The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-02-26
NEW COAST FORT|HCAlONS
ARTILLERY IS BEING MOUNTED
Hundred TeIeEFaPhie Dispatches
sent wifhin TweRfy-Four Hours-
OaieiaIs Ciaim II IL OnIy FoIiosv-
ing 0uf = Previous Plan.

New York, FEB. p. Nearly 100 tele.
graphic dispatches were sent from Coy.
ernors island. the army headquarters, "a
various points Of fortideation along thu
seaboard from Passport. Me, TO Calves.
ton. Tex, says The World. All Of these for.
ufcati0ns In which guns and mortaFs
have been mounted are under the control
Of General Merritt, commander Of the de
partment Of the east.
General Merritt spent very little Of the
day ~ the island. his staff attending 70
the usual amount II teIegraphic core.
sPondence. During his absence, Colonel
Barber, adjutant general Of the depart.
tnent Of the east, Was in charge. The col
onel refused 70 discuss the reasons Of the
activity along the seaboard, except to say
that everything now being done WAS mere.
] ly the execution Of a coast defense pro-
gram outlined several months ago.
II was learned from other sources that
orders had been received on the island ON
Friday night 70 send from Fort wads-
worth 10 Sandy Hook 20 men TO clean the
big guns in the Notifications there and 10
transfer considerable quantities Of anmu-
milton. The same orders brought instsue-
lions TO send 20 men from Fort SCHUYLER
70 Nillet's Point 10 clean the guns there
and 10 overhaul the ammunition. Fort
Hancock, at Sandy Hook. is also stiil in
the hands Of the army engineers and ord.
nance bureau.
The engineers are constructing the ap-
placements for the guns and mortars vet
10 eome, and when they complete the work
the ordnance bureau will have to set the
guns and carriages and test them before
the fort can be regularly transferred to
General AeTritt's command. This work
win mot be finished until late in the spring
and the quarters for the artillery win NOT
be finished under the present program un
til October. Not until then win Fort Han
cock be an official reality.
Two days ago the artillery expert sta
TONED az Governors Island, the man rec.
ognized by army men as the most slSilIful
aEtilleryman In the country, returned from
tour of inspection Of the Notifications
from Boston 10 Charleston. The last place
he visited was Fort casweil. near Cape
liatteras On his way back to Governors
Island he stopped at Washington and con.
Tened with Secretary Of War AIper. Al
Fort Caswell he found three high-ralihre
gums in splendid shape which he did not
know had been set up. He visited the Bos.
ton forts. the Notifications at Dutch and
Gull Islands. at the entrance TO Long
Island Sound, Forts Hamilton, wads,
worth, Hancock and Slocum. the fortifca-
lions On the Delaware Bay coast, and al
other places down the coast.
Referring TO General Miles recent order
to General Merritt, commanding the de.
partment Of the east, TO immediately de.
tail men and officers to all coast defense
points where modern guns are mounted. il
was said at the war department today
that. while the order was issued as report.
cd, i was nothing more than following
out the plan Of the war department, for.
INFLATED several years sgo, when the pres.
ent system OF coast defense was inangu.
rated. The order calls for al least 20 men
and the necessary officers to take charge
Of each of such defense emplacements as
have been completed and turned over 10
the war department.