Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-11
Troops to Be Sent at Once to New
Coast Defenses.
MEN ORDERED TO SHERIDAN POINT
Measure for Better Protection of
Washington.
AFTER RAPID FIRE GUNS


lshed Notifications on the Atlantic coast
from Boston as far down as Galveston on
the gulf. They include the organization
of the two new artillery regiments. Nos.
and Z, authorized by recent act of Con-
gress. The 9th Regiment will have its
headquarters at Fort Slocum, n. Y, and
the 9TH Regiment its headquarters at Fort
McHenry, Md. Col. Williston Just pro-
NOTED, will have command of the 9Th Reg
iment. and Colonel Sinclair, just promoted,
has been assigned to the command of the
18th. The location of these two regiments
at the points indicated will necessitate the
transfer of the artillerymen now occupy
ing those garrisons to other places. Bat
teries B and C of the 5th Artillery are at
Fort Slccum. and Batteries C and D of
tie 4th Artillery are at Fort McHenry.
In organizing the new regiments six men
will be taken from each of the batteries
new in service, so that each Of the new
batteries will have at the rate Of fifteen
experienced artillerymen.
Movement In Forty-Eight Hours.
The orders for the manning of the new
batteries demand the utmost promptness
in their execution, and it is expected that
the movements of the troops to the various
places assigned them will begin within
the next forty-eight hours. Inasmuch as
the new fortifcations not provided
with either quarters barracks, it will
be necessary for the troops ordered to them
TO go into camp and live just as they
would in case of active military opera
tions against enemy.
The new fortifications Long Island
lead, at the entrance to the harbor of
Boston, will be guarded by a battery of
the I'd Artillery, now at Fort Adams, r.
l. 10 of I,a
Sandy Hook, New York harbor, two bat
teries now at Fort Slocum, ore at Fort
Hamilton and another at Fort Wadswor,h
VIII be utilized. 1t is expected that the
Sandy Hook garrison will be established at
once.
Fort Monroe, Va. is probably the strong
est and best equipped station on the At
lantic coast. and the garrison there will
be called upon to supply men for other
fcrtifiCations, but not to an extent that
will weaken its own efficiency. One bat
terry of the 1st Artillery at Fcrt Monroe
will be transferred to Fort Morgan Ala
which, in conjunction with Fcrt Gains
commands the entrance to Mobile bay
Another battery of the 1st Artillery will
be sent to Tybee Island. Ca, for the pro-
lection of the mouth of the Savannah
river.
The garrison headquarters, band and
one battery of the 1st Artillery stationed
at St Francis barracks, St. Augustine
Fla, will be transferred to duty at Suli-
vans Island, Charleston harbor. The gar
rison at st. Francis barracks will be
abandoned. Battery 1 of the I'd Artillery
will be assigned to duty at Fort Caswell
opposite Smith Island, near Wilmington,
N. c.
Ordered to Sheridan Point
For the better protection Of the national
capital, one battery of the 4th Artillery at
Fort Monroe has been ordered to Sheridan
Point. Va This fort is nearly opposite
Fort Washington, and in come ction with
II commands the approach to Washington
by water. The batteries of the 4th Ardl-
lery. stationed at Fort McHenry, near
Baltimore, will he distributed between Fort
Delaware and Fort Mott, n. j., thus pro-
viding for the protection of Philadelphia,
Trenton, Camden and other cities in that
vicinity.
Fort st. Phillip. on the Mississippi river
just below New Orleans will be garrisoned
by battery of the 1st Artillery, now at
Jackson barracks New Orleans The
other battery at jackson barracks has been
assigned to duty at Fort Point, harbor of
Galveston, Texas.
Arrangements have been made by the
v,
tbority Of the Secretary of War, to es-
tablish immediate teIegraphic and tele-
phonlc connections between all the new
stations On the coast to which troops have
been assigned All the movements indicat-
ed above are the results of the recent tour
OF Inspection OF Gen. Merritt, commanding
the Department of the East, In which all
of them are located
Rnpid-Fire Guns to BE Secured.
Secretary Alger has authorized Gen.
Flagier. the chief of ordnance to at once
make arrangements for procuring large
rImber of rapid-tire guns for seacoast de-
fenses This action is taken without wait
Ans ior the allotment among the various
bureaus OF the War and Navy Depar.ments
OF the $JoOOCoO voted for the national de-
Tense The Secretary felt that there was
no warrant for further delaying the neces-
sary steps for the procurement of these
guns. as IL was felt there would be no
trouble in arriving at equitable adjust
ent OF the money available. Ever since
the battle ship Maine was wrecked in Ha-
Sana harbor the ordnance department has
been fastening the delivery of guns al
Ieady hnished and making arrangements
Tor the supply OF such a number of addf-
uonal oaes as the oflcials felt warranted
In ordering without the additional funds,
"hiSh nave sinCt Dten put at tnelr disposal.
The ordnance bureau will take all these
rapid-fire guns that can be procured with
in a reasonable time, and they will be ship
ped to the seacoast fortifcations as rapidIv
as possible.
They constitute what Is known as the
auxiliary defense for the fortifcations, and
are a material assistance to the big guns
which are necessarily slower OF movement
and firing They also give invaluable as
sistance in keeping the enemy's ships from
the vicinity of submarine mines and other
obscured works of defense
Contracts for Gun Carriages.
Contracts for the delivery of Carriages
for these rapid-fire gups have also been
authorized and will be shipped to the for
tihcations as soon completed The car
risges can be made and delivered in much
quicker time than the guns, so that expe-
dition In the manufacture of the latter is
what the officials of the ordnance bureau