The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-26
GUNS WE'RE MOUNTED
HOW AMERICAN COAST CITIES
WE'RE FORTIFIED AGAINST
SPANISH ATTACK
CANNON WERE EVERYWHERE

OHTaNOS WLn& EHEn VeF1EnE
Spanish Would Have Met Warm Re-
ceptiOns Where They Least Ex-
Dected Effective Resistance
ST. Paul and Minneapolis GeHer-
ousIy Remembered I'm Estimates
for River improvements.
WASHINGTON, Oct 25.-The annual
report of Brig. Gen. John M. Wilson.
chief Of engineers, United States army.
mas been made to the secretary of war.
In consequence of the war with Spain
that portion of the report relating to
notifications is most interesting. Upon
this point Gen. Wilson says:
During the fiscal year projects of
permanent sea coast defenses were
prepared and approved by the secre-
tsry of war. for Port Royal, S. c., st.
johns River, Fla; Tampa, Fla, and
sabine Pass, Tex, making thirty 10
cahties in the United States for which
projects of permanent defenses have
thus Tar been approved under the gen
eraI scheme recommended In 1886 by
the Endicott board. At the close Of
the fiscal year the construction Of
pernla neGt modern defensive works
was In progress at twenty-five locali-
ties.
In consequence Of the war with
Spain and the possibilities Of hostile
attackS upon our coasts, urgent and
pressing deman ds were made by SEN
etors, Representatives and local bust
ness interests for the immediate erec-
ton Of sea coast batteries at n,,gner-
Gus points not contemplated In the
general scheme of national defense Tn
the absence Of any available modern
al armament, the secretary of war dir ct
ed the immediate construction Of tenn
porary batteries, mounting old style
armament and siege guns, for the
telise OF a number Of exposed localities,
including some which are embraced In
the scheme of national defense. The
localities at which temporary batter
les were ordered are Bar Harb2r, Me.
Ston1ngton, Bridgeport and New Ha-
ven, Conn, Port Royal and George
town, S. c.; Brunswick and Darien
Ga. mouth of st. Johns river. St. Au-
gustne, Miami and Tampa, Fla, and
Sabine Pass, Tex. In addition to the
foregoing temporary batteries prepar-
atoms We're made against possible hos
tile attacks, by overhauling. cleaning
ana putting in rV:cea:ble condition the
existing armament, and by temporarily
mounting within them additional guns.
Knox, Fort Popham. Fort TrumbuU
Fort Monroe, Fort Macon, Fort Pull
ask, Fort Clinch, Fort Morgan, Fort
jackson and forts in San rancisco bay.
VALUE OF COAST DEFENsES.
while no hostile attacks were made
upon our coasts during the war with
Spain, the operations Of the American
heet on the coasts of Cuba and Porto
Rico have amply demonstrated the
value OF coast defenses, including shore
batteries and submarine mines, In re-
s;sting naval attacks. It NAV be CON
fdently asserted that the completion Of
the projects upon which operator are
now IN progress will practically insure
the safety Of our principal harbors and
sea coast cities against any attacks
from the sea. One other important de-
ductfon may also be drawn from the
results of the war, viz: The great
value and; efficiency of the 'ranid-fre
gun. 1t is gratifying to report that
not only has q. considerable number of
these rapid-fire guns been mounted
during the year, but that provision has
been made for the manufacture and
emplacing of a large additional num-
Der,
Existing projects for seaooast de.
lenses contemplate the emplacement OF
inches calfber, of about 700 rapid-firu
guns of various calibre and of about
LOCO moTtaTs. These figures are subject
TO slight changes as minor reVistons
are made and additional localities in.
cluded. The estimated approximate
cost. of the engineering work connected
with the installation Of this armament
is $55, 600, 900.
RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Detailed estimates for next years
river and harbor work include the fol-
lowing:
Bayou Plaequenine, Grand river and
Pigeon bayou, La, $40O, 900; mouth and
passes Of Calcasieu river La. s1O0 900.
Sabine Pass harbor, Tex, $500, 600
Galveston harbor, Tex, $500, 600; Red
river, La, and Arkansas, $3.50, 900; Qua.
ch1ta and Black rivers, Ark, and La.
$'OO0O; Yazoo river, Miss, SOC, 900:
mouth of the Yazoo river and harbor
at Vicksburg, $4,000; Arkansas river
Ark, 500, 900; removing distractions
from the same $50, 900; Mississippi riv-
er, between Ohio and Missouri rivers.
1888 Mississippi river, between Mis-
souri, and ST. Paul, 1929, 1856; Mississippi
river, between st. paul and Mime
apoiis, $685., 1851; reservoirs at headwa,
tiers OF Mississippi river, $270, 900; Chip,
peWa river, Wis, $40, 600: Missouri riv-
er, above Sioux City, Iowa. $3.50. 600.
upper Missouri, snagging operations
$50, 900.
Agate Bay harbor, Mimi, $50 900.
harbor at Duluth, Miran., and Superior,
Wis, $500, 900; Ashland harbor. wis
$780, 600; waterway across Keweenaw
point, Mich, $4,000; Marquette harbor
Mich, $4,000; harbor of refuge. Mar,
quette Mich, 100000; harbor Of refuge
strand Marais, Mich, $4,000; Ocontd
harbor, Wis, $25, 900; Sturgeon Row
and Lake Michigan canal, wis. $40.
goo; harbor of refuge, Milwaukee, wis.
$l5, 600; Fox river, Wis, $50, 00O
Mississippi river, from head of tbe
passes to mouth Of Ohio river. under
mississippi river commission, SO, 468. 3S3,
M N, river, from its mouth ia
Sioux City, Iowa, Missouri rive,
commission, 1886, 000"