New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-17
TO FIT UP 4 MODEL FORT.
WHAT THE FoRTIFICATIoN BOARD PRO-
POSES FOR FORT wADswORTH
1T IS TO RE EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST MODERN
WEAPONS AND THE LATEST DEvIcEs-EN- 49,,
TENsIvE AND EXHAUSTIVE EXPERi-
MrNrs TO RE CONDUCTED THERE
OTHER COAST DEFENCE PLANS
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrNEI


u-h,,,or Doc ,s-The Fertilization Board
with General Miles in the chair. held an unusually
Interesting session at the war Department to-day
The Board considered a number OF important q'es-
tons connected with the countrys coast deiences
and DISPOSED of three of them. The chlef PROPOSE
ton acted upon that OF htting OUT. with all
modern Implements a model fort. In which are 10
be placed the latest approved devices in ordnance
and eu.lneerlng Fort Wadsworth. New-iork. was
selected as the point where the model FORT should Do
located The idea OF establishing such io'l Is
favorite one with members OF the Board Geherai
Miles is OF the opinion that II Is mistake 'or mo
country 10 60 10 great expense in buying large guam
titles OF material until ii has been determined
AZ a result OF practical experiment that the vari'
Gus articles which are being manufactured for tho
coast defences are of unquestionable value and
when combined will make. under service conditions
a satisfactory showing as TO effectiveness Al pres
ent these articles are purchased and tested sepA'
rately Never have they been concentrated ana
tried They may and probably will be found salts
factory when placed In fort under one COM
mander But there is necessarily a doubt In the
matter and the Board wants this doubt eliminated
In order that speculation may be entirely removed
and positive conclusions reached. the hoaru mas
recommended that Fort Wadsworth be armed Win
the most modern weapons. large and small. ana %
furnished with suitable ammunition; that the latest
devices in range-hnders. telescopes. eonver'e.
boards and all electrical appliances be installed ana
that the earth works and other measures OF pfooc'
ton be made in such number and character a
would be the II the fort was prepared for war;
In short the Boards plan Is to put in complete or.
der for actual hosttIes one point Of defence when
completed 1t Is proposed to conduct series OF tx'
haustive experiments there. The guns are to %
connected BY electricity and with all the modern
equipments In position. an officer will take chatge
and carry the tests to be prescribed. In tins
way, and only thus. members OF the Board say.
can a correct idea be formed OF what results can
be relied upon when an emergency arises.
Tho estimate OF the Board is that at cost rot
exceeding $4,000 such model fort be put into
the proposed condition. Out OF this the COST
OF guns and ammunition IL not TO come. Inc
Boards plans call for the employment OF guns ana
proJectiles now made o. being manufactured TOT
the Army. A member OF the Board said to-day that
the idea OF a model fort a thoroughly prac''
81 one. and in his judgment wise one. Tho
Government Is spending thousands of dollars on
devices for coast defences, and no one can say
positively whether they will fully meet eh-
pectations. To equip fort just as II would be III
time OF war; and to combine. connect and test every
implement intended for It. as they would be tTiea
In war. seemed to him to be both prudent ana
economical. Fort Wadsworth he regards as an
excellent place to establish a model coast de'
fence station.
rhc Fertilization Board at today's session SCI.
tied afirmatvely the vexed question as TO whe'he'
perimentng with the wire-wound guns There nav
been differences on this subject between the po''"
and the Army Ordnance Office A short time sso
the Board recommended that allotment be ma".
10 build and test Brown segmertal wire-wouna
gun Of the lo-inch type. General Flagler. 'he'
Of Ordnance. urged that action Ne taken OH
the recommendation until his Office was nea'a
from. The reply OF General Flaglcr was considereu
by the Board to-day. This was Il. effect that no
further trials OF the Brown gun be made, as '"es
gun had not come up to requirements IN tes''
which have taken place The Board found n sS.t
that the gun withstood 30 rounds. ana sn"s
Il was put out Of service partly on ACCOUNT sSn u
Fiagler. and renewed its Recommendation; Ons
fact which partly Influenced the Board Is tnas On
England all heavy guns are now being maoc u =
the, wire-wound system and that the system y
giving excellent results In trials and service. q
third decision Of the Board was 70 si ,r'as
sum or money for the purpose OF conductlnf vvaat.
with gun possessing a number Of n ,ov'e Not
ures. The gun In OF the pneumatic type Ter.
much has been made public to Il. ThS Mss i
stead OF powder. In general way y. rs w so IN.
proved Zalinski gun. 1t Is said to be withou, vs.
objections raised by experts against tnstt AZ
tenn IL range V greater than the Invention :"