New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-18
GENERAL MILES DISSATISFIED
DEFENCEs UP THE SOUND INsUFFI-
GENT TO PROTECT THIS CITY.
NEED OF MORE BATTERIEs-A SUBMARINE CABLE
To ~. LAID FROM FORT sLOCUa TO

NEED OF MORE BATIEkltS-h Sbp''N"'''''
TO BE LAID FROM FORT sLocuM TO
FORT HANCOCK
The visit OF Major-Genernl Miles to the me'fopo
lis ended Mt 10 a. m. yesterday. He remained 81
long at the military tournament on "eunesua'
evening that II was not convenient 10 'aho NV
midnight train TO washington. The Generals party
Included several women and It decided that
# would be less fatgulng 10 remain ut the war
dorf-Astoria night and travel by day
II came IN light yesterday that the Interior pun
pose Of the visit OF General Miles 10 the na'oo'
defence. on the Sound and the East River was
partcularlv to see whether they were adequate
Tor the purpose Of preventing the entrance OF
hostile fleet to n point where demand ior III
demnity Of many millions of dollars unue' '"'V"'
of bomba riding a defencelcss city. couiu ne maui
|; was also disclosed that General Mics was "'
no means satisfied with the condition in when lie
found Forts Schuyler and SlOcum and the detehceS
nj Wllets Point While much has been done 10
nut the old Notifications at Throgs Neck ana WIZ
let's Point in n better condition than whch theSc
,mnortant posts were FIRST fortified General Miles
found that much more must be done III the way
of mounting the best type Of machine guns ana
rfcd mortars to enable these forts to cope Win
tho heaviest ironclads and silence their guns. Tho
main defence at this point. where the East RIVER
is less than half mile wide. is In the torpedoeS
and submarine mines. which can efectually stop
the passage of vessels If they can he fred at the
proper moment.
TO the eastward OF the point where the East
River becomes Long Island Sound there Is no
means OF land defence. except the single group VI
mortar batteries DavId's Island, seven mites
from Fort Schuyler. Here the new foruhcatlo"'
which Is called Fort Socum. is simply mortar
nit and is regarded being unequal TO inc de-
,nonds of the situation II is proposed 10 secure
Sands Point. the Long Island Shore' neariy
opposite Davids Island. and fortify 1t further 10
defend the harbor from that point At the eastern
entrance 10 the Sound plans have been prepared
for some time for batteries on Plum. Gull ana
Fishers islands but nothing has been done eX-
cont securing the sites. The residents OF New
Haven and other places the Connecticut shore
feel that they Will be at the mercy OF Foreign IRON
clads I'm the event Of war, and nave so repre-
scented to the War Department Added 10 this Is
the need of additional protection against the en-
trance TO the Sound Of vessels seeking 70 attack
This CITY and tho facts governing the SITUATION
were drawn to the attention OF General Mics
1t is expected that the General VIII recoi''ne"- -
the authorities at Washington that some part Vi
the funds available for defence shall be al once set
apart for further terrifying Long Island SOUND al
both extremties 10 prevent possible hank move
rnent I'm that direction by Of the vessels OIL Il
nation at war with the United States whne a'leii-
ton was directed TO the regular ship chahhei "
this port by an attack off Coney Island ana SANDY
Hook. ,
One of the features of the visit OF General Miles
was the presence with him Of General A. w Greedy
who paid especial attention the need OF connect
ing the various forts about this harbor with head
quarters and each other by submarine caDie lor
telegraph or telephone communication. ~ coli-
necfion with this subject an Army officer said yes
terday; 49,, ,u - = suh
Il say positively that there viii be p,, sup
M rina cable laid from Fort Sl0cum, on DAVID ,
Island Fort Hancock. on SANDY hooR tba
ing with the Governors Island headquarters, tne
Army Building and all the forts about thiS narnol
both within and without the CITY Units ne nd ne. ra
Of this has been apparent for long Time anu re"
peated efforts have been made TO get the needed ap
propriation but without result now tne nT ie,
sty is felt to be urgent and the cable will be laid
or course We have roundabout communication py
both telegraph and telephone. but mucn oil II Is ~
way Of overland wires. easily cut or dlsaIIangeu
a cable would be far safer and then IT vii! give
us direct communication so that the commanding
officers can keep III the closest possible touch with
O." "Tfow much will the cable COST" asked.
ut can be put in for $4,000. and If need be. the
work can al! be completed in week II the money
through me efuaT The HnS bureau ne b
If Is paid for from the emergency fund II can De
done by any department bureau assigned to tho
orders are likely TO DO issued speedily
The arrangements for the transfer OF the two
ARTILLERY L S. A. from Fort Socnm to Fort Han.
cock, were completed Yesterday. The Government
boat General Megs viii go TO DAVIES Island to
men under Captains Oliver Z. Wood an: Seden A;
Day. to join the command OF LieutenantIC olonei
Tuily McCrea. who has been promoted and trans
ferred from Fort Slocum to Fort Hancock to take
command at the latter. -,
General Wesley Merritt said Yesterday that the
recruiting of artillerymen was going forward slow
", because II necessary to have men OF enough
education TO understand decimas In arithmetic, as
the calculations upon which the modern guns are
fred carefully carried out, and a mistake by
an artilleryman might prove serious. He also
might have deterrent effect upon men enltsting.
II there was d prospect OF immediate hostilites
terday on Governors Island and the weekly drill
took pa, on the parade ground.