Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25
Possibility of a Hostile Fleet Taking
the Capital.
-FOUR FORTS COMMAND THE THAMES
Every Year the System is Given a
Thorough Test
AN EFFECTIVE TORPEDO

Written for The Evening Star by 1t r. scallan n A.
In view Of the excitement caused Inv
the recent resolutions adopted by the
New York chamber of commerce regard
ing The improvements which that body
deems advisable in tho defenses and for.
tincauons OF New York harbor IL is in
'eresuhg TO consider the means by which
the war department CT the British gov
eminent proposes to repel any attemnt
on the part OF hostile feet TO take Lon
don by surprise. 1t is not generally
known, in fact, very few people outside
the othcial pale are aware that mo-
pihzation and manning of the Thames
ports and batteries takes place annually and
In mimic war the efficiency of the de-
lenses is tested. These maneuvers for
1877 but lately concluded and the
impression created on the mind of a cas-
uai spectator is that, though more or
less satisfactory as far as they go. Vet
the means taken 10 defend the great capi-
| TAI leave much to be desired from one
| point of view, namely, an attack from The
land side, if ever an enemy should sue
| ceed IN making an effective landing Of
troops by eluding the vigilance of Eng
lands pride and glory, her navy.
| Ever since Napoleon cast terror through
| out the length and breadth of Great Brit
| ain by his threat of invasion, the possi-
| blllty OF such a misfortune has been the
l
| accordingly, following the maxim of Well
| lngton and Nelson, that England's navy
| must be her first line of defense this arm
has been improved and added To with an
| expenditure OF money that the imagination
| recoils from, until now the admiralty de-
| clares 1t capable of meeting any possible
| combination of the worlds navies Yet
from time TO time a still small voice has
| been heard putting the anxious query:
| Supposing that, notwithstanding every
| precaution. an enemy should elude our
| ships, and landing in force he effected
what is going To prevent the devastation
| OF me country, or even the sack OF Lon
don ITSELF"
Four Strong Forts
There are four very strong forts which
command the Thames river close to Lon
don. They are called, respectively. Coal
mouse fort Coalhouse battery and the
forts of Clife and Shornemead. Like the
harbor defenses of New York these forts
are provided with a number of intricate
| appliances which are essential for the pro
| lection of the river approach to Wool
/ witch and London. The annual maneuvers
are held mainly with the object of testing
| the working of these appliances as though
| each fort is occupied by a special dctach-
| ment of trained gunners. whose particular
| duty is the cleaning and testing of the
| machinery, Yet the elaborate and costly
| Instruments, such as telephones and range
| hnders, can only he practically inspected
| by their employment under service condi-
tions, so that mistakes be recuhei
| and indccurieS adjusted.
| This year two companies of garrison
| artillery were told off to man the bat
| tcrIes. that is, force of about 4ou men.
| The accommodation for troops Is none of
| the best, and some difficulty is attached
| to obtaining the necessary supplies But
! soldiers make light of these things, and
| everybody soon makes himself at home
| for the time being. The first couple of
| days are spent i'm gun drill, and also i'm
| instruction 10 of 10
boat attacks. The interesting part from an
\ outsiders point of view begins with the
| supposed declaration of war. The pro-
| gram of operations this year included at
| tempts on the part of the fleet of torpedo
| destroyers and auxiliary vessels to sur
| prise the forts and run past them.
| Mimic War.
| Hostilities began on the third night and
| accordingly officers and men were all on
| the alert. Relefs were told off to man the
| guns. and lookout squad, consisting
| of officer and few men, was posted
| on the top of each fort, to warn the garri-
| sons Of the approach of any suspicious
| locking craft. About in the evening the
| royal engineer detachment began 10 put
| in their fine work, and swept the whole
| river with the powerful electric search
| light belonging to Cliffe fort. The hours
| we're passing slowly, and toward o'clock
| one of the lookout" officers thought he
could discern a torpedo destroyer coming
up the river at great pace. He gave the
| alarm, and everybody was preparing for
| action" when suddenly of those
| heavy, dense, impenetrable mists for which
| the Thames is famous fell over the river
| and promptly obscured everything. The
| 'gunners' were intensely disappointed, as
| of course nothing could prevent the success
1 of the enemys attempt, unless the fog
| should fortunately prove too dense to al
| low the torpedo boat to proceed and risk
| the encountering of submarine mines and
| the danger of running ashore So the
| event proved. and in the morning, when the
| fog lifted, 1t that attempt to
| run past the forts had been made.
| However, at daybreak the fleet was
| sighted coming up the river, and imme-
| diately heavy fire was opened the
| boats from all the guns available The
| unanimous verdict was that fleet of I'M
| armored vessels such those making the
| attack could have survived the hail of shot
| and shell which was poured in upon them.
| After the failure of the first attempt
| further attack was made until nightfall
| again, though in consequence OF the diff
| Guilty of distinguishing friends from foes
| several false alarms made I'm the
| course of the day. Operations were
tinued during that night, and the succeed
| ing two days and nights. with the general
| result that the guns were masters of the
situation.
| The Brennan Torpedo.
| Toward the end of the week. during
which the operations lasted, a trial was
| made of the Brennan torpedo. which is
| the exclusive property of the British gov
4
eminent and a most valuable addition to
| coast defense. The continued success of its
| trials has convinced every one who has seen
| it in operation of the value of the weapon
in harbors and narrow waterways in time
| of war. The secret of its mechanism is
most jealousy guarded. Even the officers
who manipulate IL know very little of the
principle on which the torpedo's action de-
ponds and are bound not to reveal anything
| they do discover. The popular theory is
| that the torpedo works on the principle of
a reel of thread, which rolls away from a
person who pulls the loose end of the
thread. Be that as IL may, IL is certain
that the torpedo can be directed from the
shore, and with expert at the helm
| the striking and blowing up of a ship on
every run is practical certainty, the lit
tie engine of war doubling i'm and out and
dashing hither and thither at a speed OF
nearly ten knots an hour and acting within
large radius.
The result of the defense of London"
maneuvers shows that no hostile fleet
IN OH