St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-11
BOSTON FC1,alr4CATIONS.

Bsoton Transcript
The first of the new series of fortifi-
cations for the defense of Boston harbor
is now practically Completed This is
the mortar battery OH Winthrop High
lands. All that remains to be done on
the construction of the battery itself is a
little grading along the front. Inside
the works the guns have not yet been
put Ill position, and this will not be
done until spring, as the platforms will
have TO be put in, and this work can not
be done during the cold weather.
This is essentially mortar battery.
1t has no sighted guns in it's equipment,
which consists of tWelve-inch rified
mortars. 1t is situated just back of the
highest part of Winthrop Highlands,
and is in appearance large obIOng
mound forty feet high and about 20OX
150 feet in area. In it are four large
pits, which look-a good deal like thei
craterS of extinct volcanoes. They
slope down at sharp angle until within
about ten feet of the bottom. when az
vertical wall of masonry takes the place
of the earthen embankment. The dis
position of these pits is like that of the}
spots on four of cards, and it is in Them
that the mOrtarS are placed, four Ins
each pit. in4sf
The entrance to the battery is on the
north side through a low archway. This,
Ike all others in the fortification has
all arch or concrete over-it hine feet in
thickness, with tWenJy-tlree feetlof
earth over that. 1t would be impossible
for any vessel which could reach Tile
location with her fire 10 break through
this defense. Passing through this arcn-s
way we reach the first. or northeasterly,
OF the mortar pits. and another archway
OF IL similar kind connects lG with the cor
responding pit Oh the southeast corner.
These are the two pits nearest the water
and the front of the fertilization, but
they are not very near it,as seventy feet
OF earth and masonry separates them
from the outside world. Half way
through the connecting passage is
another passage, running at right
angles to ii, which connects with the
two westerly mortar pits.
Halfway between the TWO sets of pits,
ami directly i'll the center Of tile forti-
hcatlon, are the magazines. which run
OIL a right angles from the cOnnecting
passage, one to the North and the other to
the south. Ihey are carefully arranged So
that there shall be no confusion in get
ting cut ammunition i'll times of haste,
and open into the connecting passage at
two different points. the north magazine
supplying the eastern pits and the south
magazine the western ones. In con-
nectIon with the magazine are several
good-SlZed rooms for the handling of the
ammunition, and these may also oe
used as quarters for the men. The two
westerly pits are similar to the other
two, except that they are open OH the
land side. No earthwork is necessary
here, as no fire could come from this
side.
The battery is most important one
as, from its position. it commands the
entrance to Boston Harbor. The guns
have range of six miles, and no vessels,
however heavily armored, would dare
to come within this range. The mortars
are designed to throw shells upward so
as to fall OH the deck of vessel where
she can be lightly armOred, and are ar-
ranged SO that the whole sixteen can, if
necessary, be concentrated OH one
point. and fired at once by means of
electricity, dropping sixteen twelve-inch
shells on the deck of vessel.
1t was originally proposed to have an
other battery OF the same SiZeand equip
ment close besides this one, but it is
probable that this plan will be changed
and the battery be placed somewhere
elSe-just where is not now known. 1t
is certain, however, that there will be
number OF these mortar batteries around
Boston, as there are 12S of the unortarS
to be disposed of. 1t is probable that
another one will be begun in the
sprung at some location which is vet Not
decided upon. az