The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-15
DEFENSESOF TIE HARBORS.
The Work At The Mouth Of The SaVan.
nah River.

Ane ran OF Detense ADOPTED by the
Chief OF United States Engineers.
Twenty-Six Mining Classmates Pro-
vided for at the Various Ports-The
cassmate at Fort Pulaski Completed.
The annual report OF the chief OF en-
gineers Of the United States army has
been issued. and that part relating 10
fortihcations is interesting. dealing. as
II does, with the defenses of Boston. New
York. Savannah. and other harbors on the
Atlantic. Pacific and gulf coasts. Atten-
ton is called to the amount Of the estimate
and the inadequacy OF the appropriations.
The chief Of engineers says:
For sixteen years, from 1874 to 1890. no
appropriations were made for these de-
lenses. There was good reason for this
for the earlier part of this period, when
it was not possible TO say what would
be the end attained in the development
OF the naval ordnance. and hence what
the amount of cover required for defenses
against projecules. But early in the year
1890 It was realized that the time was OPP
perfume for drawing up projects for the
defenses OF our seacoasts ard these have
have received the approval of the Secre-
tary Of War. The study OF projects for
the defenses Of Puget sound. of Portland.
Ore, and of San Diego, are also under
way, though the former was not enumer-
ated in the list of the board Of engineers.
The board, however, stated that IL did
not wish IL to be understood that there
were no other places along the coast
which We're of the Importance necessary
TO justify measures Of defense.
In the execution of the projects already
prepared for fifteen ports. the following
has been accomplished: The construction
OF emplacements has commenced at six
of these. and has recently been initiated
at two more. one 12-inch rifle is now
mounted, and Il is expected that this fall
a second will be, in a completed battery
for the defense OF New York harbor.
Each of the guns Is mounted on lift,
by which the gun may be completely
lowered for loading out of sight of an en-
envy in twenty-siX seconds. and the loaded
gun raised for firing in twenty-one sec
onds; and the ammunition may be raised
by another lift in seventeen seconds The
weight of the gun and carriage thus raised
and lowered is about los tons. A battery
of sixteen mortars is nearly ready for the
defense of San Francisco harbor. Before
the close OF the present fiscal year these
batteries will be entirely ready; also one
for the defense of Boston harbor, and
second for that of New York harbor; and
three 12-inch rifles will probably be mount
en- barbette on high sites of San Fran
cisco harbor. The completion of emplace-
ments for seventeen 10-inch and
S-inch guns to be mounted on
disappearing carriages, is delayed
by want of carriages on which
TO mount the guns, and that of seven
emplacements for 12-inch and 10-inch guns
is likely to be delayed for the same reason
H1 IL
that appropriations may be made for the
manufacture of the disappearing carriage
which has been invented by the ordnance
department, and has proved itself, from
the very first, equal to all the requirements
which carriage must fulfill. Guns on
hand, and emplacements waiting their
platforms, but delayed by reason of lack
of carriages, are certainly strong grounds
for appropriations of these carriages
To prevent an enemy's fleet from run
ming by the defenses to be constructed
II must be DISTRACTED In its passage and
thus held under fire of guns Submarine
mines constitute the form of obstruction
adopted, and these are operated from
mining classmates, which are proof against
projectiles. The mines are connected to
the operating apparatus In these case
mates by cables, which traverse so-called
cable galleries In the year 1888 renewed
attention was given to the construction
VI tutSe CdSetndles ana galleries. In that
and the three following years $4S2, 5s1. Os
was appropriated for this work A ball
ance of S5,509.94 remains unalloted, and
a small appropriation is recommended
for this work, and another for the pur-
chase of mining outfit. With the fund
appropriated since 1883. twenty-slx min
ing classmates and their galleries have
been commenced at the harbors of Port
land, Me-, Boston, Narragansett Bay.
New York, Philadelphia. Baltimore, Wash
ington, Hampton Roads. Wilmington, N.
c., Charleston, s. c., Savannah, Pensa-
cola, and San Francisco.
1t must not be assumed that these mines
will make guns and mortars unnecessary.
as heavy batteries and submarine mines
are correlative terms of a good defense
from shore. Without powerful guns in the
defense the armored ships of the enemy
would proceed deliberately to the removal
of the mines either ignoring or silencing
the fire of the works, and without the
aid of the mines could not generally be pre-
vented from running past the batteries.
The mining casemate at Fort Pulaski
has been completed.