The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-15
TROOPS At SANDY HOOK
Concent ntration of Forces for New
York Harhur Defense Soldiers
Are Being Sent South-InceuS sing
Activity on Every Hand New
Powder Factories.

began its work in New York yesterday.
The board held its first meeting in the
Office at 25 CortIandt Street. of Lieut..
Com j. d. J. Kelley. who has been as
signed since last May to the duty the
board is now Fastening and completing.
Capt. Frederick Rogers was chosen
president of the board and Lieft. Nathan
Sargent secretary. The headquarters will
be in the building.
The board visited the American Liner
81. Louis yesterday and began the final
inspection and measurement of that YES
sci. Today there will be a conference be-
tween the board and President Clement
a. Griscom. of the International Naviga-
tion Company. at which it is expected
that the terms upon which the vessels of
this company may be impressed will be
settled. The company has already offered
not only the St. Louis and St. Paul but
also the New York and Paris to the Gov
erument. and the terms under which
these offers may be taken up will be full
~ discussed.
The law subsidizing the vessels provides
that they shall be purchased outright if
their services as auxiliary cruisers are
/ pany has shown a disposition not to in
sist on the sale and if an equitable con-
sideration can be agreed upon the vessels
VIII he chartered rather than purchased.
It has been suggested that the St. Louis
! lie over one trip instead of sailing tomor-
row-her regular day-in order to give the
! board a chance to complete every meas
urement and the plan for all alterations
| TO be made in case the vessel is i'm
| pressed. One set of plans will answer for
| the St. Louis and her sister ship the st.
| Paul and the board deems it advisable to
have all preliminary plans entirely COM
| pleted as soon as possible. The St. Louis
as 1000 tons of her cargo aboard al
| ready. however. and it will be rather in
| convenient to send another vessel dhe
New York. probably in her place tomor-
row, so that the matter of OBTAINING her
has not been definitely settled yet and viii
not be until after the conference.
The next regular line to which the
board will give attention will be the Ward
steamers. of which the Yumuri is now in
port In the meantime steel yachts and
iron and steel ocean tugs are to be in
spected and d visit was paid to the At
lantic and Erie basins this afternoon in
search of such craft.
The guns with which the vessels to be
selected by the board may be armed are
to be shipped 10 the seaboard very soon
and some of them viii probably arrive at
the navy yard in Brooklyn within few
days. In fact there are five and six inch
guns in the Brooklyn yard now available
1 c.
haste arise. The navy yard at League
Island has been designated by the depart
ment as a desirable point for assembling
/ the auxiliary feet and some Of the guns
viii probably go there. The board will
also visit Philadelphia, Boston and other
Atlantic ports in its search for the vessels
most fitted for imnediate.use in the event
OF war
Concentrating at the Hook
Batteries and VI Of the United States
heavy artillery, consisting of seventy men
each. viii probably leave Fort Slocum
today Tor Sandy Hook. Col Williston
VIII begin at once 10 organize the new
Sixth Regiment of artillery with 800 mem
bers recruits for which are already ar
irving and waiting to be uniformed and
drilled. The new regiment viii probably
consist Of six batteries, each TO contain
at least twenty Of the experienced gun
ners left 1t the fort after the departure
OF the three batteries Of the Fifth Artil-
Iery
Sandy Hook is the largest fortification
| on the Atlantic Coast, and it is said that
at least seven batteries Of the most skill
ed artiIlerymen will be garrisoned there
until further orders. All Of the forts
along the sound are being put in commu-
nication with each other by means of
submarine telegraph wires, and the guns
and other armaments are ready for in
stant service. The mortar batteries Of
Sandy Hook and Fort Slocum on David 5
Island are 50 much alike that a photo
graph Of one might be easily mistaken for
the other They are dreadful engines OF
destruction. and effective for Iong-range
work. They have the particular advan-
tage that the guns on board a warship
lack. The mortar projectiIc is not intend
ed to pierce the sides Of a warship but to
drop down on its deck and destroy it. The
guns are almost perfectly protected from
the cannon Of a ship.
a whole squadron might fix the exact
location Of the mortar batteries and turn
every available gun loose to destroy them.
but the projectiles could merely pass over
the mUrtars The only way in which they
could be destroyed would be by throwing
projectiles high in the air TO fall into the
pit upon them.
one battery Of artillery from Fort
Hamilton and another battery from Fort
Wadsworth were sent down to Fort Han
cock, Sandy Hook, yesterday. Each bat
terry consisted of sixty-live men The
men Of both batteries were in heavy
marching order.
VIII Live In Tents.
The camp and garrison equipment of
both batteries, consisted Of tents for the
men, a big mess tent cot beds for the
officers ana mattresses and rubber
blankets for the men The tents were
pitched in street formation. that is,
there were two rows of tents for each
battery, the space between the tent rows
being known in camp parIance as a
street. At the head of each street
were the tents of the officers Of each bat
terry. The camp viii be maintained until
the permanent headquarters at Fort Han
cock are completed, which will probably
oe about July /
large consignment Of mortars was