New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-01
DEFENCES OF THE HARBOR.
CAPTAIN HUBBELL's VIEWS on THIS M
PORTANT SUBJECT
An INVESTIGATION BY THE SONS OF THE AMERI-

PORTANT SUBJECT
AN INVESTIGATION BY THE SONS OF THE AMERI-
CAN REvoLUTIoN-TtE TORPEDO SERVICE N
THE NARRows-Gt'ys AT SANDY HOOK
No truer words regarding the necessity of coast
offences for this country were ever spoken than
those OF Captain Henry W Hubbell before the
Empire State Society of he Sons % the Amer
lean Revolution at It's meeting last Monday
evening Stalwart. earnest and filed with the
purport OF his subject. ard having in mind MS
full responsibility as a soldier to whom such de-
fence is intrusted II IA 10 be wondered al that
his paper was followed by an almost immediate
motion 10 refer the all-important issue to the
Board OF Managers to report at the next monthly
meeting OF the organization II the tre-
mendous sweep Of the interests involved when
was brought home By the military man TO the
hearts Of the commercial element present. ana
when he had added that adequate coast defences
could be secured to New-York Harbor and city
by the expenditure OF about ] per cent or the
capital at stake In this city alone the matter took
air Of business expediency and Feasibility
But Captain Hubbel might have gone further
than that. 1t is not New York alone that Is men
aced by nattention TO this coast defence issue
New-Yori stands for the country at large
in very particular sense, for here lies the
heart Of the country's commercial crcua-
ticn The captain had before him select as
sembly Of men Of business and wealth. Like
good many others. they have bad the necessity
for a navy sounded into their ears 50 long ana
with such emphasis that, along with the Nation
they have hardly paused to think that the navy
does not accomplish all that must be fulfilled be-
fore the coast lines Of the country are safe from
successful attack
The note has been sounded before. 1t was
heard to vlbrate uncertainty at the recent
meeting Of the Society of Mechanical Engineers
and Naval Architects. In that symposium Of
special knowledge il was most thoroughly dis
cUssed.
WORKS At SANDY HOOK.
General Abbot. recently retired from the Army
has spent the best years Of his life in perfecinS
the details for adequate protection for every har-
Dor shallow and deep water. from Maine TO New
Orleans These plans in the hands Of the
proper bureaus. on some Of them work is being
done in less desultory fashion, and the
most significant sign OF improvement is to be
found in the works Sandy Hook But regard
Ing these works Captain Hubbell said: Two
tIelve-inch guns. three dynamite guns and
twenty nortars. four Of the latter at the Sound
entrance. together with torpedo system. const-
tute the present defence of the metropolis About
four hundred artillerymen available for this
service The scheme Of coast defence has been
fully elaborated for years but it Is about os COM
plete as De Lesseps's Panama Canal
The prudent man nsures his dwelling against
fire although it may be in Fifth or Madison-ave.
where the destruction of private dwelling by
Are Is almost unheard Of So should the great
city provide war Insurance BY defending its APP
proacnes 1t can be made absolutely secure for
about 800 900 OO0 the cost Of four irscass battle
sbips complete q fraction Of per cent upon the
property at stake.
Thereupcn tho Captain told a story Illustrating
the possibilities f the Gaze. l. purported - be
a Renaissance Of the XII celebration and gave
the gist cf a conversation one OF the United
states Naval officers had had with the Grand
duke Alexis whose friendly feeling for this c0ur-
try is well known TEE Duke remarked 10 this
officer as he watched the Columbia, that he was
glad this country was rebuilding her fleet. for
he two things which had most impressed him
while on his visit here wore the wonderful. Ma
t.onal wealth and the alarming inadequacy of
means fol- effective National defence. He re-
marked vita graphic picturesqueness that the
Nation reminded him Of drunken man with
pockets filled with money, while on the dark SIDE
of the street three ruffians awaited the chance
- roo him. Then he went on 10 explain his
fqrre saving that twice In mis- career he had
hoar I'd the project preached by foreign officers Of
capturing two II the great Atlanta seaooard
cities and holding them for ransom. he mad not
only heard this preached but had heard Il seri-
ousiy discussed by officers Of European fleets
whose countries were in close straits financially.
RUssINS FRIENDSHIP.
And Il was the Dukes opinion that they meant
it seriously He added that he had made
sensation by remarklng in conversation of
this character: Gentlemen. the United States
and Russia are friends. Should she be unjustiy
attacked, Russia would help to see that the
wrong rightcd
This sounds DIT like speculative gossip but
the wish is generally father to the thought and
Captain Hubbeu viewed it as unfortunate that
this country should be so neClectfu &C defensive
measures as II make such gossip seem p!ausi-
bic. The entire difficulty appeared to lie IN the
apparent inability Of those most directly con-
cerncd 70 make the idea OF a completed coast
defence system take on a popular guse
a general impression. said Captain Hubbell,
prevails for which certain newspapers are
largely responsible. that the Navy IS - defend
our coasts. In the sense that the SHIPS are TO
hug the shore and the approaches 10 herDors
and bar the entrance Of hostile fleets. Now
England with her small coast line and gigantic
navy has abandoned sucn a scheme as imDracu-
cable and has most elaborate and powerful fort-
hcations at Dover. Portsmouth, Plymouth, at
the mouths Of the Thames, Mersey and else
where Captain Mahan shows in his Influence
Of Sea Power that the true role OF a navy Is
aggressive activity. not passivity. To seek the
enemy and engage him, not await him. was Mel
sons policy while the French remained on the
defensive to their final destruction Like cavalry.
which to be effective, must be put in motion.