The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-23
HAvANA'S DEFENSES.
WHAT AN ATTACKING FORCE
WOULD HAVE TO OVERCOME.
Lots of Guns FrOwn From Ancient
FOrtifications, But Most of Them as
Harmless Against Modern ships as
Classical Catapau1ts-Ther Are
Two Enormous and Effective
Krupps, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
Mfuea

Two Enormous and Effective
Krupps, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
Mines.
From the New York Sun.
To obtain clear idea of the possibilities
of the defense of Havana against attack
by land and sea, it is necessary to under
stand the topography of the city and har-
Dor, and to realize distinctly that the re-
6uction of the place is by no means pred
icated on the entrance Of the fleet into the
port. In the old days, 1t is true. Havana
was almost impregnable, the MORO, La
Cabana and the ancient Castillo de la
Punta, opposite the MORO, defending it
absolutely from sea attack, while the an
Gent walls of the city made it secure
against assault by land. Now all is chang
ed, for the city long ago outgrew the an
cient circumvallation and now extends
miles beyond it, both inland and along the
shore to tho westward of the harbor
mouth. In al word, the modern city of
Havana lies broad on. the sea, just as Long
Branch does, and the harbor, the posses
sion of which was formerly indispensable
lists on a sort of pocket or arm of the sea
running in behind the city. A fleet lying
off shore at distance Of three or four
miles can hold the entire city under the
fire of its guns without other risk than
that which is involved in receiving the
fire of the few modern batteries which at
long intervals line the sea front of the
town.
BY a night bombardment two or three
ships, the range for which could only be
guessed at by the batteries, could lay the
whole place in ruins before morning, with
the minimum amount of danger
It can, however, be fairly assumed that
Il will be no purpose Of our fleet 20 destroy
Havana. AS an eminent naval officer, VINO
recently examined the defenses, put it,:
''We don't want TO destroy the properly"
There are easier ways of reducing i4a-
Yana than that. We no longer have before
us the formidable task triumphantly ac-
complished by the British $50 years ago
who, finding the harbor impregnaole,
landed six miles to the eastward of the
Moro and took the castle by assault
The modern defenses of Havana. with
the exception of torpedoes, which. as will
be shown. cut but a small figure in tha.
problem or attack, have been erected on
the seacoast eastward and westward Of
the mouth of the haroor.
TO the eastward the first position that
demands attention is an outwork of MORO
castle. called Battery Velasco, which
mounts three heavy Krupp guns of an Oh.
solete type, and three 9-inch American
Parrot muzzle leaders, guns of the style
that became obsolete twenty-five years
ago.
These are mounted behind masonry and
offer no obstacles 10 the attack Of even un-
armored ships. On the harbor front % the
MORO Is a water battery mounting en-
barbette five ancient cast-iron muzzic-
leaders, formidable enough to the eyes OF
the tourist entering the harbor but as
valueless in a military sense as so many
classical catapults.
About a mile TO the eastward Of the
MORO stands the only approach TO for
mldable modern work, which Is called the
Playa del Chivo battery. 1t mounts two
enormous 12-inch Krupps of the very lat
est type, two or three small mortars and
Two G-pound rapid-fire guns.
These are apparently designed to prevent
boat from landing in singular oblivion
of the fact that the rocky shores upon
which surf beats incessantly, is Of such
a character as to absolutely preclude a
possibility Of landing troops anywhere be-