The sun., 1897-11-13
NEW FORK NOT so EASY TO BoMBARD
Ono OF the Marines Fails Foul or Adu,irnl
Jouett. U, Q. n. Retired.

Jouett, u. Q. NJ. Retired.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Admiral
Jouett In his Louisville interview, printed to-
day, was a trho Off soundings when he spoke OF
the ease with which half dozen foreign war
ships might lombard New York. measure
ment of the chart shows that there is no point
of water within twelve miles of New York's
City Hall that is not within easy range both of
tho guns Of Sandy Hook and of Fort Wads-
worth. And the guns of these two forts not
only Of greater range than anything atoat,
but they are sure to provo more accurate
Further than that, it Is not necessary
for the guns crews in tho forts to see the ship
they wish to hit. Lookouts at Rockaway Beach
or Long Beach and Coney Island could telegraph
the exact point whero ship happened to be at
any minute, and the guns in the forts would be
laid by tho chart with moro accuracy than tho
Moreover, is ADMIRAL Jouett willing to say
that any gun afloat can be elevated to reach q
ONE OF THE MARINES.
1T WOULD BE BAD FOR THE ENEMY's FLEET
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: In a de-
spatch printed in TIE SUN this morning from
mittcd to make a lot of statements Es regarding
the posi- ibity of the reduction of New York
by a foreign fleet Of warships. Coming from an
official of the United States Navy these state
ments might alarm persons who are absolutely
nnacQuaintcd with the harbor of New York and
would affect any one else except to ridicule
Admiral Jouett says:
You can only see a ship eight milcs out at sea- and
therefore man of.war Twelve miles away from the
harbor and beyond the vision OF tho gunners In the
forts could IL esaTey ,hrow rs snot and shell into New
good vessels with their highpower guns accurate
charts and they can place their shells that New
York would be reduced in surprisingly short time.
A man who would make this statement is Ger
tainly not acquainted with the harbor of Now
York or with the surroundings Of New York
n mi
hnrbor is more than twenty miles away from
the city. 1t is ,bayopd Sandy Hook: II the for.
twelve miles away from the entrance to tho
harbor. where tho defences are ample, the for
or nearly three times the distance that
, The guns % Of any chip that floats can shoot.
haye lI, much to fear fear from t6e guns Ct sandy
RsHs IeSE MaTss5ps
OH solid foundations, hence they can be fired at
much greater elevation than can tho guns car.
these guns is greater by miles. and by the use Of
charts. with the aid of which they are aimed.
they are deadly at any distance There is almost
ton Of accuracy between % guns " hreS red from from
land and guns fir, fred from ships. The &C.
though the boat ss in still the S Accuracy eyfs
tic coast to the heart of New York is off Coney
Island. the next nearest Is Off Rockaway Beach.
Both OF these points are i'll direct and easy
range Of the guns at Sandy Hook. Any fleet Of
ships that sailed UP to within range of Brooklyn
even would be nearer to Sandy Hook than it
would be to New York or to the centre OF Brook
lyn. and the guns at Sandy Hook would drive
1t out of range quicker than it takes to tell
it. So long rs The dcfcnces at Sandy Hook could
be maintained no foreign fleet could possibly
get within hitting distance OF New York with
out itself being destroyed AS to silencinR the
detences at Sandy Hook, there is probably not q
fleet that floats that could do that, for it would
be next to impossible to get at them from the
water. The approach to tho city from the
Sound Is still easier to guard. There arc de-
fences there now that could probably hold Off
any feet When these dcfences are all com
peted they will certainly be able to hold off any
acct
This paragraph quote from the statement of
Admiral Jouett is the meat of the whole state
mcnt. 1t is unnecessary to show further tho
weakness OF his alleged statement. II other
American cities were well guarded as New
York, The country would indeed have little to
fear. When New York s dcfcnccs are n complete
as they are contemplated she will certainly be
invulnerablc SO far as attacks from foreign fleets
are concerned. IL indeed she is not now. A look
at the defences now existing would convince
any one. 1t might pay Admiral Jouett to visit
them and inspect them before he makes any
more statements concerning the possible reduc-
tion of the city. Yours very truly,
A MAN WHO HAS SEEN THEM.
NEW YORK. Nov. H. 1897.