The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-26
SEACOSr DEPENSES
ANNUAL REPORT or CHIEF OF
ENGINEERS WILSON

Ports at Which Work Is Now In Progress.
Modern High Power Guns Necessitate .
Change I'm the Location Of Seaport De
f-nses-EstImstes for Jsfver and HarbOr
improvements for Next Year
Washington, October 21.-General
Wilson, chief of the engineers of the
army, has made his annual report to
the secretary Of war. 1t is devoted TO
the f~orti1cations and river and habor
improvements of the country. Esti-
mates for coast defense for the years
1S9S-'99 are as follows Gun and NOR
tar batteries So 0o, 900. purchase of a n
for Notifications $500, Oo0. protection,
preservation and repair of fo~rtification
500, 900, preparation of plans for fOrti-
icationss5, 900, seawalls and embank-
ments s55, 900; for torpedoes for harbo
d~efenses, for the purchase Of submarine
mines and necessary appliances to p
crate them, for closing the channels
leading to our principal seaports, for
needful estimates, cable galleries, ETC.,
to render it possible to operate sub
marine mines $3.50, 900, total $3.50, 900.
To this is added s41, 900 for the engineer
depot at Wulets Point, N. Y.
On the subject of Notifications the
report says: THE system Of SeacOast
defense 0 in progress OF construc-
ton is based upon the report Of the
board of Notifications and other de-
lenses, appointed by the president un-
der the provisions of the act of March
3rd, 1885. The report of this board,
generally Know as the Endicott board,
was published in 1886. Under inStruc-
tons from the chief Of engineers dated
March 29th, 1887, the board of engineers
undertook the study and preparation of
detailed projects for the artillery and
submarine mine defense of the princi-
pal sea and lake ports of the United
States. Up to the present time projects
have been prepared and have received
the approval of the secretary Of war
for many ports among which are the
following: Hampton Roads, Va, Will
mington, N. c.; Charleston, S. c.;
Savannah, Ca; Key West, Fla; Pen
sacola, Fla; Mobile, Ala New Or
leans, Galveston, exa Projects for
the defense of other ports are still un-
der consideration.
THE great range of modern high
power guns compels the establishment
of defensive ines at distances from the
cities and harbOrs considerably greater
than heretofore deemed necessary. At
many harbors the sites of the older
type works are at distances from the
objects to be protected insufficient to
admit of a power defense under mod
ern conditions. At other b the
areas of the older sites, when otherwise
suitable, are too small to accommodate
the modern defense. The acquisition OF
suitable sites has, therefore, been a
necessary feature Of the construction OF
a modern system of s~eacOast defense.
During the past fiscal ear title has
been obtained to sites at Portland,
Maine; eastern entrance to Long Is
land Sound; Baltimore, Md; Charles
ton, S. c.; Key West, Fla; Galveston,
Texas; San Diego, CAL; and Puget
Sound, Washington. All available funds
for the purchase Of sites for seacoast
d%efenses nave been pledged. The opera
tons attending the acquisition of sites
are frequently attended by tedious and
unavoidable delays. An appropriation
of $500, 900 is earnestly requested to con-
tinue the purchase of necessary Sites"
Congress authorized the contract sy-
stem in work on Notifications but it is
not approved by General Wilson.
General Wilson says that during the
fiscal rear ending June Both, 1897 there
was expended on river and harbOr i'm
| provements 49, 61 ,295. For the fiscal
year CUOlIlS JUuc OUlu, 1ooC, AAS CSlA0
mates are: Continuous work author
| lied by congress SIS. S76, O07; for other
| works not provided for by continuing
| contracts $29, 452, 1853. The principal esti-
/ mate in detail I'm a number of states
| follow:
Virginia-James river $500, 900; Nor
! folk harbor, $56, TIA; NansemOnd river
| $50, 00O; Appomattox river $4,000; Cape
Charles City harbOr $4,000.
North Carolina-Roanoke river SAL
900; Pamlico and Tar rivers $38, 500;
Cape Fear river at and below Whining
| ton $3.50, 600.
South Carolina-waccamaw river
| $50, 900; Winyah Bay $3.50, 900; Santee
| river 800, 900; Wappoo Cut, $4,000.
Georgia-Savannah harbOr $3.50, 600:
Savannah harbOr maintenance 500, 600,
Savannah river 500, 900; Darien harbor
SIS, OOO; Altamana river $50, 200, Oconee
river $50, 900, Ocmulgee river $50, 900,
Cumberland sound $450, GOO, inside water
route between Savannah n Fernan-
| dina, Fla. $56, 900; Flint river SIG, 500.