The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-22
NEW COAST DEFENSES
CAPT. TOWNSHEND ON LONG ISLAND
 SOUND QUALIFICATIONS.

just returned from visit to the Naval Reserves at Fishers Island Captain Townshend spoke very entertainingly last evening to Journal and Courier reporter of the Reserves and their camp life, as well as the new line of coast defences at the entrance to Long Island sound. The captain is well quail flied to speak of the naval improve ments from his long experience and his intense interest in all that pertains to coast defences. He was a pioneer pro moter of Notifications on the islands In commanding situations in the sound, foreseeing the trend of international af- fairs and the value of being ready to defend New York and cities along Long Island sound.
 Captain Townshend said that the sys- tenn of Notifications now under con- struction will probably be one Of the strongest stations in the world. And the importance of it cannot be overes- timated when 1t is taken into consid- eration that within the next one hun dred years there will be at least ten million people living around Long ls- land sound taking as basis of calcu- 1 lation the increase of population Of the cities around the sound. The fortifica- tions at Sandy Hook cost fully 30O0,00O, and are inadequate at that. The gov ernment proposes to expend about $lO,- 100000 on the sound entrance works.
 It Is always well for the engineers to l have their plans ready to be carried into execution, but they cannot do their best unless they know that they have authority to do more than get up plans on paper. By stirring them up the last few years they have been shaken out of their remissness, and, with Congress- man Sperry's loyal and able effort, they have got congress to pass the necessary bills.
 1 The Naval Reserves will have a. bet | ter chance to comprehend the magni- tude and meaning of government en- gineering enterprises for having been | at Fishers Island, because in plain sight from their camp are the fortifica- tions now in the course of construction on Great Gull Island. The work was commenced last spring and Is being pushed very rapidly. The line of der ricks on the island as seen from the Reserves camp marks out the propor- tions of what will some day be a great stronghold.
 Lieutenant J. w. Borden, United States Engineers, assistant to Major Smith s. Leach, United States Engin- eers, is authority for the statement that the original plans for the fortifi- cations at the east entrance have been ~1,< z carrying the work on to still grander scale.
 The government has already begun condemnation proceedings to secure 250 acres at the southwest corner of Fish CTS Island. There will be erected a battery. On Bartlett Reef, in Connec- ticut waters opposite New London, a heavy battery will be built, and very heavy batteries will sweep the waters from Plum Island and the north point of Gardner's Island, as we'll as Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
 Nor will the defences be confined to guns mounted and masked, but long line of torpedo mines will be sunk along the whole line. The locations of these mines are of course kept secret by the navy department. It was at first pro- posed to put up plated forts on Little Gull Island and Race Rock, but that plan has been abandoned.
 Scarcely three weeks ago Major Leach of the Engineer corps was au- thorized by the navy department to publish proposals for building gun em- placements and a mining casemate on Plum Island, New York The bids are to be opened July 28 1897
 The description offered prospective bidders states that Plum Island Is about one hundred and fifty acres in area; that the soil Is light and porous, and contains medium and large boul- ders, scattered over the surface The government is anxious to hurry the work at this island also, and therefore will permit the contractor to carry on the work at night as we'll as days. Ac- tual work must commence within thir- ty days after notice of award of con- tract, and the work must be prosecut- ed continuously as long as the season permits. Resuming at the earlist prac- ticable date In the spring, the entire contract must be completed before June 30, 1898.
 Captain Townshend was very fnthu- siastic about the personnel of the re- serves. He declared that the officers were gentlemen who were so we'll quail fled that they left nothing to be de- sired. As civilian it was his privi- lege to introduce the naval reserve off, ficers to the officers of the battleship Maine. He was thus in a position to speak of them in a way that none of their number could The whole bat. talion is being most happily entertain ed by the officers of the Maine.
 Captain Sigsby is in command of the Maine. He was for many years con- 1; nected with the government coast sur vey and previous to his present con- mand was chief of the Photographic bureau at Washington. He is noted also as an inventor.
 German nobleman, Count vou 1 Gretzen, who is connected with the German embassy, was for the past few days the guest of Commander Buck land. He is greatly interested and pleased with the Connecticut naval re- serve boys.
 l Several valuable lectures have beer tdelivered to the reserves by the officers of the Maine The Whitehead torpedo was taken apart and explained by Lieutenant Holman, U. S. N, the ships navigator Another lecture was oivar