The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-23
New lYOrh HarbOr to lie Placed In
Position to Repel Attack.
OUR UNPROTECTED sEACoAsT
Much Of Il Not Worth Defending but rim
sipal Forts kiil Get a Share o.
the 5000 5000

WV ANlha slhl'N So. A' lliFFi '"N''
of adequate defense for The great CONNER
cial ana manufacturing interests of this
city should war be- declared has been
pointed out cinphaticnly and the decision
of the president 10 uso a portion Of the
I0ODl0o appropriated by congress for the
coast fortincatlons affords much pleasure
10 the corps of engineers IN charge OF the
work .,bout New York harbor The con-
structtpn ~ additional means of defense
at Forts Hamilton and Hancock Oh which
depends the opposition To "a hostile ncet
that might attempt 60 force ~ way up
the nnrrows H. In charge Of Colonel Lud-
low Colonel Ludlow said.
I'VE uf, glad that portion uf the 81
anon ls to be- used To go on constructing
coast defcns.s. Instead Of waiting Tor the
regular appropriation We Will have the
bcncnt OF the emergency fund, while
w are glad of our share if not large. We
are glad to be able 20 20 on with our work
at Forts Hamilton and Hancock. just as
We are completing What the previous ap-
proprlstion allowed us to do. II enables
us 60 do the work more satisfactorily and
to keep our men together. The future
work viii b. a continuance of the plans
long ago prepared for defending this har-
bor with modern ordnance We do not
expect to make use of thc ground Sc
cured several years ago adjoining the
For, Hamilton r,,ss-Eition ~ a site for a
mortar battery as fghere an not funds
enough Tor this purpose allowed at the
present time. Ncithnr will VIE make any
usc Of the site for mortar battery on
Plumb island bet Wseen sheepshead bay
and Barrcn ISLAND. which Wz,s bought at
the same tim Nothing has been done 50
far As knoE In regard TO the erection of
mortar battery ear any other means of
defcnSe ON the western end OF Rockaway
beach The government owns no site
there This country Is well enough
equipped for war with Spain Argentina.
or ans other secund-class power. but in
ease Of war with a hrst-cltss power such
as We call ourselves. where would We be?
We DO not Nant to have TO cail upon the
navy 10 defend uur seaports, but We
should have nur harhors SO Mell defended
that vessels cannot nut into them Tor sup
plies and then sail out again To annoy
and harrass the enemy We have more
than q thousand miles Of unprotected
sea coasi. h,H war ships will not shell n
comparatively bare coast Such places as
Atlantic city aud Long Branch are at the
mercy Of any armed foreign vessel in
ease Of war. but nothing woubl be gained
by wasting ammunition on them, SO there
would be no fear for them. An,epemy Will
not strike unless the hlow is likely to be
effective"
The bad weather mad, the regular army
soldiers camping at Fort Hancock on
Sandy Hook uncomfortable and they pro
tested against the shelter afforded them.
\ demand was mndc upon the quarter
master department, on Governors island
for more tents. Orders were sent to
Philadelphia at once for the number need |
ed and they will be shipped The work
on the new barracks is to he hurried as
much as possible and as fast as they are
made ready they win be occupied. There
are - new structures being erected by
the go, crnmcnt on Sandy Hook, including |
officers quarters, barracks, a hospital
and houses for married men and their
families