The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-26
COAST DEFENSE PLANS
Chief of Engineers Wilson
Tells What is Doing
AND WHAT IT WILL COST
Submits Estimates on River
and Harbor Work.

Of Brigadier General John NJ Wilson
chief of engineers L. s. A. has been
made 70 the secretary OF war In conss-
quence of the war with Spain that por-
ton OF the report relating 70 torti1ica-
tons is most interesting. Upon this point
General Wilson says:
During the fiscal year projects OF per-
nanent seacoast defenses were prepared
and approved by the secretary OF war.
for Port Royal. 8. c.; ST. Johns River.
Fla; Tampa, Fla. and Sabine Pass Tex,
making thirtes localities in the United
States for which projects Of permanent
defenses have thus far been approved IN
der the general scheme recommended in
1856 by the Endicott board At the close
OF the fiscal year the construction of per-
manent modern defensive works was in
progress at % localities,
In consequence OF the war with Spain
and the possi oilities OF hostile attacks up
on our coasts, urgent and pressing de-
Tnands were made by senators. represen-
/ tatives and local business men for uhe
| immediate erection OF seacoast batteries
/ az numerous points not contempt ated in
the general scheme Of national defense.
/ In the absence of any available modern
| armament, the secretary Of war Greeted
| the immediate construction OF temporary
batteries. mounting Old style armament
and siege guns. for the defense OF a num-
Der of exposed localities. including some
which are embraced in the scheme of
! national defense. The localities at which
/ temporary batteries were ordered, are
| Bar Harbor. Mo-; Stonington. Bridgeport
and New Haven. Conn; Port Royal and
! Georgetown. S. c.; Brunswick and Daren,
/ Ga; Mouth of S.. Johns river. St Au-
| gustine. Miami and Tampa, Fla. and Sa-
| bine Pass. Tex. In addition to the forego-
ing temporary batteries. preparations
were made against possible hostile at
tacis, by overhauling. cleaning and put
| ting in serviceable condition the existing
armament and by temporarily mounting
within them additional guns. al the follow
ing old-type works: Fort Knox, Fort
Popham. Fort Trumbull. oFrt Monroe.
Fort Macon. Fort Pulaski. Fort Clinch,
in San Francisco bay
while no hostile attacks were made
upon our coasts during the war with
Spain, the operations of the American
fleet on the coasts of Cuba and Porto Rico
coast defenses. including shore batteries
and submarine mines in resisting naval at
lacks. 1t may be confidently asserted that
the completion of the projects upon which /
operations are now in progress will prac- I
tically insure the safety of our principal I
harbors and seacoast cities against any at I
lacks from the sea.
'one other important deduction may al /
en- Ia lrayx fr~.r, H.
viz: The great value and efficiency OF the
rapid-hre gun. Il is gratifying to report
that not only mas a considerable number
of these rapid-fre guns been mounted
during the year but that provision has
been made for tho manufacture and en-
placing of a large additional number.
Existing projects for seacoast defenses
contemplate the emplacement Of about 500
heavy guns Of g. 10. u and "A inches cali
bre; OF about 700 rapid-fre guns Of var
ious calibre and OF about 1000 nortars
These figures are subject to slight chan
ges as miner revisions are made and add
tional locations included. The estimated
approximate cost Of the engineering work
connected with the installation OF this ar
mament is so OG0
RIVER AND HARBOR ESTIMATES
Detailed estimates for next years river
and haTbor work include the following:
Bayou Placquemine. Grand River and
Bayou. La. $4,000; mouth and passes Of
CaIcasiou river. La. 800. 90 Sabine Pass
harbor. Texas, $500 90: Galveston harbor.
Texas. $1,000; Red River. Louisiana and
Arkansas. 80 IN; Ouachta and Black
Rivers. Arkansas and Louisiana. 80. co0:
mouth OF the Yazoo river and harbor a.
Vicksburg. 500 90: Arkansas river. Ark,
81 20: Mississippi river between OHIO and
Missouri river. 800 233. Mississippi river.
between Missouri and s.. Paul s52s. ssG:
Miss. ssippi river. between s. Paul and
Minnes polls. tgs7 357; reservoir. at head
waters o: Mississippi river $40 %: Ms
souri, river above Sioux cry. Iowa go
90; Upper Missouri. snagging operations.
80 ~; Cumberland river. Tennessee. and
Kentucky below Nashville. 500 -: Cum
berlaud river above Nashville. gcoJo;
Tennessee river above Ctattanooga 81. 90;
Tennessee river below Cna--zuooza sIo9.-
o09; Falls OF OHIO Rive- Louisville. Ky,
ss9 %; Green river. Ky. 81 -: Ke.tucky
river. Ky. t50o.r9: Ohio river. from PITTS
burg % It's mouth. 80 90; movable dams.
Nos . ; 4. : and 6. Ohio river. ~. 90:
Monongahela river. y. Va. ~ 90: Az
6E1 Bay llaEolE- y .ll-l-s AIfFfl- AZ
Duluth. AInn.. and Superior. WIS. s58.-
CO... Ashland zzrbo-. Wis 81 -: water
way across Keweeraw Point. Mo-. -
90. Marquette haTb7-. Mica 81 Ji5- har-
Dor Of Refuge. 3farq1efte Mich. 80 b..
aarbor q refuge Grand Mars. Ma. t-1-
90; Sturgeon Fay and LAKE, NlchlFan ca
nzi. Wis ~ 0os. harbor q refuge. MI
wauksa VS.. 81 90. Fox river. WIs.. Ea.-
pps- Ctst-sEo harb3-. -. 90. Calumet har-
b3r. III So 81: Calumet river. I3.ngss
and Indiana SO 90, Illzos rivsr TO 90:
Illinois ard M.sslaEi17. canal 2 81 "a.
=. -al, gar na-5a- I-f. 3 -. - joseph
hz~bor. Nich-. 3 ad1- Kalamazoo river.
NIca. 81 80. Gre-5 r-Ter. Mic-. 500 90.
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refuge Sad Esaca. 1sra. Sc -. De-
.-oI- -lver Ma JS 80. ToleIo ts-sa-,
ohso. 81 90 SarSuslgy ca-as- Ciass SO
6s- Cleveland ta-brr Oas8 $50 GO. Fsir-
7o-- tsrbo-. Os5o. - 90 AEsatsal.a Aar-
Dor. Ohte $40 so. Cauzeaur Ear5o-. o.
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r So 90 oe~-Eo 1s-ser X g. = 30
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Fsa-zs- rgrs-s Cs8 = t51-5os9t
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- 90; Cos ~ Ard 1are7r ors 10 %.
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