The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-03
NEW YORx's DxFENs.s.



New York. June 2-The committee af-
pointed by the resolution OF the United
States senate to examine the coast se-
fanses has been in this city since Friday
night and has examined the harbor and
other dsferses. concluding its iafors yes
terday morning. According TO the chair
man. W. c. Squire. senator from WASH
ington. the report he VIII make to the SEN
ate will conclusively show that the con-
dition OF affairs is something shameful aad
unworthy OF a nation such as this Is. He
said that this committee would make the
report before congress adjourned. n order
that II may know the chances that are
being taken in case of war
The committee on coast defenses con-
sists Of Gen Hawiey, Senators Squire OF
Washington. chairman; Proctor. White
and Butler. Gen. Hswley and Senator
Proctor are familiar with the subject. and
did not accompany Messrs. Squire. White
and Butler. In their stead were Senators
Dubois. Tiliman and Perkins. of the naval
committee: Senator Cannon. OF Utah, ard
Representative Wilson. of Idaho.
I'VE concluded TO see for ourselves"
said Chairman Squire, ''the condition of
the defenSes OF the greatest commercsa
port In the United States The dsfenses
are today better. as they should be. than
those of any port in the United States. Yet
these defenses are entirely below what il
necessary to give any kind of defense
against the foe. Our party. accompanied
by Maj. Phipps and Capt. Heaiy. of the
ordnance department, and Capt. Hodges.
of the engineers department, who had been
ordered TO assist us. left the Battery on the
ordnance department steamer. We went
to Sandy Hook and examined the works
for defense, the direct-flre guns and their
empiacemenfs- II the condition we found
existing in New York is SO bad. and IL r.
better than that of other great cities. what
must be their condit,one In New York
alone We have 800 900 of destructible
property. What We need to properly de-
fend New York is ninety-three high-power
long-range guns of eight, ten and twelve
inches and in addition to these we need
iS tweive-inch steel rife mortars and 30
rapid-ir.ng guns. If the whole OF the man.
ufacturing facilities In the country were
put TO work now. 1t would take at least
three years to properly fortify Rev York.
IL would take at least seven months to
make the forgings for one gun. and the
work has not yet been begun. and thea IL
would require from six months TO one year
to complete the defenses that are abso-
Iutely necessary. AT Sandy Hook we
found but two twelve-ineh guns ready to
be fired. and these had no range finders
and we're lacking the details necessary to
good. effective work. There are no men
kept there. and II troops should he sent
they would not Know wha. to do afth
those guns. Why. the place is conducted
In the most peculiar manner An instance.
The men who were there could not get up
steam to show the committee the rise and
fall of these two guns At Fort wais-
worth we found FIVE eight-inch guns. none
ready for use, and they will not be until
some tine IN August. They are ali the
direct-fire guns In the lower hay. There
are sixteen Enns and mortar battery at
the Hook. but 10 get all the morsars and
those guns In shape. II work were begun
right away. at least a year would be re-
Quired. At Fort Hamilton we found but
one ter-inch gun. which was not
mounted
The committee spent Sunday in visiting
the Long Island sound and Hell Gate de-
lenses. They saw wiilett's point and mad.
careful study Of things there. There are
FIVE points TO be defended In the vicinity.
Senator Squire says, and those points do
not include Fishers island At wiliett's
point the committee found two ten-inch
guns which were rot in place, and three
.hree-tnch gurs which were In the same
condition The system OF using torpedo
boats. Squire says. In almost useless, nn-
less the torpsdoes are protected by guns
and flashlights. which are lacking.