The sun., 1897-02-14
TO DEFEND WASHINGTON.
MOD ERN FORTR EssEs TWELVE
NILES DOWN 7HE POTOMAC.


Array omcers witsrs- th~ Firine OF the
First Great Modern Gun Mouuted On the
Hiver-The StrenEth of tho Defeuces-
WASHINGTON, Fob. 13.-For the first time
since the civil war guns mounted on tho do
fences OF old Fort Washington. which was sup
posed TO guard the national capital against sea at
tack. sounded to-day as three shots from modern
steel eight-inch guns swept six miles no the Po-
tomao River toward the city and dropped In 10 the
water Just little short of the sleepy old town Of
Alexandria. Fort Washington, twelve miles
below Washington, some timo after the war
was abandoned as fort, and since then has
been in charge Of an orderly sergeant; but in
the past i've years the authorities have
been expending thousands OF dollars con-
verting IL into modern fortress, and
within Q very short time there will be such
. formidable array OF guns and mortar bat
tories thcro that no fleet entering tho river
could ever got above IT, The new emplacements.
whore eight and ten inch guns are to be placed.
Is on high bluff where the river makes q turn.
Opposite, and not over mile distant, will be
Fort Sheridan. which will be supplemental to
the main defences. Here tho channel 10 not
over 800 yards wide. and already there 10 a tor
podo system ready to effectually prevent the
passage Of any ships.
Few people outside the authorities know until
to-day that the national capital would be- the
frst city In the country adequately protected.
so careful have the experts been not TO
let tho extent or the character Of the for
tlhcations become = subject OF public no.
tice. They were fearful that IL too much
publicity was given foreign army and naval
attaches in Washington might learn secrets
that military men prefer should not get Tn
than. Secretary Lamont decided To sive a
nr.ctic., demonstration of tho s,repgth Of
tho d..snoo. and inx,,.d leading nam
her. NJ tho senat. and Hon,e Military
A6airs Committed. and IN. promIpen, of,o,.l.
Of thu War Dep.rtment Tn vi,ne.s TODAY thu
sr,no NJ tho nrst gre.t modern run moun,ed on
tho Potomso River. Tbese pubIio man with n
SIR. r,norter and a b.ttery Of artlllervmsn
frum the b.adounrter. here. watched tbree
sbots discharged with the oharres that would
he u.ed In aetna, bat,ls and ob.erv.d tbs ner-
-. -. s,.s
ieot manno' IN "nioh tho gun ussppeArou aiter
osoh shot ana SANK oack QUICKLY on nu Gar,
,.". ~, .,..,,u a., - - s,r 90. 4.
nature, put SIMPLY 70 'ho" no" . o'e gun 10
iho', VINO went down .ne y, river % BESIDES Ss' 500.
OF tho senate Military Committee; Senators
| Elkin. G.iiinucr and sboup. Gen. Tracy of
tho House: Gen. Fiasier. Chief Of Ordnance;
Gen. Wilson, Chief OF Engineers; Cong gressmAn
Reyburn' and dozen army experts. including
Capt Crozicr, tho Inventor of the gun carriage.
Empiacements have already been completed
for three s-inoh guns and those Tor two other:
are In course OF construction in tho rear and
- =, az. 80. .h.nn., ..n y. "a O.
rsnRe o. tno en'n' eaennoi eau 20 hsu. oo
ing tho guns that there has been no necessity to
construct, the emplacements so powerfully as At
other posts. but, nevertheless. seventy feet of
| concrete and earth arc between the guns and
the ou,.r hant
Every gun whom In action will probably bc 200
feet above tho water. and command not only q
sweep Of twelve miles down the river. but the
entire channel up to the city. eight miles away.
On the opposite shore WIN % FOR. sheridan,
s ,hr.. .ish,. Toy, wa,s,nston,. bait batter ~ when
when are now in place. and capable. it is be.
batteries we'll protected under the fort BY
sos sSs' W Ss On on ssncs ssa viii =.
| completed, except those on the shore opposite
sd Ss and I sabmasne pe, az Il
is believed even now that no a0et GOULD possi bly,
Eet Iy. 4. the guns are so placed that they can.
way they could be taxen would be by rear At
tack, which has been provided against BY
To-day the frst gun secured In position was
| fred TO show how easy IL would be TO hit .
Vessel six mile. distant and with what ease aud
rnpidty this great gun could be loaded and fred.
The record At sandy Hook is ten shots 10 four;
h %s sSS;
Sred ia remarEsbiy short lime. and every pro.
jectile fell within 100 feet of where 1t was aimed
nance oficer. who remembered th, sir eI-
perience in accidentally sinking . coal
by the shells denec,inx from a ssnd bank.
| thought II strange that In a narrow river. with