rive at an American port.
The Inman line tiyerlCity of Paris and
City of New York and the Red Star line
steamers FrIesland. Westernland and
Noordland, vessels sailing under foreign
1t Is believed in well informed circles. be
chartered by the government within
short time They can be denationalized
by act OF Congress at short notice, if neces-
sary: by means of an emergency bill, and
it is even limited that such q bill
has been prepared by the House
committee oil foreign affairs. The city
of Paris has already been withdrawn from
the cOmpany's service, and is now docked
at Birkenhead. England. where the famous
cruiser Alabama was built. The agents of
the line here say that she is simply being
overhauled preparatory to the summer sea-
son. but it is believed that she is being pre-
pared for any emergency that may arise
requiring her use by the United States gov
ernment in the transportation of troops
and ammunition.
Defense OF Sea-Ports
NEW YORK, Jan. 23.-The prospect of a
war with Chilli has made the matter of
coast defense very interesting one to
everybody. The defense of the maritime
from hostile fleet. is a subject of great
Importance. not only To these cities, but
the country at large, since there is hardly
town or hamlet in the United States that
would not be effected in some detrimental
country or any of the most important ones
to be closed for any length of time,
as would be the case were an enemy to sue
ceed In capturing one or more of them.
Their capture is by no means the only
thing to be feared, nor perhaps is it the
worst. With the modern artillery with
which the vessels of most of the European
navies are equipped, it would be possible
for the ships to lie,off Rockaway beach and
drop shells into the heart of New York
mile or two nearer. and this with the hos
tile fleet beyond the reach of the guns of
Forts Wadsworth and Hamilton. In fact.
the harbor and city of New York are utter
was recognized by the War Department
ten years ago, and steps were taken to
remedy the condition of affairs.
The Brooklyn Standard Union reviews
what has been done to strengthen the de-
lows: THE first thing to be done was to
tind out the best mode of defending the
harbor. and to this end q corps of engineers
under Gen. John Newton, who gained
great deal of fame through his engineering
operations In the blowing mp of He'll Cato.
was detailed to make an examination of
the lower bay and the approaches to it. and
how best it could be commanded from the
shore. There is deep-water pocket ap-
preaching the coast of Long island from
the ocean. from which the channels navi-
gable to vessels of great draught run MP
through the narrOws. 1t Is in this pocket
that hostile fleet would anchor in
order to shell New York or Brooklyn,
and. therefore. it was this pocket that the
engineer studied to command with de-
lenses which it was proposed to erect.
This anchoring Is less than six miles away
from the outlying wards of Brooklyn. eight
miles from the East river and one mile
hostile iron-clad with a modern gun could
lntiict incalculable damage upon the two
cities, unparalleled In the history of war.
General Newton and his engineers found
that this deep water-pocket. and, in fact.
all the water surrounding 1T which, by any
possibility would float an iron-clad, could
be commanded by battery erected at or
near Coney island. The erection of q bat
terry in Coney island or any other unprO-
tected part of the coast was not feasible.
however. as it would be q plain and easy
target for the guns of the enemy.
General Newton and his assistants, there
fore. decided that Plum island would be
the proper place for the battery. They
found that the deep-water pocket could be
brought under effective fire in circle hav-
ing Plum island in the center, with o
radius OF six miles They therefore recon-
mended that the government acquire Plum
island and the construction of a battery on
il at once. This was not done at once. how
ever. But recently, having secured the
title to the property the government is now
endeavoring to secure absolute control of
the same by having it ceded to the United
States by the State of Yew York.
The gun to be used at Plum island IS to
be q new pattern of twelve-inch mortar
that Is known as howitzer. 1t is. as are
most of our heavy guns, the result of re-
peated trials and experiments, and 1t was
only after many failures that the present
gun was evolved. The proiectile used in
this mortar weighs f25 pounds and costs
$500. IL can be dropped upon the deck of q
will 90 right through the best iron-clad In
existence. Eighty pounds of powder will
send this projectilo distance of eight
miles. The gun will also throw shells con-
tanning high explosives, and enough nitro
glycerlne can be deposited upon the deck
of a vessel to blow it into thousand pieces
In connection with PIum-island bat
terry. 1t Is the inten tion of the War Depart
ment to com plete Notifications Sandy
Hook. At present no work is being done
~ IrrF4 al. "A -.