New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-12
DEFENCES TO PREVENT WAR
FORTIFIED COASTS A DETERRENT TO
HOSTILE ACTION.


NEED OF LARGER APPROPRIATIONS URGED bf
COLONEL RoBERT-GENERAL MERRITT EN-
Poets TO VISIT THE FORTS or THE
SOUND ro-DAY-A FINE TEIE-
SCOPE FOR USE AT
SANDY HOOK.
Qualifications serve their best purpose" said
Colonel Henry NJ Robert. of the United States En-
gineer Corps IN charge of plans for coast derehce'
yesterday. when they prevent war Inc pe''e'
they are the less chance Of their being called into
actuol use If The entire coast of this country
were defended by mines and guns no nation Oh
earth would ever provoke resort TO hostii1'les'
do not believe in navy; 1t Is proVoca-
ton for war and will tend to bring 1t on rather
than to prevent It. But there should he hueouh'o
appropriatlons for proper lard dcfences The
amounts set apart by Congress nave peeh 'oo
nigcardy I'm the past. What We should nave mao
IS an ample sum OF money to carry forward inc
works which have been planned We ought ''o' ~
wait until after war begins and the enemy mas
struck ut the weak points before we defend 'he'h'
when the Endicott Board went over the SUBJECT
they laid out work to cost N2G.9O,"0 but III 'he
last three or four years have largely revised inc
TN. y, uors rronosed by that Board. and have
brought II m 10 date adding to the estimate so'e
what To put down submarine mines Hons Nv
coast would cost not less than S-'"P IL 'n''e' "'
when the work has he done FOR one t nousa'u
miles the cost would be brought up to S-''"'"'
But this does not include the cost 81 coh'e'uo's'
d,r,n,os md mon FOR the operation OF them 20
I. would he useless 20 contemplate such an ''""
CRATE system OF defence as that. but H'' cue
harbors can be mined and defended Will SUM
There Is OF course demand from every pc
any importance for some means oil de'e"''' " ''
,bcy want are guns. but 1t is simply mpossi"le "
and some Of those we have got are pract'"'N u'-
projected when in use. as the carriages "t'
and afford little protection for the sunh'rs 49,
fro guns would he OF the most use al s''"'' p
so as 10 prevent squad OF soldiers from ''''"'
possession. II, :, ,ould
tako n rreo. number Of men. hut the esthh'e VI
e 900 Is a little high The plans call TOT l'"V ''o'
far batteries Now = shift Of fifteen men i "'
for each. and in time OF actual "Hi '' 80,
there would be need OF at least TWO shi''S' No.
,hi. the necessary details for other duties an"
,or,o -, f,iv Z; on would be needed for II" NOR
tars alone For the rihcd cannon an ein'",
large number would he required. J ne cose ab
firing modern projectiles IS enormous, ,n"ri,ion
gun we provide two hundred rounds OF ,er
For tho big l9-iECh guns each rouiu WrlEI'' ., 1,
ton and when YOU hgnre up inc e"'''' ~
%Wn have done evorythlns with tho Limited means
at our command ana NOR inn TX" previous period
II The country could be walked mp TO tho ir'u ~
- nro,iG he a good thing Then. too. tonsrcss
should have passed IN" niI wHlcn n... ~. tr-.os
Amy be put on war iooung M.'," ,,eyea n,
ing tho number Of officers 10 any gr'h,
go 10 war We cannot nope 10 go u, NO matter
We are bound to be hurt IN SONIC way ' ~
how WIZ. 49, ..,.,, 90 Forts
Slocnn and Schuyler and to the offences AZ ~ =,
let's Point yesterday until today he san. INA"
inc and give the whole day II A; the
wharf at Governors Island ycsierdhy the 'cnc, ~
Megs took on "A load OF material ioi u -, IN .ur
Ming The rearchiIghts AT Sandy Hook There we're
.ioh, large cases consigned to 'oonr NH'.NH
Ludlow at Fort Hancock and several hl.uni"r
telegraph poles for supporting Nc wircs s,,'"'
A. tho office OF Captain Allen. signal oinceT, IL was
sa d that the wire needed for eliipplhh t,r ~
nearly all been put In plac" ana ,It' l ~" ,rcr
neci Ions practically completed hp.''" a.
had in his ono me cIr'sifi' rcrinly our
chased in Germany. II Is 20 p" used az SANDY
Hook - ,,..,.,
;rom For. Logan Colorado he'd arrived at the New
York Central and Hudson River RAILROAD Stsu9h
worth Tho entire equipment. including balloon
car, wagon. cable and other apparatus "e's"'
20 90 pounds. 1890, .. o-L
about 10 be shipped to Fort Jackson. az Tho mouth
OF the Mississippi River. eighty mies below Few
Dons Rids were opened IN the Army Building
y Wa feal. am 10 Conca shelter capa6. OF
/, said at the onlcr ~ re 4naItermHs,t,e s
that there guns for the Army on tne
Etrura. II Is not known on whs, yesse me rhpa
viii he received at once their arrival. and they
will be forwarded The ammunition for them Is
cxnected on the new cruiser New orleans. There
are ,wcnty-eight guns md they will I've mounted
a. soon as they can be unloaded and shipped 10 tho
points where they are wanted