New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-22
GUARDING THE BIG CITY.
GREATER NETWORK NEED FEAR NO
ATTACK BY SEA.

pnoaNYes on THE SYSTEM OF MODERN F"hin'
cAroNs COMMANDING THE APPROACHES
FROM THE OCEAN AND THE SOUND
REVIEWED BY GENERAL VII
soN-HARBoR IMPROVE
MESrs PLANNED
ny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Oct 21.-Progress on the ap'
nroved projects for the defence OF the oled.e'
NAw.York against warlike invasion ana lo' To-
c,utstinr the peaceful use CT Its haroor o'
the fleets Of commerce constitutes the Inos' III.
+eresting portion Of the first annual report %
General Wilson, the Chief Of Engineers Oh ii'e
Army under whose supervision these Wofhs
are prosecuted. While the improvements u ''@
channels from the ocean and neignoorine "atei9
involve much larger expenditures ana 'd"''
than the perfectng Of fortifcations. the deiehc"'
less condition Of this harbor against lore's"
attack up 10 the last year has centereo gene
al curiosity on the plans for giving iee"h!
OF comparative security 10 the vast "eai'n 90
the METROPOLIS and no little satisfaction VIII
be secured from the achievements WIZ" ~"
been made In the year Just ended
The existing forts around NewYork twenty
years ago were formidable enough IN their oa!'
hut with the great range Of the modern hish
n,
defensive lines further seward. and all the
older batteries have been practically suppan'e"
today by an outer chain OF practlcany III
visible fort. Of relatively enormous destructive
canacity. The huge masonry structures PIC
turesoue and inspiring and familiar to all New
Workers. "a we'll as TO every allen VINO enters
thu harbor. have been turned to other uses anu
the powerful guns on which the Army rehes u
nrevent a hostile invasion from the sea drc
to-day hidden from sight At SANDY HOOK anu
other places out OF the enemys View
NOTIFICATIONS AT IIARBoR ENTRANCES
Az the close Of the last fiscal year the mooerh
asrsnces NJ the southern entrance 10 New-1or1
usrhor m Sandy Hook ana Long Island COLI
s,st. NJ q mortar battery FOR sixteen twelve
inch uortars two emplacements for tWeINe-
inch rifles on lifts one emplacement for a ten
,nch rifle ON disappearing gun carriage. and
two classmates for sx-pounder rapid-hre guns
These were all completed and armed except the
@s,.ineh enplacemrt and the rapid-fre case
mates During the year four emplacements TOT
tAn.inch rifles and two classmates Tor SIX
nnunAer ra pid- FIRE guns were begun with luh's
prnrn the act Of June &, 1896 AT the close OF
TIA wear these had all been completed except
noA,ntine A portion OF the armament ohoe'
authority granted 10 the Secretary or 3" ar ny
IN. act of June 6. 1906. contract was en-
tered into for constructing three empiacemeh's
FOR ten.inch guns on disappearing carriages. 10
b> completed November l, 1897. The progress
,nada has been slow and unsatisfactory. General
wilson says With funds appropriated by the
..t NJ March g. 1907, the construction OF two
emplacenents for tweve-nch guns and or one
ennp,acement for ten-inch gun was begun
AZ the eastern entrance Of the harbor. Beyond
Hall Gate. work was begun on two emplace-
rnsnts for ten-inch guns on disappearing car
RACES A. the close Of the year these emplace-
rnAnts were ready for their armament and Wen
advanced toward completion. With fnnos AL
lotted by the act OF March 8 1871 work was
begun on one enplacement for tweiVe-hcn
gun on disappearing carriage one empisce'
,nent for an eight-nch gun on disappearing
c,rr,ase and eight platforms for t~eive-nch
noortars At the close of The year work had
b..n begun on these cnplacements and plat
forms In addition TO the new work begun dur
ing the wear the modern defences include a
mortar battery for sixteen twelve.inch mortars
and empIaeements for two ten.inch and one
o,cht-ineh gun on disappearing carriages. which
are essentially completed and armed, except the
eight-inch emplscemsnt, for which no gun or
carriage had been received.
On staten Island the construction OF four en-
placements for ten-inch guns on disappearing
carriages was begun. and at the close OF Inc
fiscal year these snnplacements were essentiaiiy
completed and awaiting their armament. The
emplacements for Ave eight-!nch guns on dis
anpearjpg carriages were completed IN ell de-
tails.
AT THE EASTERN ENTRANCE OF THE
SOUND
n Was not until the last year that the more
pressing emergency work In the immediate 81
entity of New-York had made sufficient progress
20 permit the engineers to turn their attention
20 a vital feature in the general defence scheme
that Of guarding the eastern entrance Of Long
Island Sound in order 10 delay or prevent the
admission of hostile vessels into the Sound
Last winter q project for the defence or tins
locality received the approval of the Secretary
Of War. and contract was entered into foi
thu construction of two emplaeements fo
twelve.inch guns on disappearing carriages
Work was begun In March. 1897. and has pro
ceeded in q satisfactory manner. Negotiat ton
for the purchase Of needed sites were carried
on during the year, and one site secured. Or
this will be constructed a battery for two ten
inch guns on disappearing carriages. 10 be bull
by contract, ana q mining casernatc Plans snt
spseitcations for these works have been pre-
pared and advertised.
More precise details regarding the new fortih
cations sre not divuleed by the authorities. ant
recently as the works have neared completion
most stringent regulations are being enforce
20 prevent the leaking out OF information
desired BY foreign governments. This is par
ticularly the case in the matter of subms rim
mines, with which the approaches 10 New-l orr
are well-kncwn to be thoroughly protected Til
method OF lettering an enemy from runnin
past the land batteries by torpedoes electrical
Ia a. ShC
carried nearly 20 perfection all around View
York.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS
Fer the improvement, Of the rivers and hslbor
contiguous 10 New.York General Wilson ask
Congress to Appropriate at the next session 81