The sun., 1898-01-10
THE KEEPER OF THE RIVER.
Fort Delaware Keeps Watch and
Ward Over the Approaches With
= Modern Artillery.

I Historic Fort Delaware, nine miles
down the Delaware river, opposite Dcia-
ware City, which for years has had no
garrison other than an ordnance SER
geant, is fast becoming the centre OF Il
/ new harbor defence system for this
port and OF Philadelphia. With the
money now available the work of recon-
/ struction is fast progressing. The gov
ernmcnt expects to make the new fort Il
solid concrete structure, and when COM
plcted will he practically impossible ior
a hostile ship to enter the river The
work also at both the Finn's Point Bat
terry ON the jersey shore and the Della
ware Battery on tie Delaware shore is
progressing During the past year several
disappearing guns have been mounted
at Finn's Point and 1t is now one of
the hes, equipped dcfences on this
coast. As a strategic naval point phia.
delphia is unqucs;ionably the most i'm
portant upon the Atlantic coast. 1t is
! believed that in the event Of hostllltics
the ports OF the Atlantic coast could be
put under contribution within few
weeks after the declaration Of war.
Philadelphia and Wilmington are the
exceptions. as the notifications make
them practically imprcgnab!e to naval
attack, and in addition. lis blockade
wolld be extremely difficult. ii not alb
solutely impossible Several hundred
men have been working on the battery,
which is now ready for service. In ad-
dition to three lO-imch and three l2-Inch
Disappearing guns, which the batter,
will mount. Il complete torpedo system
is ready to meet any force that a foreign
nation might send mp the river. In re-
constructing the old fort the plan carried
ont in the modern Gcfcnces bcguN at
Sandy Hook. and Fort Hamilton, at,
New york harbor is being followed. BIZ
it is the intention to make Fort D.
! ware more formidable than either .i
those mentioned. For lon&
time the old fort has been
simply kept from falling into decay, al
though there are Il great many guns
there, some of which are powerful rifles
Built many years ago on ground dccGed
to the Government by the State Of Della
ware, Fort Delaware has never had 10
rcpe the attack OF an enemy, though il
has sheltered thousands OF prisoners
/ within, and around its walls. During
! the rebellion it was uscd as a place for
the detention ni Confederate prisoners, ,aS
many aS $1,000 being confined Withn
and without the walls. on Pea falch
Island. At l'iuns Point. ON the Jersey
shore, across from the f"rt ,;r hGricd
1000 COntcueratcs, who died Of smallpox
in 1862. and over whose graves have
Iloatcd ever since he stars and stripes
The defence Of the port oi Philadelphia
in tho event of war with
England, Spain or any other country
will be- conducted almost entirely from
Fort Delaware. In a great emergency
ihclr work could be completed Nithjn
! irw months il tha guns we're made, and
this city and Philadelphia would be- alb
-nlItc!y secure against the attack # IN
rmcmy's fleet The cost Of tin. entire
work will be- about 100000 and it is rX-
pcc,el W hc completed III about two
ycar+. A uun!rr Of old and c1per-
fenced officers were asked their opin-
ion as 10 th" .ec"rty OF tie up
river ports in ease nt va.
They We're all Of the opinion that they
would Ec perfectly safe from inva-ion 81,
Tar a. Delaware river is concerned, and
thought the only way in which tliev
would be approached il at all would be
hV forces landed some where on the
New Jnrn"y coast and marched acrDs.
tat s,rlo The d law1rc river. they
thought, with it, present dricurcS at Fort
Delaware. and Il torpedo slstenl would
INakr ii 80 dangerous fer any flee, tI,at
the foe world hard Y attpIup, to com" up
II, In TIE inst l'ac" said ON" Oi t,ielu,
eth" guild" hNuys Wuuld all ", removed,
and would make navigation dangerous
fr heavy cl-o!-war. :. on 4 the shiIr
arrive within two mil"S Of Fort !l"ta-
ware the men stationed in the lOrIHIo
riSvna,c~, would h"gin 10 finger their
electrical KEYS. one u these c:lscnIHtrS
built underground and safe from lttArk.
"a been completed on thr Delaware sto!c
and it" tuLn"I can be- seen near the GOV
rrnmrmt wharf inst below Delaware CITY.
The channel we'd for two miles below the
luit has been wurhcd and the ..toa.I
Il" "nIv hl.i u ili,r apart. THE engineer
IN command TT tn" tort WoulG locate the
advancing ships exactly by range liuti"rs
and the range maps already prepared.
an! tie instant tina. vessel came With.
in on" ui III" rIott"d sG'iarrs, I.r would
signal t. til" torpedo officer in he case
ual" of I'll" tort or on lac shore. and TIE
pr"S#Irc ut a key would cXploI" half
ton oi dynauitr beneath In" ships keel.
which would undoubtedly iy end her use
iII.n"-,. The guns, which ar" being
placed in position, are in 4 di>ar-
rarimg carriage. and have been de-
.,ttIF II,tl IIl ..IF. At ,,,I
most provoking + all dnicnrrS. il
c mes up from nowhere and hurIsa great
pT"i""tl" that will penetrate nearly
ipW Of hardened steel; and even before
the pruj"ctil" reaches the object at which
i is aimed ihc gun itself has disappeared
from view A. mys,rrouEly y as it came and
lhrr" is nothing left to tell where il.
Shot cam" from except Il little smoke
tlGlt ba the time the sound reaches the
object ai,ucd at has been blown far away
from hr gun Itself Ii woUld hardly hc
possible for any feet t. got far up thc
r,vr ~ the powerful t"rpnduc.
"ith which the river would he,
mined, and Which would BEL
rl,rI from h" slu" Wuull drnuish
any fleet that would try to pas tnrm.
Tine government work is being carried
ON very secretly. 80 one i. allowed to-
land on The island without Il pa>+ from
Major Raymond Of the Board Of En-
ginoort, vino is in charge of Tive govcru-
mont work in tie hnrhor q rhiIaloI-
NIalW}uingtom ana Philadelphia would
phia. There is scarcely any doubt hut
bc perfectly safe in cast oi war, bat New
York, Newport and other coast cities
WOMLN he IikoIN ~ mN into liln tIirk