The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-11

CHICAGO, March 10.-Lieutenant j.
F. Thompson, chief ordnance officer OF
the department Of the Missouri, told
Chicago people last night how utterly
defenseless their city would remain if
the $4,000 900 for coast defenses intend
ed for lake fortificat. ms should, as
matter of economy, be cut out Of the
bill now before congress.
Lieutenant Thompson made public
for the first time in a paper lead in the
New England Congregational church,
just what it is that the ordnance corps,
acting with the other departments,
hopes to accomplish in the way Of max
ing seaports impregnable to attack
when the appropriation of nearly $780,
100000, reported favorably in commit
tee, would be available.
Touching on the question of lake de-
tense the officer said there seems to be
a prevailing impression that in case war
[ broke out between America and Great
! Britain all the United States would
have to do would be to keep English
vessels out of the great lakes. Decla-
rattons of war do not come like thun-
derbolts from clear skies. AS soon as
! it was known trouble was brewing the
dian troops would man the works and
Great Britain would have her gunboats
on the spot.
THAT nation has 100 men Of war
which can pass through the canal
Once in lake Erie two or three Of
these vessels, could, as things are at
present, destroy the great lake cities.
No city is so well situated for destruc-
ton as Chicago. A gunboat or two
Co1 x@fp he af+x farxy oh all
! into the waterworks and paralyZe the
water system, and could then, with
their explosive projeotiles, set the city
on fire.
1.-THE Canadians are projecting a ca
nal from the st. Lawrence river to
Georgian Bay. 1t is to flank the We'll
! land canal and in case of war, the new
canal could be used as passage for
gunboats into the great lakes. There
should be at least fifteen American
| torpedo gunboats on the lakes for the
protection OF the cities. If we cannot
keep the boats in commission in times
| OF peace, on account of our treaty
with Great Britain, let them be kept
in the drainage canal, when it is COM
pleted, or in some other inland water
way, from which they can be quickly
transported to a point where they can
defend Chicago and other lake cities.
fire insurance premiums every year. 1t
pays large amount for police and fire
protection and for its national guard.
In comparison to amounts thus spent,
81, 600, 900 seems but little to be expend-
ed when it is known that its judicious
placing would secure the safety of our
great lake cities almost beyond doubt.
Two Notifications could be erected
on st. Louis river. They could be sup
| Sill ~
disappearing gun cartridges. With fifty
or sixty feet of sand, or with thirty
feet of concrete, these forts would be
proof against any guns which could
be carried on gunboats whose draught
is light enough to enable them to come
up the river. The gunboat which sue
ceeded in passing one of these forts
would not be likely to get by the
second. Notifications of the same kind
should be built at Detroit"
Lieutenant Thompson illustrated with
drawings the new heavy ordnance with
which it is proposed to defend our sea
coast. He described the manufacture
Of the heavy steel, breech-loading ri
f1es, the steel turretG and the fortifca-
tons for the mortars. It is proposed to
make altogether zoo rifles of Is, II. IL
and 8-inch calibre. The appropriation
is to be available at the rate of So 0OO.-
600 year. There are twenty-eight ports
to be fortified.
The speaker showed map giving his
solution of the defense of New York
harbor. He also told why people were
mistaken in supposing the navy. whose
work was properly offensive rather
than defensive, could defend the coasts
without the aid Of Notifications He
also said that torpedo system WITH
out a backing of batteries was well
nigh useless.