Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-01
COAST DEFENSES.
The Work Accomplished and Pro-
jected by Gen. Casey.


In his annual report to Congress General
T. L. Casey, chief of engineers of the army.
asks for 81 $4,000 for coast defenses and
a much larger sum for river and harbor
" ork in all parts of the country. There has
been already expended for coast defense
under existing projects the sum of $3,021,-
CO., q small fraction only of the total es-
timated expense. The construction of EN-
placements has been already commenced at
six of the fifteen ports included in the
original project, and such work has been
recently initiated at two other ports. One
Finch rifle is now mounted and IL is ex-
pected that this fall second will be, in a
complete battery for the defense of New
York harbor. Each of these guns is
mounted on lift, by which the gun may
be completely lowered for loading out of
sight of enemy, in 20 seconds and the
loaded gun raised for firing in p seconds
The weight of the gun and carriage thus
lowered and raised is about los tons. A
battery of 1G mortars is nearly ready for
the defense of New York harbor, and an
other for the defense of San Francisco har-
Dor. They will be entirely ready before
the close of the present fiscal year; so also
Will be one battery for the defense OF Bos-
ton harbor and an additional battery for
New York, and three '12-inch rifles will
probably be mounted en- barbette on high
sites of San Francisco harbor.
The completion of emplacements for sew
enteen 10-inch and S-inch guns, to be
mounted on disappearing carriages, is de-
layed by want of carriages, and that of
seven emplacementS for Pinch and 10
inch guns Is likely to be delayed for the
same reason this fiscal year. 1T is hoped
and urged" says General Casey, that ap-
preparations may be made for the manu-
facture of the disappearing carriage, which
has been invented by the ordnance depart
ment and has proved itself, from the very
first, equal to all the requirements which
such a carriage must fulfill. Guns on hand
but delayed by reason of lack of carriages,
are certainly strong reasons for such APP
preparations.
ITO prevent an enemy's fleet from run
ming by the defenses to be constructed"
continues General Casey, lit must be OBJ
structed in its passage, and thus held under
fire Of guns. Submarine mines constitute
the form of obstruction adopted and these
are operated from mining easements, which
are proof against projectiles. The mines
are connected to the operating apparatus
in these easements by cables which ira
verse so-called cable galleries. In the year
1883 renewed attention was given to the
construction of these easements and gal
leries. In that and the three following
years $iS2,5S1 was appropriated for this
work. balance of $500 remains unal-
lotted, and a small appropriation Is recon-
mended for this work, and another for the
purpose of mining outfits.
with the funds appropriated since 1883
tWenty-SiX mining easements and their gal
leries have been commenced at the harbor
of Portland, Me-; Boston, Narragansett
bay, New York, PHILADELPHIA Baltimore
Washington, Hampton Roads, Wilmington
N. C.; Charleston, S. c.; Savannah, Pensa-
cola and San Francisco. OF these twenty
are ready for occupation, but the outfit
or cable, mines, etc, is not complete. 1t
must be assumed that these mines will
make guns and mortars unnecessary"