Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-12-27
PUGET SOUND HELPLESS.
Her Defenseless Condition In Case OF
Foreign War.

fUUEl OUUND HE'LL LEOO.
Her DefenseIess Condition In Case Of
Foreign War.
The Presidents message has caused
attention to be directed to the defense
less condition of the Puget sound coun-
try. In late Post-Inteliigencer
there was a symposium of prominent
Seattle men on the weakness of her
means OF defense, and suggestions as
to the best methods that might
be used in an emergency. Colonel
Won Scheliha, the inventor OF coast
torpedo. said:
with 1000 men the Sound could
be Professionally fortified in two weeks.
In the first place, it would be neces.
sary to throw up very strong earth.
works and construct magazines. covered
timber and railroad iron on Point
Wilson, Admiralty head and Marrow
stone point; also at Foulweather bluff,
Double bluff and other points already
selected by the government. The next
step would be to obstruct the Sound
by placing at convenient points such
obstacles as the depth of water would
permit. These distractions would be
supplemented by floating ropes, RATS,
booms and other material, while below
there could be placed as an auxiliary
heavily charged submarine mines,
which could be exploded with elec-
tricity. The obstructions would have
to be defended by shore batteries"
owe are unprepared in any way to
resist war vessel on Puget sound"
said Colonel Grandville .. Haller.
1--WE have no Notifications and no
military force, and the army is so
small that the government would
hardly be able to spare us enough men
to form a nucleus for an army on
Puget sound. hsve always main
tanned that the establishment of a
strong fortification on Point Roberts,
with one or more war vessels in the
time of danger, would do more to keep
the peace with England than all the
Notifications that we could place in
Washington from Neah bay to Olym-
pia.
ain case of actual hostilities, we
would resist as we'll as we could, but
we haven't any cannon here. If q
British vessel were to come into the
Sound, We haven't a gun that would
shoot across the water. much less
penetrate the armored side of an iron.
clad. The enemy could cross the
straits to Port Townsend, destroy the
government buildings, then sweep up
the Sound, levying tribute on all towns
to Olympia, and ruin the lumber trade
and all shipping interests. In all
probability, one of the FIRST moves, il
war were declared, would be to gain
control of the Columbia river from the
international boundary to the Sea, and
endeavor to establish the old claim to
the territory in which we live"
Colonel Falcon Joslin expressed
deep concern at the fact that Seattle
was defenseless, should England choose
to send her wsrships up the Sound.
To oppose a naval force, it would be
necessary to throw up such fortiica-
tions as the circumstances would ad.
nit, and to make use of torpedoes, if
they could be obtained. "But We
have neither torpedoes nor ordnance
said Colonel Joslin, "and, outside of
the Philadelphia, now on the lower
Sound, there is not respectable can
non belonging to the United States
within thousand miles,"
Brigadier- General E. NJ. Carr said :
"The present force of the State con-
sists of one regiment OF infantry, con-
tanning eight companies; one battalion
OF cavalry. containing two troops, and
one light battery of artillery, equipped
and drilled as an infantry company.
The maximum strength of each COM
pany at present is 60 men, with the
exception Of one company of 80 men,
and nearly every one of the companies
is recruited up to its maximum
strength"