Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-06-02
OUR COAST DEFENSES
Great Cities Of The United States at
The Mercy OIL an Enemy.
WHAT'S NEEDED FOR new YORK.
n Would Take Three icarS work 10
Properly PortifJ That City
Alone.

NEW YORK, June 2.-The Hofnld
ssys this morning that the committee
by resolution Of the Unitod Staten
Senate to examiuo the coast doienBes
has been IN this city since Fnihy
nigh. and has examined the harbor
and other deienses, concluding liz Ia.
Dor. yesterday morning.
According 10 Chairman W. q.
squire, United States senator from
washington. the report that commit
tee will make 10 tho Senate will con-
cluslvely show that the condition OF
ansirs IL something shameful aud uH.
worthy OF a nation such as this Il.
lie said that this committee would
make the report before Congress hd-
joltned In order that II may know the
chances that are being Iakon In cans OF
war.
The committee ON coast doiense con.
tis,s Of General Hawioy, Senaiofs
solfe Of Washington, chairman,
Pfoclsr, White and Butler. General
Hawley aud Senator Proctor arc "a
millar with tue subject, but did not
accompany Mrssfs. Squire, White anu
Butler. In their stead were Senators
Dubois, TillmAn anu Perkins Of the
naval committed; senator Cannon OF
Utah ana Representative Wilson oi
ldabo.
eve concluded to see TOT oursolveH,"
said Chairman Squire, "the condition
Of the dsfensts OF the greatest com.
mcrclal port In the United States. Tue
dsieusts arc tedsy bettef-as they
should be-thAn those Of any other
port In the United States. Got these
dcfensea arc entirely below what 10
necessary 10 give any KIND u defense
against Toe. Our party accompanied
ny MtIlt PhiptH nul captain Hcaly
VI tue .fdnauce department and Cap
tain Hodge,, Of tue engineer DEPART
ments, who had been ordered 10 assist
Va, loft the battery ON tho ordnance
urpai tment steamer. We went TO
sandy Hook and examined tho works
for defense, the direct nte guns anu
their rmplAcemunta.
II tho CoIdillon wo found existing
ia New York II 90 bau, aud II IL better
than that Of other great cities, what
must be the condition IN other place,
popio tweuty.Gevou la all7 La Now
York alouo We have four LunIred
millions Of desiTuetiDle pTopufty.
Whst We need 10 properly defend
New York is ninety three high power
long range guns VI eight, ten aud
twelve inunss, AMI IN addition {. those
we need l7S tweivt.inch steel Tins
motAIs Bud 200 fapid.ilfing guns. II
the whole Of tho manufacturing iaoili-
Ties IA tue country were put 10 work
now II would take nj least seven
months to make the iorginga for one
gun and the work has not yet been
begun aud then II would require from
siE months to one year 10 complete The
defensts that afo absolutely necessary.
At Sandy Hook We found hut two
l2-inoh guns ready TO be fired aud
these had no range finders and were
lacking tho dstNils Etcusfaty 10 do
good effective WORK. fnrrs Rro no
men Kept there AID n lfogps should be
sent there they would not krow what
10 do with those guns. Way, tho
place 10 conducted IN the most peculiar
manner. An instance: Tho men who
whets there could not got up steam Ia
show the committee the rise and fall Of
these two guns,
AZ Fort Wadtworth we found five
b.lnch guns, none reAdy LOT use nnd
they will not bo until some time In
August. They are all the direct hrs
GUNS In the lower bay.
There are sixteen guns and a mortar
battery ut the Hook, but 10 Get nil thu
morIATs anu these guns In shape, II
work wero begun right away at least O
year would be required.
Al Fort HamiItOn VIZ found but enc
l0.lnch gun which was not mounted
The committee spent Sunday II
visiting Long Island Sound ana Hell
date deiensss, Jaw willepa Point Rnd
mRde n careful study Of things there
There are five points TO lie defended IN
the vicinity, Benatot Squire says, ant
thote poiuts do not include FISHERY
leland.
AT Willets Point the COMMITTEES
found two lOlncn guns which wsT'
not IN plsce, anu ihter B'lneh gum
which were IN tho same condition.
The system Of using toTped0ee, h'
says, In almost useless, unless the tor
pedoes arc protected by guns anu nasl
lights which are lacking.
Fort Schuyler was also Inspected
yesterday by several Of the committee