The sun., 1898-02-24
OUR COAST DEFENoEs.
works the Two New ARTILLERY Regiment, VIII,
ne Used 20 Man.


WASHINGTON. Fob 93.-Tho report Of so,.
tor Hawley, Chairman of the Committcc %.
Military Affairs, upon the bill increasing N.
force Of men in the artillery branch by two roof,
mcnts, which was passed by the Senate on Tue.
day, called attention to the fact that this GOV.
ernment has entered upon the execution ot
systematic and elaborate plan of coast dcfcnco
Tho progress mado was set forth. EXistins
contracts call for the emplacement and ,uour,
ing, on or before June 80 Of this ycnr NJ no
modern high.power steol guns, ranging in cali
bre from TO IL inches; twelve of 5inch calm.
siX.pounders, and 232 twclvc.inch mor,ars !.
total Of 3s7. These are to be scattered, accord.
ing TO the best judgment OF the engineers ma
ordnance officers, from Maine to Puget Sound
with careful regard to the relative importance
Of the positions to be defended.
Tho great expenditure will be wasted .rcos.
uro unless sufficient number Of nr,ilIcrymcn
carefully selected and thoroughly drilled. h.
assigned to the care and use OF these costly in
strumcnts of dcfcnce AS the works are from
week to week completed. the utmost the lie,,
cral commanding can do is to detail n few care.
takers to each station. With the aid of the oc
lives OF the National Guard. and those who havs
been discharged thercfrom after years of ins,ruc.
tion, effective cavalry and infantry could II.
case of war short notice would be given to tba a
men in charge OF great guns on the &C coss. .Se
and rSHnrs 70 %ush
the higbes, class of skilled labor. e''''e
tho Recommendations OF Gen Miles and Of The The
chiefs OF ordnance and engineers fayoring the
proposed increase, said he concurred in the views
expressed by those officers.
'The need" he said, "is urgent for a sum.
cient force to care for tho intricate, massive.
erected at our sea fortcations infantrv nq oGng
cavalry can be recruited at any time. and
while, while raW % recruits ARE are & net as proficient as
experience In the field In these two nrms OF the
service. they Can soon become capable and efl.
cient.
I'm the artillery service tho conditions ara
different and the elements cannot DO learned
otherwise than by active service. The operat.
and technical knowledge that can be acquired
fore as necessary for the artilleryman in order
that he may attain proficiency. as 1t is for the
men who handle the ponderous engines and ma.
ments where fkiIfui services are required.
Under date Of Monday, Gen. Miles added the
placed in now fortifications at Portland Head, e
Fort HSncook, New York harboF; Finn's Point
Fort WashinRton on tho Potomac River; Fort
Caswell near Wilmington. n. G.; Fort Moul.
harbor; Fort Point, Galveston harbor; 'fSs Fors
Baker, San Francisco harbor, and Fort Stevens,
at the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon
Batteries. he says. will also be placed within
Diamond Island, Portland, Me-; Fort Constitu.
tion, Portsmouth, n. H.; Long Island Head, Bos.
ton harbor; Dutch Island. Narragansett Bay.
Rhode Island; eastern entrance to Long Island
Sound. New York; Delaware City. Del; ap-
proaches to Baltimore; approaches to Washing
ton; approaches to Savannah; New Orleans La;
San Diego, CAL; entrance to Puget Sound
Matchmaking in all twenty six now seacoast
Notifications for the defences of the great citeS
of the Atlantic. Gulf, and Pacific coasts, where
Notifications have been and are being erected
and where artillery is required to protect and
man these batteries.