The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-11-06
GEN. CRAIGHILL'S REPORT.

Under the head of Notifications, Gen.
| Craighill, chief of engineers, in his annual
report, says that detailed projects have
been approved for the artillery defense of
| Portland, Me, Portsmouth, n. H., Boston,
| NarraganSett bay, eastern entrance to
| Long Island sound \partiaD. New York,
| Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,
Hampton Roads, Wilmington, n. G.,
Charleston, Savannah, Key West, Pensa-
| cola, Mobile, New Orleans. Galveston, San
Deigo, San Francisco, the mouth of Column
| bia river and Puget sound. In addition,
| partial projects have been approved for
the defense of the lake ports, Cumberland
sound, kennebec, New Bedford, Penobscot
! river, New Haven and New London.
Complete projects for the defense of these
| places are under consideration, and ais"
for Port Royal, S. G., and Tortugas. Fla.
In these projects use is made of the exist
ing old type Notifications, which are eth
er strengthened and given in part modern
armament or utilized as an adjunct of the
newer and stronger works.
During the year there have been ncgo-
tiations for the purchase of sites at Charl-
estOn, Baltimore, Narragansett bay and
Portland Me- At several points where
fortitcatiolS are ur gently desired nothing
can be done because the land has not yet
been acquired. The appropriation of $500,
600 made by the last Congress for the pur-
chase of sites has been pledged, and to
continue the work an appropriation of the
same amount is requested.
General Craighill urgently recommends
an appropriation of 100000 for the pres
ervation and repair of Notifications, say
ing that as result of the failure of Con-
grcss to make proper provision in the past
Tor their care, the ungarriSoned fortiIica
lions and reservations are now i'll q de-
plorable state, with the periShable pOr-
tions now almost worthless and the heavy
masonry work slowly being destroyed.
He says that the work of preparing en-
placements for the guns has been pushed
with much igor, where the money was
available particularly at New York, Della
ware river and Charleston. The first con
sderation, he adds, was to provide for the
needs of all our seaports for which projects
are approved, so as to protect as many of
them as practicable against isolated cruiser
attacks. Of guns OF large caliber there
are ii total of GIG and of mOrtarS Or for
which emplacements will have to be con
structed. OF these Congress has provided
for 10 per cent. of the guns and - per
cent. of the mortars. These figures, says
Gen. Craighill, show that, as judged by
expert opinion, the country in another year
will be about onctifth prepared as regards
coast defense to resist attack by first
class power, In concluding this part of
his report, Gen. Craghill submits concise
detailed reports by the officers in charge
of the work that has been done at each
fortified point during the year.
Under the head of rivers and harbors it
is said that experience has shown that the
system of providing funds for carrying on
continuously and completing certain works
has resulted in materially reducing costs
and granting benefits to commerce within
reasonable periods, and that if this system
Is restricted to works fully justified by the
interests of commerce. it will prove an
economical one, provided appropriations
SO made as to avoid delay in payments to
contractors. Because Congress has fallen
into the custom of making river and har
Dor appropriations only every second year,
and that consequently the act of June,
1896, is not likely to be supplemented by
similar act the coming session of Con
gfess, General Craighill restricts his est
mate for next year to the amounts neces.
sary to meet obligations under contracts
They aggregate SOD IT'S OJ3