The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01
Uncle Sam's Elaborate Precautions 1Or
Meepimg off Hostile Fleeds-sSOnae
ManmmOGh Gums

British squadron ana knocked the oid
town about the heads OF It's hapies IN
habitants. but the incident cannot De re-
peated. It's defenses are Fort Gorges. Fort
Scanned, Fort Preb!e, the battery OF Port
land head and those on Cow island and
Great Hog island. These Notifications are
provided with monster guns, breeen-load-
ing rifles and = system OF torpedo defense
in the narrow channels and especially up
Musings sound. The city Is further pro-
tected by an armament of eighteen Finch
guns on lifts, ten 1o-inch and ten S-inch
guns on disappearing carriages anu forty
eight Pinch mortars and submarine
mines to be operated from four mining
classmates.
Providence is absolutely safe. Miles OF
torpedoes from the entrance OF Narragan-
sett bay. between Point judith and Ben
toms point to its headwaters. would ami
hilate the navies Of the world Newport
is necessarily exposed, for the earthworks
on Dutch island and the walls Of Fort Ad-
ans. though both provided with model
guns. would not be able. perhaps. to pre-
vent the Smelling of Viewpoints cliffs. with
Its million-dol.ar mansions, by one or more
battleships in the offing. The bay is gen.
orally defended by ten l2-inch guns on
lifts, six l0-inch and four S-inch guns on
disappearing carriages. eighty Pinch NOR
tars and submarine mines TO he operated
from two mining classmates.
=.
the key. with its Finch guns and disap-
pearing carriages. though there are Fort
Penn and the fortified Reedy island. may
also smile at danger for obvious reasons.
The passage Of the long and tortuous Del
aware river, full of shoals. in which the
wicked electric ignited shell may lie by
thousands. Is utterly impracticaoie.
Hampton Roads. the virtual harbor OF
Norfolk and the smaller towns Of the bay,
has its Fort Monroe and shore armament.
but it depends upon other means of safety,
for IL an invading fleet could pass the
capes of Chesapeake 1t would lay Rich
mond, Washington, Annapolis and even
Baltimore. the latter city with its Fort
McHenry and batteries at North point. in
ruins and exact tribute. If such contin-
gency happens, however, there will be
naval engagement in Chesapeake bay that
will astound the world. The entire water
stretch from the capital down the Poto-
mac and from the mouth of the Patapsco
has complete armament OF large guns.
disappearing carriages, mortars ana sub
marine mines.
Charleston has its Fort Moultrie, on Sui
lsvan's island. it's historic ForS Sumter.
which was rebuilt at the time Of the Viz
ginius affair. in 1919. and several batteries;
but. like Wilmington, Savannah and other
Southern cities, its shoal warers and mar
row channels, which can be locked with
torpedoes, are the chief sourcessof defense.
Tampa, tie defenseless port of Florida.
outside OF the general scheme OF defense
must necessarily depend otherwise upon
the feet which swings about in the waters
of the Mexican gulf. Dry Tortugas is our
great naval station there and is free from
danger by its feasibility OF quickly closing
its narrow waterways.
Mobile and New Orleans can no longer
be reached with the accessibility they af-
forded during the civil war. Forts jack
nd Sf{
to the latter city. but It is the dynamite.
the rapid firing and the torpedo guns that
on the coast line prevent the steering up
the bay or river of sanguinary antagon-
list Galveston can close the narrow cham
mel of 800 feet and keep the enemy with
his guns out of reach, while its exceed
ingly shoal waters render II dangerous for
a feet to appear within gunshot distance
of fhe city.
San Francisco has its combined fort.
torpedo and feet defense at the Mare ISL
and navy yard. 1t is otherwise protected
by eighteen l2-inch guns on lifts, twenty
three 10-nch and thirteen S-inch guns on
disappearing carriages. fifteen l2-inch. FIVE
1G-inch and six S-inch guns on non-disap-
pearing carriages, IA Pinch mortars and
submarine mines operated from seven
mining classmates.
II has been urged that Great Britain in
case OF war with us might by means OF
light draft gunboats gain entrance into the
great lakes by steaming up the 81. Law
renee river into Lake Ontario. and thence
passing through the Welland canal into
Lake Erie thence through Laks st. Clair
and the Detroit river into Lake Huron
and thence into Lake Michigan. as did the
three reproduced Spanish caraveis last
summer. and finally, IL unchecked. into
Lake Superior, through the Sault Ste.
Marie. levying tribute successfully upon
such cities as Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, To-
iedo, Detroit. Chicago. Milwaukee and Du-
Iuih. But under the circumstances those
lake cities would be In no greater danger
OF attack than would be St. Louis Louis
vile and Cincinnati or even Wheeling. on
the Ohio; were sufficiently light gunboats
able to get up the Mississippi. past the de-
lenses of New Orleans. SO that the practi-
cal defense of the lake ports lies at the
very entrance OF the lake chain system,
just as the defense of the cities on the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries rests at the
passes below New Orleans. There is no
doubt that Il a hostile move were made
against our lake ports both the Welland
and Sauft Ste. Marie canals could easily at
the very outset be destroyed by blowing
up the gates and sluices with dynamite.
But even IL that could not be- done, owing
perchance TO the investment of those great
waterways by an overpowering rand forca
OF the enemy, go lake-going steamers OF
heavy draft, now engaged in domestic
commerce, could be quickly improvised az
warships. sheathed in thick armor and