The record-union., 1894-10-31
FOR TIE GOLDEN GATES DEFENSE.
A Dozen Big Mortars For the Fort
Point Hights.
Six of Them Arrived Yesterday From
the East on Specially Pre-
pared Cars.

At last the Federal Government has
taken steps to have the port of San Fran
cisco protected against foreign enemies
that may some day set their evil eyes on
the fair metropolis of the Pacific.
Fort Point is to be at once strengthened
by twelve powerful mortars of new de-
sign, six of which arrived from Wash
ington yesterday by rail. The trans
portation Of these weapons of defense has
bothered the railroad companies consid-
erably since they were started on their
journey. 1t was not the weight alone
although that was considerable-but it
was the size of the pieces of metal which
made the railroad men scratch their heads
and ponder.
The circles upon which the mortars re-
volve are solid circles of castiron, fourteen
feet in diameter and two feet thick. AS
the ordinary railroad car is about ten
feet wide, the circles could not lie fiat in
a car. With the overlapping circles some
difficulty might be experienced in pass
ing through tunnels and in going by
other trains at close range. Beside the
hight OF the circles, ii placed in an up
right position, would violate the rule
which forbids cars from being loaded
higher than fourteen feet.
The railroad people finally settled the
proposition of Transporting the heavy
pieces of armament. The idea Of how it
was possible to get Uncle Sam's hard
ware across the continent originated with
the Pennsylvania road, which was the
line that had the first handling OF the
pieces of metal.
A slot was cut in the bottom of a gon-
dola car, such as is used for carrying coal.
This was made wide enough TO let in
edgewise the two circles which belong to
each gun. In order that the car might
not be weakened by this long timbers were
bolted on the floor Of the car and to the
cross pieces, in order that the conveyance
might not collapse under the strain of
the heavy weight.
After the mode Of conveyance. had been
decided upon it was but feat in the
engineering business of loading ears to
get the heavy pieces in their proper
place. Each OF the mortars weighs 81, 800
pounds, and it was found impossible TO
have the twelve brought out here on one
train. Six cars were arranged for the
circles and ten other "gondolas' were
used for the mortars and other parapher-
MALTA.
Then after the train was made up it had
to be fitted out with air brakes such as
are used on passenger trains. This was
necessary because the Union Pacific and
the Central Pacific roads insisted that
brakes be used, rs the possibility of acci-
dents on these two roads were more i'm
minent than on the Eastern lines.
The guns were tested at Sandy Hook
and found satisfactory by the Govern
ment experts. 1t was at that point that
they were loaded on the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company's cars. From there
the route was Elizabeth. n. j., and thence
to Chicago. From that point they tray-
eled over the Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific, the Union Pacific and the Central
Pacific road.
AS soon as the six mortars have been
unloaded from the train the cars will be
at once returned to Sandy Hook, and no
time will be lost in loading them up with
the other six mortars. 1t will be fully
two months before the second load ar
rives here. In the meanwhile no time
will be lost in putting together the sec
tlons OF the guns which have arrived and
placing them in position. The locations
of the guns will be on the nights directly
back of the fort, and it is expected, from
the tests made at the Sandy Hook prov
ing grounds, that they will be valuable
adjuncts to the set of formidable guns
which are already arranged on the nights
as defenders of the narrow channel en-
trance to the harbor.
The new weapons are of the most ap-
proved style, and it is not the Golden
Gate alone which they can defend, but
with their shell-throwing powers they
could make 1t very uncomfortable, if not
dangerous, for any vessels which might be
lying several miles from shore.