Arizona republican., 1898-04-26
FORT MONROE'S DEFENSES.
The Old Ordnance Supplanted by Mod
 ern High Power Guns.

Fort Monroe, Va, April 25.-Col. Hughes of the war department, Wash ington, has visited this place. and in company with Col. Frank and Col. De Marelly, made a thorough inspection of this important outpost for the de lenses of Washington and Baltimore.
 While each of the officers named de- clined to give any information for pub lication, it was learned that Col. Hughes is entirely satisfied with the progress that is being made toward rendering Fort Monroe lmpregnable against any hostile fest.
 Some time was spent in examining the new defenses at Buckroe Beach piece of thickly wooded ground about one and one-half miles north ot the fort, and in inspecting the exten- sive system of mines which has been and is being placed in the harbor be- tween capes Charles and Henry. Work on the latter means of defense is conducted with the utmost secrecy and no one except those actually en- gagged in it and a few officers of the rank of captain and above is permitted to learn anything whatever about it, and all are pledged to give no informa- tion whatever to inquirers.
 At Buckroe Beach, where a large number of men are engaged in plant ing heavy mortars and disappearing guns, there is almost completed what will be one of the most powerful fort resses along the Atlantic coast, and every man who is expected to operate the guns is confident that no Spanish fleet can get beyond the range of their fire, any one of which is effective at ten miles.
 Besides this, the cid fashioned guns on the parapet are being rapidly re- placed with S-inch converted rifles, and rapid-fire guns are being mounted wherever it is deemed they can be made to perform good service, if the time arrives for so doing. It is be- lieyed the latter will be certain pro- lection against the swift and suppos- edly dangerous little torpedo beats, which are reputed to have sufficient speed to enable them to elude the more dliberate fire of the big guns. The new guns will be mounted on the upper ramparts, facing both Hampton Roads and Chesapeake bay.
 The mines above referred to will, when completed, command every foot of water over which a hostile feet go- ing north would have to pass. From the two mining easements at the fort, cables now run out to the expanse of water between the horseshoe and the fort, and other cables extend across the entrance to Hampton Roads. These cables are attached to submarine mines, which are of themselves almost suf- infn Ln Orf
 The officers at the fort express the utmost confidence il the ability Of the guns at their command to repulse a hostile fleet.
 There are, however, hundreds of persons in this vicinity, and among them many who compose the garrison at Fort Monroe, who say they do not believe that the Spaniards will ever get near enough to attack the fort. It is their belief that the flying squad ron is being held by the government in Hampton Roads for the purpose of taking care of any hostile fleet whose commander might take it into his head to try the capture Of Washington or Baltimore.
 The utmost energy is being dis played in the Norfolk navy yard and Newport News ship yards in prepar- ing ships for war but nowhere is there undue excitement.