The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-30
LIEUT.. w. It. JOHNSON, WHO HAS
FINISHED A DETAIL AT>THE
TORPEDO SCHOOL,
TELLS WHAT is BEING DONE.
NEW YORK HARBOR IS FILLED
WITH TORPEDO MINES AS
PROTECTION.
FOREIGN SHIPS COULDN'T GET IN.
Activity in the Navy for Three
MOnths-A New Disappearing
Gun.

present system Of torpedo defense we
could close New York harbor so that it
would be impossible for a foreign vessel
to get within twenty-five miles of
Greater New York, without being
blown beyond the ocean deep said
Lieut.. w. T. Johnson yesterday after
noon to a. G. b reporter at the Mer-
chants hotel. Lieut.. Johnson has just
finished a years detail at the govern
ment torpedo school at Willett's point
in New York harbor, and is one of the
twelve officers who were selected last
year by the war department to be In
structed in the manipulation OF the tor
pedo mines which the government has
recently established in many of the At
lantic coast harbors. He is on his way
to Fort Assinaboine, where he will join
his regiment, the Tenth cavalry.
1.-The government spent S10.0ooooo
last year" continued Lieut.. Johnson.
land nearly as much the year before
and although the work of improving
our harbors Is necessarily slow, 1t has
been gradually reaching perfection,
and 1 do not think our torpedo sys-
tenn is equalled by any in the world.
All this talk about a foreign power
being able to shell New York city. be-
fore the war department would De
able to do anything, is bosh. Inc de-
tails of the mines are necessarily Sc
cret. but our harbor defense is mucn
better than many people suppose. Inc
mines in a number of the big harpors
are already in the water. Ihey can
be located in very short notice. Ihey
are exploded by electricity, so that our
vessels could pass out in safety, ana
ez.o;-, eI,i, oonld rOSSiDle enter.
All nations have torpedo destroying
boats. but the government had Wen
provided against this. They nave SIT
mated in the harbor of New YORK ana
other places, where the mines nave
heen located, batteries. which cover
these mines. with 100ton guns Onaer
the circumstances it would be next 10
impossible for a single ship or or any
number of them to get WITHIN nilhs
distance of New York. One OF tnese
battery posts is situated out III inc
ocean twenty miles, ana covers any
thing in sight with its huge guns.
There has been considerable activity
IN the navy for three months past, ana
on short notice the United states
would be on war footing. For the past
month the navy has been in hgntlnS
order. although they had not war
supnly of ammunition. up to very
short time ago. contract was let
last month for a large supply. Inc
contract has a six months clause anu
q proyiso that in case the ammunition
was needed it would be READY LOT ue-
livery at the navy yards on short no
tice.
"a recent acquisition to the ordnance
department is what is known as the
burlington Cosier, disappearing gun. IL
is the invention Of an army ofhcer, ana
several of them have been made In the
East. The first one was tried JUST De-
fore 7 left. at Sandy Hook, and founo
RI he satisfactory. The gun Is hidden
behind the concrete formation OF the
forts and Is there loaded. When reaoy
for firing 1t is raised to point lnol-
Gated by the man who takes the ann
through a separate apparatus. me
recoil of the gun upon discharge senos
II backwards to it's position behind the
breast-works 1t is quite remarkable
how this heavy gun will slip back
easily into it's place. Under this ar
rangement the gun stands little chance
of injury, only during the few minutes
it is exposed for firing.
s'The United Rates government has
not been asleep, as many people sup
pose. as to the needs of an adequate
coast defnese. Congress has not been
urmindful OIL the ldcl lEdl VIC no.
some of the strongest positions In the
world. which with little Improvement
would be proof against the attacks OF
an enemy. New Workers have no doubt
had something to do with the large ap-
nrcnriations which congress has made
during the last two years for TINS pur-
rose. Congress has been asked for sl3,--
00O, 900 by the war department for coast
defense this year and they Will prooa-
bly get $4,000, 600, which is AL they
could conveniently use with their pre-
sent force.
"The question of the United States
manufacturing it's own armor plate
will come up before next congress, but
II ia not probable that they will do any
thing along this line, as they have not
work enough to keep plant gong, as
two warships a year Is about what we
have averaged during late years. and
the arrnor plate for two ships Wouio
not begin to keep one Of those DIG
fc,1ndries busy. 1t seems to me much
more advantageous for theUnited States
to purchase their plate from private
concerns, as the labor in this line Is
very expensive and they get the ar
NOR Mate at a very reasonable figure.
Tn case of war all the officers In the
country who have served detail at
the Willett's point school would De sent
East to engage in harbor maneuVers.
ELECTED IT'S OFFICERS.