Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-03
coAsr DEFENCE WORK.
The War Department to Hegip the Opera
tions soon.

lions soon.
Washington, d. c., Aug. IS. The
War Department within the next few
weeks will begin work on the de.ences
along the Atlantic seaboard, in accord
ance with the provisions of the bill
passed by the last Congress. Secretary
Lamont has given his approval to the
recommendation of the ordinance
bureau and the chief OF engineers,
who will have charge of this great
undertaking. Already work has begun
at some points. and before the autumn
sets D~will be in progress along the
Southern seaboard, including Bati-
more, Charleston and Savannah. The
liberal provision made last session Will
enable the authorities TO make rapid
head%ay in the construction OF en-
placements, the purchase OF plots for
their location and in awarding con-
tracts for building heavy ordinance.
Secreatry Lamont for some weeks
prior to his departure for New York was
busily engaged in making allotment
of the annual appropriation for the
various cities in accordance with cost
of the projects as presented by the
Notifications board. The money will
be expended on the larger cities and
those demanding immediate protection
rather than on the smaller towns
equally exposed TO attack. The exact
amount each city will have expended
upon it cannot be ascertained at the
War Department, but it is certain that
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Fort
Monroe, Baltimore. Charleston and
Savannah are to secure the lion d
oh ha aFuf,
tured by the army ordinance plant al
large cities while mortars and sub
marine mines will be employed in
every case where it is assumed they
can be worked to advantage. 1t ia
reasonably certain that New York and
Boston will have the first completed
defences and that Baltimore and Fort
Monroe will be next, although it is NOT
The purpose OF the authorities to over.
look San Francisco.
Except the cities of Boston and New
| York everyone included in the % re.
| quiring defences under the fortifica,
tions boards report is absolutely with.
out modern protection from an attack
from the sea, and even those two have
only few mortars and guns in place.
Ihele is nothing TO prevent squadron
from entering the Chesapeake bay ant
sailing either to Baltimore. Washing
! ton or Norfolk, but il the plans Of thu
War Department are carried out with
promptness none of these ports shoulc
be exposed five years hence. SOM
slight progress has been made in de
Tending the national capital by th,
completion of emplacements for half {
adozen l0-inch guns on the site of OLE
Fort Washington, II miles from tn
city, but there is not single gul
mounted and probably none can be unde
year or two.
Fort Monroe mounts most for
midable array of smooth bore nuzzl'
leaders that might develop sufficien
power to send eulid shot through th
sides of an unarmored vessel, hu
would have no more effect on vesse
Of the battleship class than birdsho
on heavy turrets. Equally exposed ar
all the cities on the Southern seaboard
but every one, can be readily defende
by expanding email sums, In compari
son with the great amounts necessar
TO give New York, Baltimore an,
Boston safety from sea attack.