The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04
MORE SOLDIERS WANTED.
Big Guns Dot the Coast without The
Men TO Handle Them.
WHAT HAS BEEN D0NEIN THE wAy
OF NATIONAL DEFENCE.

We Have the Modern Appliances but Lack
the Trained Troops-The Artiilervman
of Today must be a Scientist on ST., :,
Month-He IsJus now Sea- ce Article.
Uncle Sam has spent $26, 900, 900 upon
modern Notifications for the coasts, and
to complete the scheme of defence will
spend twice as much more, says the New
York Press. Yet he has not enough artil-
lerymen to give, when all is finished, one
gunner to each gun; nor has he enough
men to enable him to assign more than
two to take care of each 100000 gun,
which is the average cost of the guns. If
the entire United States army were con.
verified into artillery, and then doubled,
there would not be enough efficient gun
ners to furnish one relief for the |, 900 guns
provided for in the coast defence plans,
and in time of war these reliefs are re-
quired.
What is our modern scheme of coast
defence? 1t is to defend couple of dozen
harhors in this manner: To group at
over ITO points in these harbors more
than 500 highpower guns, 600 twelve inch
mortars, and 800 rapid-fire guns. Appro-
priations have been made for over $50
high power guns and rs many mortars,
and one-half of these will be in position
by next Fourth of July The scheme of
coast defense also calls for 5000 sub1na.
rine mines, but as this work falls to the
engineer corps, its discussion is foreign to
that of the artillery.
These are the ports which it is proposed
to protect:
WHERE THE NEW FORTS ARE.
Mouth of the Penobscot Maine. Ban
gor. population 20, 900, is on this river.
Mouth of the ,Kennebec, Maine Au-
gusta, capital of the state, is on this
river,
Portland, Maine. New forts at Port.
land Head and at Great Diamond island.
Fort Preble, at Portland, is now garri-
soned by one battery. The two new forts
will be ready for troops by next New
Years
Portsmouth, N. H., where the govern
ment has navy yard. The new fortified {.
ton. Fort Constitution, will be ready for
a garrison by New Years.
Boston; new forts at Growers cliff, on
Paddock's island, and at Long Island
head, which will be ready for troops by
New Years. Fort Warren, in Boston
no, ic orx,icO ,a1 1x-&
les.
New Bedford, Mass.
Narragansett bay, new fort on Dutch
| island ready for troops New Years Fort
Adams, up the bay at Newport, is now
garrisoned by four batteries.
New York, eastern end of the sound ;
new forts at Great Gull island and at
Plum island, will be ready for troops New
Years. Western end of the sound. at
Willet's point and Fort SIocum, on
David's island, and Fort Schuyler. Three
companies of engineers and five batteries
garrison these three points now. New
York bay, at Forts Wadsworth and HAM
ilton and Fort Hancock, on Sandy Hook.
Five batteries now garrison Wadsworth
and Hamilton. Fort Hancock, the new
fertilization, will be ready for garrison
by New Years.
Philadelphia, new fort at Firms point,
which will be ready for troops by New
Years.
Baltimore, new forts at North point
and at Hawkins point, which will be
ready for garrisoning New Years. Three
batteries are at Fort McHenry at Balti-
more now.
Washington-New fort at Sheridan
point, will be ready for occupancy New
Years. AT Washington barracks and at
Fort Washington, below the city, are now
five batteries.
Hampden Roads-Eight batteries now
garrison Fort Monroe.
Wilmington, N. C.-New fortiffoation
at Fort Caswell Will be ready for garrt-
son by New Years.
Charleston, S. C.-New fertilization on
the site of Fort Sumter will be ready for
troops New Years.
island will be ready for troops by New
Years.
Key West, Fla.-Now garrisoned at
Key West barracks by two batteries.
Pensacola-Garrisoned now at Fort
Barrancas by two batteries.
Mobile-N New fertilization at Fort Nor
gan will be ready for troops on New
Years.
New Orleans-New Notifications at
Fort st. Philip will be ready for troops
on Jan /. Jackson barracks at New
Orleans are now garrisoned by two bat
teries.
Galveston, Texas-New fertilization at
Fort Point will be ready for troops New
Years.
San Diego, CaI.-New fort at Ballast
point will be ready for troops New Years.
San Franoisco-New fertilization at
Fort Baker on Lime point will be ready
for troops New Years Four forts In San
Francisco harbor are now garrisoned by
ten batteries.
Mouth of the Columbia River Nav