The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-10-27
our DEFENSES
General Wilson'S Annual Report
Deals With One Interesting
Subject.
Value of Coast Notifications
Demonstrated by Those of
the SpaniardS,
Including the Use of Shore Bat
teries and Submarine
Mines.
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Work Now Projected Would Rer'
der Principal Coast Cities
Safe.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-The annual
report of Brigadier General John NJ.
Wilson, chief of engineers, United States
army has been made to the secretary of
war. In consequence of the war with
Spain that portion of the report relating
to Notifications is most interesting.
Upon this point General Wilson says:
During the fiscal year projects of
permanent seacoast defenses were pre-
pared and approved by the secretary of
war for Port Royal, S. c.; ST. Johns
river, Fla; Tampa, Fla, and Sabine
Pass, Tex, making 80 localities in the
United States for which projects of per-
manent defenses have thus far been ap-
proved under the general scheme rec
commended in 1886 by the Endicott
board At the close of the fiscal year
the construction of permanent defen.
sive works was in progress at 25 locali-
ties.
''In consequence of the war with
Spain and the possibilities Of hostile at
tacks upon our coasts, urgent and press
ing demands were made by senators,
representatives and local business inter-
ests for the immediate erection of sea-
coast batteries at numerous points not
contemplated in the general scheme of
national defense. In the absence of any
available modern armament, the secre-
tary of war directed the immediate con-
struction of temporary batteries, mount
ing old style armament and s:ega guns,
for the defense of a number Of exposed
localities, including some which ara en-
braced in the scheme of national de-
Tense. The localities at which teIp0r-
airy batteries were ordered are Bar Har-
Dor, Me-, Stonington, Bridgeport and
New Haven, Conn, Port Royal and
Georgetown, S. c., Brunswick and Da-
rien, Ga, mouth of ST. Johns river, St.
Augustine, Miami and Tampa, Fla, and
Sabine. Preparations were made against
possible hostile attacks by overhauling,
cleaning and putting in serviceable con-
dition the existing armament, and by
temporarily mounting within them addi-
tienal guns, at the following old type
works: Fort Knox, Fort Popham, Fort
Trumbull, Fort Monroe, Fort Macon,
Fort Pulaski, Fort Clinch, Fort Morgan,
Fort Jackson and forts in San Francisco
bay.
Value of Coast Defenses Demonstrated.
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 have amply demonstrated the
value of coast defenses, including shore
batteries and submarine mines in resist
ing naval attacks 1t may be confidently
asserted that completion of the projects
upon which operations are in progress
will practically insure the safety
of our principal. harbors and seacoast
cities against any attacks from the sea.
One other important deduction may also
be drawn from the results of war, viz:
The great value and efficiency of the
rapid-fre gun. 1t is gratifying to re-
port that not only has considerable
number of these rapid-fire guns been
mounted during the year., but that pro-
vision has been made for the manufac-
ture and emplacing of a large addi-
tional number. ~.&,1
Existing projects for seacoast defenses
contemplate the e1nplacement of about
500 heavy guns of 8, 10, IL and Is inches
calibre; of about 700 rapid-fre guns of
various calibres and of about 1000 NOR
tars. These figures are subject to
slight changes as minor. revisions are
made and additional localities included.
The estimated approximate cost of the
engineering work connected with the
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