Evening journal., 1896-12-26
FORT DELAWARE GUNS.
Ten-inch and Twelve inch Dis
appearing Ordnance.
DEFBNCEs FOR PHILADELPHIA
MODERN GUNNERY BEING PLACED


THAT WILL MAKE AN ATTACK
ON ANY OF THE UPPER della
WARE CITIES ALMOST IMPOssI-
BILE.
The work Of preparing Fort Deia-
ware as a defence against hostile war
ships bombarding Philadelphia, is al
most completed The fort has, or
shortly will be equipped with all the
modern ordnance, and it is almost cer-
tain that no modern warship can stand
the fiery onslaught of this gunnery.
The work OF providing the defences
and armament at the fort and Finn's
Point has been in progress for two
years. Under appropriations now avail
able there are being constructed batter
les OF three 10-inch and six 12-inch
rided guns on disappearing carriages.
The work has been pushed vigorously
during the past season, and there are
now mounted and ready for action at
Finn's Point the three 10-inch guns All
that is needed tomake them ayailableat
once for the purpose of defending the
channel OF the river is a company or so
of artillerymen to work the guns and
supply of ammunition, either Of which
could be supplied on a few hours no
tice
These 1O-inch guns are OF the very
latest type, and the carriages on which
they are mounted are the result oi
years of experiment and trial in the
effort to find a carriage to meet the re-
Quirements OF coast defence and which
can be loaded behind the emplacement,
out of the direct fire Of the enemy's
guns. The 10-inch guns, as well as the
12-inch rifles, which have not yet been
mounted command the reach Of the
river from Fort Delaware to Liston's
Point, a distance of about twelve miles
which is probably little further than
q prOjectilo from a 12-inch gun can be
fired with any accuracy. IL is likely
that the first fire from the 10-inch guns
of the Finn's Point battery, on an ap-
preaching ship of an enemys fleet
would be at a distance Of about six or
seven miles, and then chiefly to get the
! range and cause the approaching ves-
sci to steam slowly and cautiously. at
a distance Of four miles and less the
real fighting would occur. AS q pro-
jectile from a 12-inch gun viii per-
forate steel armOr eleven inches thick
/ at q distance Of seven miles, some idea
! can be gained of the execution three
I 1O-inch guns would do at q distance OF
! two or three miles, each firing once
J about every five minutes
a HOSTILE VESSELS CHANCES.
A hostile vessel intending to attack
, Philadelphia would have TO traverse @
r channel hity-iour miles long, between
y deep water in the bay and the city
and it would barely get into the chan
= Of the big guns 40 kinns Point ano
d Fort Delaware. a city at the end of q
r channel marked with huoys and ranges
: like the channel of the Delaware. is
u much easier to defend than a city
r situated on q broad and deep bay, with
e a wide and short entrance from the
j. sea. The removal Of the buOys that
s. mark the channel, and il necessary the
8 dismantling OF the range lighthouses
e would render the navigation of therivel
= most difficult, IL not impossible
Il The channel could also be made i'm
/ passable to foreign vessels by sinking
y ia its narrower parts few large mud
u scows or old vessels. Another method
S of obstruction, and one greatly feareC
by the ships Of an enemy, would b'
the planting OF parts OF the channe
.e with submarine mines or torpedoes
s. the explosion Of which would blow al
T. most out Of water any ship passing
= nenr them.
% 4l>klNG OF SUBMARINE MINES
,, The scheme Of defence for Fort Della
l. ware and vicinity includes a system o
submarine mines, which are nothin
ie more than immense torDedOes for sink
ing in the river, to be fired from tn
H. different fortihcations by electricity
ne These could be planted in the compare
y lively narrow channel at Dan Bake
e1 shOal. for instance, nine miles bolo'
90, the fort, or at any point desired withi
III a range Of several miles of the fcrtif
q cations.
Since December, 1894, twenty-on
of the guns forming the armament G
the old fort, nearly all smooth borel
have been removed from the upper tier
,R Of casemates and the barbette Of III
-r fort and parked in the meadow adjoiI
ing. In this number there were thre
15-inch guns, eight l0-inch and ten
lg lrch. Ten S-inch rifles of more moo
-, ern type were transferred to the hr.
nc and second tiers Of casemates. The
ey would prove very effective against VET
lf- sells which came as close as mile G
n So and the Old smooth bores could
he used with great destruction should a
Is enemy's ship attempt TO pass the for
r- While the exterior of the fort show
little change. the interior has bee
modified, in order TO accommodate T.
emplacemonts Of the new guns 70
at mounted there.
Law WHAT A DISAPPEARING GUN is
vas A disappearing carriage permits
a a1ln TO be loaded behind the parapet o'
the Of sight Of the enemy When ready
vas be fred Il is raised automatically by
tor counterpoise, until il is in a firing p
ach sition with it's muz1le projecting ov
the parapet. The recOil In iring sem
IL down behind the parapet again TO
secure position for loading Most
o., the force of the recoil is taken up
"a, hydraulic cylinders.
~ ~ In connection with the fortihcatio
.e at Fort Delaware and Finns Poi
-. eeh there viii be electric plants for fu
gH ,sts nishing power and light and an Il
,l pcuant feature will be search lign
oi for use at night, especially ia guardii
the cables communicating with the su
IN rfro t,nfrau rTo imprnVpm n.