New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-24
MINING HARBOR CHANNELS.
FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE DE-
FENCE OF THE CITY
ONLY CONTACT MINES REMAIN TO BE Pi-Acf-p-
NO DANGER TO sHIPPING-Diffl''N
sHAp y1sHERMEN-No MORE ARMY


NO DANGER TO sHIPPING-DlFFlcuLfi Win
ur,n r1suERMEN-No MORE ARMY
SHIPMENTS SOUTH BY WATER
I'M. ,,,or, ~ placing additional submarine
to. ooa tornedoes In the channels leading i'i'o
.,,. barhor was begun yesterday under 'he VI
r.o,,or ~ Colonel Henry w. Robert ana Ma'o'
w., VIZ Adams Of the Corps OF EneiheeiS'
D., ,-oro ohaent from their offices IN the al my
prud,nr and were personally supervising '"'
,rorl No contact mines will be put III p"0'
.u .hore "a actual danger Of the attempt o''
,ho rort ~ a hostile vessel to enter the MAJ "''
ga they would endanger shipping OF all N'@'
Tbev arc nlaccd directly IN the main ci'a'i"e'''
and will explode II struck by the null OF Voc
co, The mines now put in place are OF ""a' 10
knov,n as the observation order. ana are ="
nloded by electrical connections from the S"o' :.
Tho observer notes the position OF vessel h"''
ou,ded bv A. chart which shows where the i'ii"e'
ore laid he can explode them when they VIII u"
the most damage.
The system followed in mining harpor Is 10
Mace n line of torpedoes near the shoTe VIM"
NAV be so close to It as 70 be IN slsht 81 ~"
water Beyond that is n second hne OF ""e'
containing gun-cotton or nitro-gycer'he' 'eF"'
ing electrical connections for 'heir u'''"' n
These are perfectly safe for vesseis OF i''o"''
character and usually put IN the ina'" '"
nels in groups. which may be hred 'ose'".' VI
Commercially The contact mines can be put down
IN a few hours according 10 the plans prepare"
IN advance, and are not set In place untl the
condition of hostilities warrants stopping All
commerce. -
Lieutenant Hale said yesterday at Army
Headouarters This work OF laying mines IS all
in charge Of the Engineering Corps, but Kho"
that they are under instructions TO begin the
work this afternoon and to continue IL to-rnor-
row The wires were all laid some time ago.
and the engineers only awaited ORDERS from 'i'
War Department TO go forward with the "oiA
II is TO be pushed forward rapidly ana II WIZ
M, take long to put the harbor IN n condition OF
defence l presume the buoys Will he removed
and instructions will be given TO mariners In re-
gard TO the safe channel. just as has been dons
at Portland.
One Of the officers Of the Engineer Corps SAID
Yesterday that n number Of boatmen had been
engaged to assist IN the work OF planting tho
mines Some Interference with the WORK had
been caused by the fishermen who planted poles
and set nets for shad along the Narrows. They
d,d not hesitate he declared. to cut the wires X
their nets caught in them. and they persstenty
cours. to be followed In putting the mines In
place To prevent this It f. proposed TO arm
the men engaged in laying the mines. ard en-
able them TO drive off the shad fishermen II they
do not keep away from the channels which are
TO be protected To aid in the work Of laying
mines three small boats were purchased and
taken TO Fort Wadsworth yesterday. Volunteer
electricians have aided the Wllets Point force
Of engineers In charge of the work.
Owing 10 the active war operations existing
yesterday II was decided by Assistant Quarter
master General Kimball not 10 send rapld-fre
guns TO Southern points by water The
tracts had been awarded FOR their removal but
these were cancelled yesterday. and bids for
railroad transportation were accepted. This
VIII avoid danger Of their capture. and hasten
their delivery. There arc two 5-inch siege
rifles and two finch how!tzers weighing j. 72D
pounds 10 go to each OF the following places TO
be mounted in emplacements ready for them:
Sabine Pass. Tex: Georgetown s. c.: Bruins
wick Ga. and Darien. Ga
Colonel Kinball said he had not received ANY
instructions In regard 70 securing bids for the
transportation OF State troops or volunteers 10
Southern points. In the last week all tho reg
ular infantry. cavalry and light artillery had
been sent South from the Department Of the
East. and this week he expected 10 be sending
ten times many men. fast "a they volun-
teered, most OF them 70 Chickamauga Park or
Camp George H. Thomas. as II has been Off
cially named. THE sooner tho Government
seeks bids for the work" said he the mora
competition there Will be and the lcss II will
cost The money already appropriated for tho
transportation Of troops amounts to 81, 900 600
and how much moro will be spent no ono can
tell"
Orders were received yesterday by Captain
James Allen. OF the Signal Corps. to go to
Washington. where he will be assigned 10 the
staff Of General Miles. II IL expected that he
VIII have general charge OF the Signal Corps OF
the Army. which IS 10 be formed ut Chicka-
manga 1t announced yesterday that the
balloons FOR Army use would be sent 70 Ch!cka-
manga, and the corps TO take charge OF them
Will be formed there by Captain ". A Glass
ford. Of the Signal Corps at Denver. and First
Lieutenant ]. l.. Maxneld. who has been Signal
Officer at Chicago.
Colonel John +. Weston was expecting orders
yesterday 10 go to Washington instead OF TO
Chickamauga. where he expected TO he Chief
Commssary under General Brooke. His place
there Is to be filed by Major II. G. Sharpe who
has been Purchasing Commissary ut Boston.
Coloncl weston Is to be made assistant to
Brgader-General W. II. Nash who has lust
been promoted to be Commissary- General OF
subsistence In Washington. The friends OF
colonel weston hope TO see him promoted to
this place when General Nash retires by reason
or age IN few weeks. But Colonel Weston
himself wants to gee active service once more
In the field He said yesterday: There win bs
nearly 10000 men TO feed at Chickamaugn in
n few days. and II will take 10000 pounds II
food day. The Chief Commissary Will have
general charge, and upon the acquisitions from
brigade and regimental commiasares he will
send TO New-York. st. Louis and Chicago for
the supplies needed. There VIII be no difficulty
In the matter OF transportation. but there may
be In keeping meat fresh in tho hot Southern
climate. There Will be plenty TO do at any
rate. and should Ike TO be doing IT."
An Army officer who returned yesterday from
Washington, where he saw Secretary Alger
General Miles and other high officials. said: