The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-13

tof~I t1N ANf.S<B. A8FfH STE
government forttffcafiosss for the defense
81 Puget found viii - second 70 none IN
Tire world" y tbs description given or
them two years ago by Gen. W. T. Gfaig-
bin. at that tine enginser-in-chief Of the
army. under whose supervision The coast
defenses were largely planned. Active
work on tbs Puget Sound forslrc&ttoEs
was begun last September. AMI additional
interest Ii E0E given the matter ~ orders
iss2e6 q fes Digs ago TO double the force
OF men nov at work and rush ne FORTH
cations 30 speedy completion.
More than twenty years ago an army
board WIS sent aai 70 reject sites for the
location OF government f0rtiacatgons for
the defense OF Puget Sound. and after
thorough inspection u the territory de-
! sired 90 b. protected tss board sslbEntsted
an exhaustive report Ia favor Of the con-
s.suctfoa OF fostiheafions az Marrowstone
palpi Admiralty hesd aaa Point Wilson.
These points are located at the entrance 10
. Puget Sound AID are most admirably stu
siad Tor the prrposas of fmpresnaeis de-
fensss. Point Wilson Il on the west side
OF Port Townsend bay. Aarrowsione point
on the east side and Admiralty head d.
vectiy north. or the opgresite side Of Ad-
miralty inlet. on WhIdby Island. II Is but
four miles across the tnSsts Wtssch ofse<s
the only means OF esresa from the Strait
Of Juan. De Fpca 70 Puget sound. All
three points have high hun standing
6BHDSr% RsFttI4stAt2{ tAItts AHs "attk
edes. ard each one has CHAR sweep Of
the.entire lnies sh.ls from Pons Wilson
big guns can be trained down the strait of
Fucsa 20 the westward as far AZ they VIII
. carry
During the past twenty years four or Ave
) different army engineering boards have
been sent out 20 again Investigate the mat
ter of proper locations for Puget Sounds
Gefanses, ana zach one has Ia turn reported
7 IN favor Of the three points named. How
ever. IL was not until the time OF the Ven
ezueiap var SCARF of Jew years ago iha,
congress appropriated any money for the
carrying ont % tise plans 81 this war de-
! psirtfnent for the construction of defsnses
Z for Puget Sound IL has eeen learned that
! thssplans Of tka department contemplate
fhes expenditure Of from S5.foo % to E,Vs.-.
er9 on the fortlflcations that are TO defend
Puget Sound. but practically nothing is
Given out 81 the way OF Information about
the details Of the work that Is 10 he done.
the extent Of the batteries and dssenses at
the three different points. ete.
II & known. however, that the principal
defenses are 10 be located on Point Wilson.
S where heavy batteries will aase "a sweep
Of 4hs strait to the westward. III was
plsmsa hvleinsfy 10 Construct q sort OF
? military park IN conjunction with the for
s tncations at Point Wilson but the gov
! eminent found 80 muen difficulty In ac-
aairing title 10 the land necessary for this
pAfbV~t lgi4at AZ A. now ittfGfEG tfiat tfiir
5 plau has been abandoned As IL Is. the
department has not been able 10 begin
operations at all On Point Wilson defenses,
because u has been found necessary 10
condemn the larger part of the land need
Ell IN order 60 get title for the government.
On this account it has been feared that
work could not be begun at this important
point before next year. but during the past
few days there has been radical change
tn the situation. the result of the great
activity now being displayed by the adj
ninistration In the matter OF coast de-
fsnxe work along both the. Atlantic and
Pacific coasts Within the past few days
some of the owners of land needed by the
government at Point Wilson have been APP
preached through the office Of United
States District Attorney Gay. with a prop
osition TO compromise the pending cases
against them. and thus put the govern
ment ia position 20 begin work without
further delay. This Ii but one OF the
many Instances DOW being noted through
out the country that 20 10 indicate the
great interest that is being taken ny the
administration In crowding the coast de-
Tense work aionG
II Is known that sixteen mortar batteries
are 10 be constructed at each 81 the three
points. making forty eight I'm all. and
piscemeBss for the large guns that are 20
be the principal defenses are also TO he
constructed at each point. just how many
OF 4fleep AfF 10 De 4sfRktIs.tt IL not KNOWN
oni side the war depart meai but as stated.
polnt Wilson viii have more thar either
Of the other places Active work Il now
being done 9r the construction OF the for
ttneatlens AZ Marrowstone point and IA
nlralty head and orders have tast been
received 20 rush II TO completion Al Point
Wilson the hitting Of the contract only
awaits the cirartng up - the title 20 the
necessary iand ard this tnay he done withA
In a very few days
II Is naturally the desire ~ tAe war de-
partmcnt 90 keep the details ~ is coast
defense secret and especially 20 keep the
klseNledgN NJ al details from the eNcs and
sSrs 81 Foreigners 40 matter hew friendly
abe foreigner might happen 10 Dc AT the
time re a. this the stricssst orders are
Kissa. and reilEiausis ohevea hy the Off
rsfS gn charge ef Fhs work. NoAody Is
allowed within 81 certain distance Of the
wefk and Nlaiie ghr contractors doing the
work are pcs,sassarily acquainted with the
r{ans niofs ~ tess. tne officers ars not In
c'lnta 90 snllKhtea them tn The least
Nbessevsr special pivcc ~ work Is 20 BE-
anstv a. HaFrewstoae point OF Admiralty
heal The engineer II charge prefers 10 So
sna wsake z ons Tor the contractor rather
thar let the latter have a peep az the
Specifications.
1; wuala BE supposed thss he ialoreIs
Ara mechanics 81 work sn TIE foruhcailons
Neaid hee euae acquainted With the plans,
Z
fFuus thlS Is hesnx restricted a. a certain
raft ~ tire esnpi8 cement. arA net heieg
rerunscd fa ava the fest. They wtl leave
fhs works knowing very Httls mare than
they did when they hexan To prevent
CO, stfses fraf8 lefr03sffS a watshmAn -
Stationed az Intervals along fhe rsrapets.
Nib ofdefa @ Keep sysFs tAeay sstcs A.
TIE emplasnnseais arr naestls below the
surface 80 ehe eTeaas fhey are not visible
70 any b@ty AZ q 3ssEso zee.
The EaatFaet Eirss 81 f6s FEapiste -nsDts
q, both MarrewstSue posni ara Admiralty
bead ex glres Sc SeFsssgshsF Thss wiN leave
sis ennp'stefneais fssdy faF ne TX gums
la s4Aifirn 81 she maFsaf hstisTtcs aa3
sssA kFFQfeSE Raget sgs3a,i pressS sell
~sasa he salFs are os.ce ~ psessk2n The
Eams VII lear atFe.fiy ~ Admiralty Ia
les fresn orp~stte sboFes aH6 tats - las
enly raeams e entering th@ waters 81 tae
S2oaA Shsp$ thes~fseze. wpsh have fe
"a - Tiehs @nsSeF the sAaaaW ~ she SssHN.
Nlth theAe six Kssrs IA place iH a@Ssatfal
= &uN ae=f h2we*8r a5A&sfsS c9ssaE c0sne
Sets A'nESg Soans TIE usoaeTn Guns are
- constructive SSH tnelr aceessay8ss are
#.sEa -