New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-24
TO INSPECT FORTIFICA1IONo.
GENERAL MERRITT STARTS ON A Th'lf
TO THE SOUTH.
HE WILL. GO AS FAR AS LOuIsIANA-lo '''''
IN FoRrNrcHT-roRTs WITH "''
GINS OFFICERS PLEASED WITH
THE PROSPECT OF sEcuH-

THE PROSPECT OF SEND"
ING MORE MEN.
c.eroraI Wesley Merritt, United states 49,
commanding officer OF the DepaT'Hen' " ,or on
,o,, covernor's Island yesterday aite'"o'" 49,
omc,aI visit 10 Southern foriilcnuohs. ai
dutv OF n department comnahdet ~ '' - his
49, ,os,s under his control. but nc can cnoo'o 80
t.. f,r tho inspection. While significance ID
,,hod % the visit OF General Merritt at TINS ''e'
he denies that any importance should ne give" " ~
The fact that he Is 10 90 as far as Ne"-olea'', "
COO the for,iocatlons which guard the MISSISSIPPI at
that point. is the most important indication IN coi''
Teton 9th tho departure OF General Merritt
When seen by reporter for The Trbnue yeS'ei
day afternoon his headquarters. GeheF''
was prenarlng for his trip. He said In reply 10
questions put to him:
Il shall start In about an hour on my resui" az
nual trim 10 some OF the Southern fortlhcatohs'
shall go by the Pennsylvania Railroad 10 Nashlns-
ton and thence TO Atlanta. where sha" Visit Fo'
Mcpherson | shall then go on TO Jackson bar-
racks at New-Oreans. and Fort ST. Philip, on 'he
opposte side of the Mississippi | expect aso to go
TO Mobile and Pensacola. on my way back VIII
visit Fort Thomas. at Newport, KY, opposite On
cinnati and Columbus Barracks. at Columbus ONO
This is the first time have visited these posts' dS
I have not been in charge OF the department for a
year yet By the Army regulations each depart
ment commander must visit all the posts In MS
command once A year, but he can choose his own
time for 80 doing | inspected all the forticatohs
in this harbor last summer and also visited Boston
and the Maine coast. I think March will be good
time TO 20 to Florida inspect the forts there The
lake region can visit next summer"
"Wil you stay over In Washington on this trip!
General Merritt was asked.
II do not expect TO on my way down. but may on
my return. II come that way. Very possibly ] may
not come that way. No significance is to be at
tached TO my going at the present juncture, as l
should have gone at this time Of year in any event.
| expect 10 be back in ten days or two weeks, and
at the end OF that time hope all excitement will
be over and that we can all have rest.
II am pleased with the prospect OF a substantial
addition to our artillery force" continued the Cen
eral IL will give enough men to man the guns
which have been turned over to our or
course. two more regiments would not man all the
guns in case OF emergency. Each OF the big guns
would take from thirty to forty-five TO It,
including loading and firing. which is difficult and
ism is almost as delicate as that OF a watch, require
to be carefully handled and must be in charge of
trained men"
Where viii the new regiments be statoned?"
That Is not provided for yet, but they will be
az the seaboard forihsations. both the Atlantic
WhS win be s,H in command 20 5al here while you are
He replied: Il remain in command while in the
department, but my Acknowledgement, Colonel
directly with Washington il any matter comes
up requiring special attention Ny trip will only
shall not spend any long time at the forts
General Merritt left Governors Island. accom-
panied by two of his aides, AT $3.50 D. M and pro-
eeeeded to Jersey City. whore he took train for
Washington lie In civilians dress but took
his uniform and sword with him
At the Governors Island headquarters It was
said that the garrisoned forts. equipped with
modern guns. which have been completed and
turned over 10 the care Of the artillery force are
Fort Adams. Rhode Island. Fort Barrancas, Flor
Ida: Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont: Fort Hamilton
New-York. Jackson Barracks, Louisiana: Key
West Barracks, Florida Fort McHcnry Maryland
Fort Monroe. Virginia. Fort Preble. Maine: Fort
Schuyler. New-York; Fort Socum. New-York: Sui
livan's Island. Florida; Fort Wadsworth. New
York, and Fort Warren. Massachusetts. A num-
Der Of other forts have earrisons. but only old
time guns. which unsafe even for firing salutes
There arc thirty-hve forts which are not gar
risoned. but in charge OF sergeants detailed 70
that the property Is not destroyed.
There much satisfaction expressed among
Army officers yesterday over the prospect of Sc
curing "A substantial addition TO the artillery force
In the near future. One Of them said 'Tf we sue
coed in getting the two additional regiments
can all the seaboard defences in n satisfactory
manner. AS II Is now, with every new gun
pleted the force has TO be depleted at some other
point TO take care of il. The orders 10 put men In
charge of all the guns at the fortifcations
signed TO that duty there would be a lack of
infantry at the points where they now sta
toned. There are only six regiments Of infantry
attached TO the Department of the East. which
covers nearly one-half OF the country The rest
are attached TO the seven other departments, into
which the region west OF the Mississippi. together
with Illinois and Michigan. is divided"