The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-10-21
anllprsnu SsgteItiaeneer.
CharlestOn's DeRenses,

yerv little has heen said, and it looks
as if yarv little will ha aaid. ahont the
harhor fIafensea that thu government 10
hnildinp ct Charleston. When three fiat
ars rasssd through thu cicv YESTERDAY
| loaded with hie l2-in"h mnr'ar and the
narts that .ra necessary for II to be
moun.ed. few who saw It. realizad what
an engine of destruction was being car
ried tn Charleston to enable that historic
seaport to cope as successfully against
anv fleet Of foreign war vnsaels "a sha
did at the haginrirg nf the revolution
against the British. But the defansea
| that Uncle Sam proposes ~ erent will hn
more formidable than the little ort ut
nal lmetto log. end aand hastilr erersed nv
Mnnltrie and gallantly defended hy JAS
uar.
In the fret placa, the government 10
NIT going about this matter in 81 half
! handed way. General Nelson A. Miles
last vear atrnngIv recommended that th"
principal harhnrs m the Atla"tic coast ="
mt in surh condition that No frraig"
power could aend fact against them
ri,h anv chance of sncrass. Char SION
was one Of theae ports A plan was
marred ont. and II is now being closely
complied With
T. il tn IN, there 10 gums and 16 NOR
tare. Of the guns. siX are Pinch and
fnnr 10 inch. Tha m"r'ara arna'l 12 inch
shia ma.ning that the s'Za she'll or nrnier
tile IL l2 inchea in diameter. while " i
about three and half fant long anH in
weight varies from 500 to ono n"nnd>.
And when this nrninrtile 10 fired from q
rn"rtar with charge of not lrsa than 100
pnnrda ~ ror6er The velocity 10 almoot
nniar five or six miles, and then ia rapa
BILE of blowing through vessels deck
which Ia the most vital part.
Tho rapiditv and accuracy of the firing
il another source OF surprise. About ev-
erv thraa or fnnr minutes prcjnrti'e can
he fred and with snch accn'arv that a
veasel wonld prnnahi ho strn.k at least
three times mt Of FIVE at the disten % "f
five milea. tes, was made In which y
target the siza of a ship was pierced by
four ont nf Eve shots.
Nnrtars are use6 more in th's conntrv
for harhor ieHansea than In anv other
Their advantages over heavy gnns are
easily aper, for, while the latter are di-
rentad against the sides ofa vessel, tn"
former, hv throwing prnjantila at
certain angle, let It come down with ter
rife force on the unprotected deck And
darks cannot he armor plated. IA the
aidas ara on account Of too great weight
The mortars will ha arranged In groups
Of Rhnnt four and all fired at the Same
instant, thna making It almost impossible
for vessel tc eHcape' one Of the falling
shells. which means the sinking of the
vessel.
With the numher nf guns and mortars
previonslv stated Charleston wonld prove
IA invincihle IN the future as she has In
the past The air around the harhor
ronld ha feirlv kept nliva with huge pro-
iectilps that would bring destruction to
the object against which they were di-
rarte6
But tEia ia the ontcome Of experiments
Of which Charleston Ia about 10 reap the
henefit The mnrtars are in averv partir-
| ular abreast of the times. The size and
weight Of one Of them. with all its narts.
can easily he conceived when It is stated
| that three fiat cars we're necessary to hold
itail The mortar proper was not 40 bulky
| bne made M in weight, which waa put
down at II tons, or 80. $50 pounds.
The coet of The defenses, when all
Isl complete, will not fall far short of 81,
| 500O00.
The garrison that will necessarily have
| tn he stationed there will add to the plea
anre AID profit Of Charleston. To man
single mortar requires ohont 10 soldiers,
and ths 26 pieces will require gnnd num-
| ter-prohahlv 400. garrison Of thai
size stationed on sull1van's Island,
would be of inestimable benefit bv in.
nreasirg it's popularity as summer re-
| sort and in other wAvs
That Charlastnnia ia one oftha 6rst south
ern cities to receive the attention nf the
government in the matter Of coast defan.
ses 10 gratifying. This qnestion has heen
agitated considerably hv the Northern
nrass, and is now bearing frnit OF which
| Charleston reaps good harvest.