The times., 1898-02-07
BALTIMORE'S DEFENSES
When Com lle:el They Will Be
Impregnable.
The App zach to the City viii Be
Qua rded by Forts at North and
Hawkins Points.

Baltimore, Feb. 6.-Recently COM
municatiOn was sent by Secretary Al
ger TO Congress calling attention to the
necessity of an increase in the artillery
forces of the army. In his letter the
Secretary called attention to the fact
that new equipments would soon be
needed for the defense OF Baltimore,
such equipments to be situated at the
approach to baltimore. With his COM
munfcation the Secretary also trans
mltted a letter he had received from
/ Gen. Miles, urging the increase of the
artillery branch of the army by two
regiments, these two regiments being
! necessary TO guard the new defenses at
! the approach 10 Baltimore.
/ The city of Baltimore for long time
has simply been at the mercy OF any
/ foreign power in case a war had come.
Its approach will be guarded now by
two almost impregnsble Qualifications
one to be at North Point and one at
Hawkins Point
These fortifications are well under
way, the one at Hawkins Point being
in far advanced stage, bordering on
completion, while the one at North
Point, il might be said, is in its in
cipiency.
The North Point fertilization is about
fourteen miles from Baltimore, on the
old North Point road Three immense
batteries viii be placed in position, and
themselves will cover several acres and
Will guard the starboard side of ap-
proach TO the city, The fortifications
viii be of solid masonry. covered over
with earth. Behind the walls Will be
entertainments of earth and other re-
sisting material used in the construc-
. ton of seaboard military defense.
Should vessel succeed in passing be-
yond the range of the two other bat
teries at North Point, then the guns of
Hawkins Point and this last battery
could converge to arrest its progress.
To the left of this battery, and also of
the new lighthouse, will be the other
batteries. Already the earth has been
piled up in an immense pile-nearly
fifty feet high. This is part of the
background of the batteries to be con-
structed.
About one hundred men are employ
ed in building the Notifications.
Several of the guns and their tur-
rets. as well as ammunition, are
already at North Point. The ammuni-
tion viii be placed in the magazines,
which will be conveniently situated
back of the batteries. and connected
with them by Subterranean passage
ways The guns will remain in the
storage-room until the ramparts are
sufficiently builded TO admit of them
being mounted
The Hawkins Point fortifications al
ready have a warlille look Three
eight-inch cannon, each being twenty
three feet in length, are lying between
the battery wall and the breakwater.
One 'eIeVen-inch gun and one eight-inch
gun are yet to be shipped to the forti-
fication. There will also be several
smaller guns mounted near the ram
parts. but outside of the regular forti-
fications. A breakwater, surrounding
the whole fort is nearly finished.
The fortifcation at Hawkins Point is
semi-circuiar in form, and is about ten
miles nearer Baltimore city than North
Point 1t s on the port side of the in
coming vessel, and it's guns Will easily
focus with the rlght-hand battery of
North ioint For more exact location.
il might be said that Hawkins Point
is just across from Fort Carroll.
North Point is already well known as
an object of pride to every true Ameri-
can. Here it was. on those memorable
days - September II and 13. 1914 - the
Maryland soldiery defeated a British
army flushed with success from the
burning of the nations capital. Not
far above this point is the spot where
the life-blood of the two young pa
triots-Wells and McComas-mingled
with mother earth after they had shot
the British general, Ross. Gen. Ross
had landed his troops at North Point
on.the 18th of September, 1914. and was
pushing his way to Baltimore city
when he was shot. The advance, how
ever continued under Gen. Brooke The
Americans, under Gen. Samuel Smith,
assisted by Gems. Stricker and VIII
mer, opposed the march AT several
places they had thrown up hasty de-
fenses, and were driven within these
by the terrible onslaught of the regu-
lars trained in European wars and VIC
torious in the last engagement. In this
position the Americans remained i'm
pregnablc.