The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-27
The Defences Of New York.

The report OF Gen. T. L. CASEY. Chief Of
Engineers. to Secretary LAMONT. gives a
very good idea Of the present condition Of
the Notifications designed for New York.
Gen. CASEY says that the projects for the
defence OF the southern and eastern en-
frances to the harbor contemplate an arma-
ment of twenty-one 12-inch guns. fifteen
1O-inch, and nine s-inch, with one hundred
and seventy-six 12-inch mortars. besides
submarine mines to be operated from five
classmates. The 1O-inch and s-inch guns
will be mounted on disappearing carriages.
which must greatly increase their efficiency.
The Pinch guns are too heavy for such car
riages. as at present developed, and will be
mounted on lifts with hydraulic machinery.
Ofthese defensive works the mining case
mates are complete. together with q build
ing for the storage OF the materials used in
the submarine mine system. while second
storage building Is under construction.
That part Of the protection Of the harbor
is therefore provided for. Then at Sandy
Hook two-Run battery for 12-inch guns
has been built. with one Of Its guns
mounted and in use. and the lift for the
other under construction. This battery
commands the main ship channel to New
York Two emplacements for 1O-inch guns
are we'll under way. and four emplacoments
for S-inch guns are finished except the plat
forms. Willet's Point at the eastern en-
trance and Staten Island will have S-inch
guns To the right Of the 12-inch gun bat
terry is a battery for sixteen Pinch and two
1O-inch mortars. Of which the masonry Is
completed. In an emergency. platforms
could be laid and mortars mounted in the
pits In their present condition. Four spring
return mortar carriages are ready to be
mounted and many mortars are awaiting
carriages.
Thus the nucleus OF O defence Of the COM
mercial metropolis at last exists. Time.
labor. and liberal appropriations are all
that Is now needed to bring together all tho
parts Of that defence, according to the
plans. The pioneer Pinch gun at Sandy
Hook is mounted behind a wall Of concrete
twenty feet thick. and is ponderous affair
Of over 81 tons. whose projectile. weighing
about 1000 pounds, can penetrate 23 inches
OF armor at distance Of q thousand yards.
The Pinch rifled breech-loadng mortars
have vertical fire. with projectiles weigh
ing 62s pounds. and are used in groups. so
as to insure destructive effect. The space
which they are to cover with their fire will
be carefully plotted. and their proiectiles
are expected to break through the armored
decks Of an enemy's ships.
However. the programme referred to In
Gen. CAsEY's report Is only part Of the
defensive system OF New York. The Forti-
fication Board Of 1885 prescribed for it
eighteen 16-inch 11O-ton guns. two 14-inch
sO-ton. forty 12-inch 5O-ton. twenty 1O-inch
27-ton, and fifteen S-inch 13-ton guns, be-
sides one hundred and forty-four 12-inch
mortars. 1t estimated the total expense Of
the guns. mortars. and carriages at $s.O19.-
600. 1t allowed for the masonry and earth
work OF their batteries $5.4SS. 900. with
$7.950.000 for armor. $1,000. 900 for structural
metal $4l1.500 for submarine mines. and
$1.080,0OO for torpedo boats. making in all
$40. 800. With the changes In artillery
that have since occurred. no doubt there
will be notifications in this plan. and es-
pecially In the substitution OF guns OF other
calibres for at least part OF the l6-inch and
14-inch ones. The torpedo boats como
within the province Of the navy. and the
contemplated expenditure for armor may
be reduced. On the other hand. more NOR
tars are now planned. and there will be
three dynamite throwers. 1t Is thought
that q turret mounting two 1G-inch guns
may ultimately be built at the Beacon on
Romer's Shoals. But only the immediate
needs OF New York are now considered. since
other coastwise cities must have their
share Of protection.
Looking first at the southern entrance,
the Narrows seems to furnish an almost
ideal line of defence. and indeed the protec-
efpr ri ~ nj Ioxr
Island and Fort Hamilton on the opposite
shore Is 80 valuable that very large sums
have been expended in buying additional
land for the erection OF new gun and mortar
batteries at both these points. There the
ship channel Is only about three-fourths Of
q mile wide. and submarine mines covered
by heavy guns can perfectly command
1t. But the great range OF modern naval
guns and the growth Of population around
Brooklyn and on Staten Island and the New
Jersey shore demand an outer line OF
defence. Such a line now runs from
Plumb Island in Sheepshead Bay. behind the
eastern end OF Coney Island. to Sandy Hook.
The initial dofences at the latter point
have just been described. AS for Plumb
Island. 1t will furnish site for two power
full mortar batteries. The distance between
the ends Of this line is about nine miles:
but. while the guns OF Sandy Hook COM
mand the main channel. which hostile al
morclads would have to take in trying to
pass up to the city, the mortar batteries Mt
Plumb leland would cover n certain deep
area off Coney Island. whence otherwise tho
armorclads might throw their shells toward
Brooklyn and New York. An armored tur-
ret built on an intervening shoal. to
carry lG-inch guns. would evidently
strengthen the defence; but the completion
of the batteries at Sandy Hook and Plumb
Island. and those at Fort Wadsworth and
Fort Hamilton. will furnish good protection
to the southern entrance. A remaining ele-
ment in that line Of defence Is mortar
battery on the south shore OF Raritan Bay,