New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-27
NEW GUNS AT FORT MONROE
A BATTERY THAT WILL KEEP OFF FIFTY
WARSHIPS.
UNCLE SANS LATEST PREPARATIONS FOR GUARD

UNCLE SANS LATEST PREPARATIONS FOR GUARD
ING THE MOUTH OF CHESAPEAKE BAY.
Recent visitors to Fort Monroe have noticed
In one corner Of the wall overlooking the broad
expanse OF Chesapeake Bay three sem-circular
places on the inside made strong with stone and
earth. and have learned, II they are inquisitive.
that in those acoves are to be mounted three
guns Of far greater destructive power than all the
other cannon in the fort put together. The new
pieces are to be fitted with disappearing carriages,
so that they will be exposed to the fire OF the
enemy only for the moment In which they are
actually being discharged. They are or l5-nch
calibre and may be fired every three minutes, ana
the officers who will have them In charge believe
that they will be sufficient to stand on an ap-
preaching feet of fifty modern warshps. While
they are being loaded they will be protected by
an cmbankment $50 feet in thickness which, unlike
the older parts of the fort. will be stout enough
to resist the assaults Of anything that may be
turned against II.
A little distance to the right of this tremendous
battery stands an s-inch rifle. with its long, slender
nose ready to be pointed at an invader but as yet
unprotected by stone and mortar 1t is FACTOR In
the offensv, equipment Of the fort which nothing
that floats can afford 10 despise, and in case OF
need II would undoubtedly give good account
of itself At ten miles 1t is effective against armor
and in contact with less protected vessels II could
do considerable mischief even at eighteen miles.
OUT OF DATE NOW
The old-fashioned guns. some Of them having a
bore of Is inches frown along the walls, and be-
hind the ramparts close by. and, If appearances
went for anything, they would be vastly more Tor
midabe than any OF their younger neighbors But
the fact is that they good for very little but
show for II the fighting ships OF any frst-class
Power ever got close enough to Fort Monroe to
be within their limited all that they could do
to save her would be of little avail.
Almost as interesting the guns themselves is
the system by which they are aimed Close by
them Is a little wooden building called the nrlng
station from which telegraph wires run to similar
structures several hundred yards away on e,thef
It's position would be taken at both OF the outlying
h sna ocers t Would be- able i in
fix the exact location OF the enemy on cnart OF
another observation would be taken. and If 1t
should be seen that the approaching meet was NOV
RE tf se ht the poec
at the foe would find its mark. The men AT me
iects at which they shooting, but they would
have confidence that their EFFORTS were not peihs
wasted.
GREAT ARTILLERY SCHOOL.
Fort Monroe is the great artillery school Of the
Army seven-eighths of the enlisted men on duty
there are farmers sons who have come up from
North Carolina to escape what they consider the
drudgery and the monotony OF farm LIE. ana II
must be said that most Of them are not dissatisfied
West Point. and they gain at the fort their hrs i
practical experience In the command OF men ana
the application of what they have been learning foT
four years. The officers after time are assigned
to other posts and the private soldiers, having
served out their terms Of enlistment, are likely 10
drift back to the farms
II the time ever comes when. instead OF hring at
targets parading for exercise and doing Pckwickan
sentinel duty at the gates the men of Fort
Monroe called upon for actual service they VIII
have tremendous duty 70 perform; LOOK al me
map and you will that the fort commands
the mouth OF Chesapeake Bay, the passing Of which
By hostile force would be an immense disaster
on one side are Norfolk and the Portsmouth Navy
Yard Newport News and the James River, Leading
10 Richmond In another direction lie Washington !
and Baltimore. Well the country hope that the
new guns that are being mounted will indeed prove
stronger than a fleet OF fifty men-of-war.