New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-13

ACTIVITY IN ARMY CIRCLES
In company with several officers Of his stan.
Mator-General Wesley Merritt left the headQuar-
tiers of tn. Department of the East. on Governors
Island, yesterday morning. to make formal in
spscton Of the fortincations the East River and
on Long Island Sound. He accompanied by
Colonel John l. Rodgers. OF the 9Th Artillery; Cap
tain Harris Leutenants Parker and Cummings,
and his personal staff which includes Lieutenanu
s,rocher Hale and Mott. On board the launch
General Thayer the party passed up the East
River and first visited Fort Schuyler This occu-
pies the extreme end OF the peninsula Of Throsgs
Neck in the Borough of The Bronx. The East
River narrow that point, Hes between II ana tho
Long Island shore, while to the eastward the water
broadens out into Long Island Sound. The big
rifles mounted disappearing carriages In the
fort. command both the narrow channel and the
broader expanse of water all OF which has been
charted and upon which range-fnders viii enable
tho gunners to aim accurately the weapons wnich
are ready to hurl proiectes with great iorce anu
effectiveness Considerable work mas recently pee"
done IN adding to the armament OF this TORT
From Fort Schuyler. General Merritt ana MS
marty crossed to Willets Point. where other new
d.f.nc.s equipped with mortars and rihed cannon
have lately been put In place and where extensive
preparations have been made Tor inc huo'No''".
means OF defence supplied by submarine mines anu
,orpedoes Tho sign 'Torpedoes-Dont Ahcho',
has long been displayed on the walls OF the ioF"-
hcation at wilets Point This has for many years
h.sn tho headquarters for engineering WORK TOT
tina Army. and a school for engineers Instruction
has been maintained there. As part Oh inc"
work experiments with torpedoes have freaueh.y
been made and many have been kept IN place luz
d,r.r.nt lengths Of time test their lasting quaI
rl.. Experimental explosions have also oeeh i'e-
quantity made On one occasion an old vessei was
hiovn nm by a mine placed beneath her. An ak
plosion OF y torpedo several feet uhoel "~''' ~
.snt a column of water sixty feet In the aE.
rom tho fortiacatons at the mouth OF the
Sound General Merrtt's party went on. 10 rol'
sIocum. which is on David's Island, on the est
chester shore near New-Rochelle THIS IS the 81
=, a now mortar battery. which Is expected TO she'
env invading vessel and prevent us se'''"S ~,
NEARER 70 this city. When Ike battery Is e'.''N
q, sands Point on the opposite Long lsland shofe'
:, vii be especially difficult for successful passass
- ~. made save in a fog or under cover OF oarA
ness Not far from David's Island - 'ne "en
,,rowr summer resort. Glen Island. Tnere n s
bsen some talk that II would De anvisso'o I've NV
TO this an Army officer said yesterdsy
~, would be absurd 10 nave 'w9 ~. ~. ~ Somnd
In,te % onposIte on the south side II woua %
The mart OF wisdom to cave the mon none, I, on a
COS. and a battery at Sands Point zen ooS,nt
would be q costly investment io u,or and TO
OF - you'd cost just much as 10 IoI o,
tSn Long Island headand. whch VIZ 1hs Measure
on1e-tenth as much TO purchase IL inc
resort" .,,,.os az the result OF the
,,snsctinn Yesterday, that much htu ~, 800 81
.,senc,hen the defences al the eastern iv nro
harbGT and 1 proSa5ie T MASON BY hoss:
&C., which might get past the guns on '''' ''A
the other END OF ,s Of activity IN Army circles
Yesterday and work was pu. yeeks An unfounded
II n o.ired circulation that me Ho' iautsnant.
Of sandy Hook was ont OF oI nas charge OF the
Colone william emrphaticaiy denied this he sac
WORK VIZ, changes had been made IN tne Ms a.
shnery for F nraer ' and ready There Is
some work going forward tor t fne thrce dynamite
Ing add bdS are mounted Fort Hancock, They
viii defended Dag. ag2"s1 ns Of sand
Bds were opened YESTERDAY sed de desks for use
Ing for VIBRATIONS. These must be delivered IN
ten days The lowest bidder ,o @as for four Soussnd
rroposa arvas hats, which will be worn Win 'ns
new canvas uniforms r.,,o,, 90 experim.nt,ne
with canned potatoes and SniG bs wpa ni up
gehr 80 that a. n oSe rs on the march or in camp
Ior o thought that this viii furnish an sam n me
bacon s% at w whch many nss men
Ar 1r,, weather Two pounds OF the stew can De
purcRSs s sac TOR any 70 f ensSh Of time
Major Phpps the head Of t WAS called to wash
ne.on Yesterday. and will not return until To-
morrow.
OMAN NAILS GOING THROUGH NEW-YORK.
x,,.,or T Bradley. Superintendent OF the Railway
Nh s.-y,ce received this dispatch from Washing
ton Yesterday: Until further orders all mall for
Cuba both ordinary and registered. is to be sent
70 New-York for dispatch instead OF via Tampa
"a Xev West" Postal clerks throughout the
mntrv have been instructed to forward all Cuban
mali to New-York From here It VIII be forwaraea
~, the Ward Line boats to Cuban ports. super
,ntendent Bradley said that in case OF war. SO far
as he could see. changes In the service wouo d
necessary.
WOULDN'T SHOW HIS COLORS TO sPAN1ARDs.
Captain Canrobert. OF the British fruit steamer
Tan. which arrived here yesterday from Port
Antonio said that Just as he leaving Las
pa,mas Canary Islands he saw the Spanish tor.
pedo notiila They were coming In just as I
pulled up anchor" he said. They are coming over
ties sent word to me 10 show my bunting but
told them didn't know the beggars. and Wouldn't
do H. had no chance TO examine the dotula. -