The evening times., 1897-08-25
THE ARMY NEEDS GUNNERs
Coast DefenSeS Call for an In
crease Of Artillerymen.
CLOSE INQUIRY TO BEGIN
The Board Appointed by the War
Department Will Meet in This
Ci.s Next Week and Institute
Thurougf Iuvestigation-Two Adj
c'ti,H al Regiments Required.

The special board recently appointed by
Secretary Alger to consider the distribu-
tiou of the present artillery force of the
Army, win convenein this city September
The completion of our new coast de
fenses necessitates a larger ar tillery force.
and AZ this branch OF the service is entirely
too small In its scope, two new regiments
will he required to meet the new conditions.
For years Congress has been petitioned to
increase the present force, but without
avail, and 1t Is with the intention OF
form uiating a report, calling its attention
anew to tins fact, that the board has been
organized
The seaooast defenses will not only ne
cessitata an increase in the artillery, but
will lead to the establishment OF many
new STATIONS, some of which are certain
to becone headquarters of regiments. I'm
portant fortified tions like those at Sandy
Hook Tor the defense of New York: the
batteries at Fort Monroe, Fort Warren,
Baltimore, and the defenses Of the Deia-
ware VIII call for Tar ge batteries. Tie
boards work will he to determine JUS:
how many artillerymen will be required
at the new fortifications for their proper
protection: the extent OF the barracks ar
ccnImoc ations; the water transpor tdtion
needed IN naiut aiming communication be
tween the detached batteries and the
Quantity OF land required for the erection
of entirely new garrisons.
The army At present supports five regi-
ments Of artillery, with headquarters a.
New York la rbor, Washington city. Fort
McPherson, Atlanta; San Francisco, and at
Tacoma, with detached batteries at some
few of the interior posts The coast de
feas. plant now being carried out includes
the deleases uf twenty-eight cities on the
Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts.
At many of these cities artillery troops
are already located, bat the commands as
a rule are not as large as the authorities
deem necessary for the care OF new de
fenses. At sbn,e cities, especially those IN
the general systeTp south OF Norfolk, where
no sUiiicyr troops are located, entirely
new posts will be established and details
of troops made. These Will embrace the
iefenses for Philadelphia, for Baltimore.
south of Fort AcIIenTy, at Charleston,
Savannah. Mobile. Galveston and New Or
leans, whtie ca the Pacific. batteries viii
be loOase.l n. all points, except at San Fran
cisov, Incl, de,i m the Notifications plan
The lefensas at Fort Warren, 3cston,
those for Nauagaasett Bay and the ca stern
defeases at Iisser's Island, To command
Long Island St-and. will also call for troops
i,i atlcit4H tot h,se stationed alIca Il at son,'
of these eaints. The Importance snd extesIt
Of the artillery arm will. there fore. be de
ci.letly incrsa ased hy the c,mpletiun of
the fcrtisisstioss, and practically every
city ON the seabosrd that Is 20 tie Gefentleti
will in a few years have some artillery
stationed there for the projection of the
new batteries
The beard VIII probably make the most
exhaustive Investigation of the needs of
the artillery branch yet undertaken, and
viii uaqrestiopaby urge that the present
strength he increased 10y the Bext Cou-
gress to the extent of two regiments t,
meet tie growing requirements II this
branch OF the Army. There i : as yet no
immediate demand for the troops
None OF the new defenses is yet com
pletcd and few will I've under two years.
Emplaceruents are heiug constructed at
is3ny of the portsin the Qualifications liaI.,
and ordnance is being manufactured at the
Government and private factories as fast
as the engineers are ready for the iustaila
ton of tf,e guns but at none of the de
fenscs, with the exception of that for the
protection of the National Capital. Will
full garrisons of artillery be required in
less than eighteen months at theoutsi
The increase in the strength OF the artil-
lery Will quicken promotion in this branch
and relieve the stagnation which has pre-
vailed for years. While considered the
most desirable arm of the service by
young West Pointers il is conspicuous
fact that advancement is slower in il than
in any Of the others. This is due in a
measure to the present organization. First
licutenanJs have, as a rule, TO remain In
one grade from fifteen to twent y-five
years before heconing captains. There
are how lieutenantS who will never attain
higher rank, and several have in late
years retired in this grade.