The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-13
TYBEE'S BIG GUNS ALL RIGHT.
WORK ON ADDITIONAL FORTIFICA-
TIONs NOW IN PROGRESS.


EmpIaeements for Two big 12-Inch
Guns Being COnstructed-BatterY
for the Two Rapid Fire Guns
About COmpIeted-The Modern
Fertilization a Formidable Affair.
How 1t Is COIstructed-A watch
Constantly Around the Forts to
keen visitors Away.
The new foruhcauons at Tybee are prac-
tically complete and yet there is work go
ing on there night and day. The big con-
crete emplacements for the four S-inch
disappearing suns have been completed,
and had the guns in place for sometime
ana now work on additional forttfications,
which was hardly expected TO have been
done so early, is in progress
The workmen. it Is stated, have about
completed the eInplacements for the two
47-inch rapid fire guns which are TO be
placed there as an auxiliary battery. These
guns are located some distance TO the
northwest of the main fertilization, prob
ably 400 yards or more. The guns them
selves have not yet been put In place, but
II is expected they will be within few
DAYS. They will look right out over Tybee
roads and win be able to play havoc with
almost anything big enough to take the
channel up TO that point.
Between the emplacements for the small
or guns and those of the S-inch bat
terry will be located emplacements for TWO
12-Inch disappearing guns as contem-
plated under the original plans for the for
tidcatons of the entrance to the harbor.
The work Of constructing these emplace-
nents has already begun, and is progress
ing as rapidly as 1t can be pushed. These
fortiacations win be practically in line
with the others, and when these two big
GROWERS are put in place Savannah's har-
Dor will he about as well fortified as it Is
possible 10 make it.
In addition to these Notifications NOR
tar battery was provided for in the origi-
nal plans, but nothing has been done as
vet toward constructing this. 1t may be
done later on, but for the present it is not
likely that it will be needed. In fact, 1t is
thought that the S-lnch guns and the two
small guns can do about all the work that
might be necessary for sometime to come.
But these fortihcations are put there to
stay. and the government appears deter
mined to make a good job of it.
1t is said the Venables have made an
extraordinarily good job of the emplace-
nents for the 8-inch guns. The work pro-
gressed somewhat slowly, considering the
apparent necessity for its rapid compile
ton. nevertheless, Ii has been exceeding
ly well done and II may be said that IL
Is an invincible fertilization. The trouble
is contractors have had little or no eX-
perience with these modern Qualifications.
They have been new undertaking with
contractors almost everywhere, and, there
fore, necessarily somewhat difficult to fig
ure on. 1t is said the Venables have lost
considerable money on the work for these
reasons, though they are not alone In that.
Contractors who have done similar work
elsewhere have had the same experiences,
finding when they finished their job that
they had come out at the little end of the
horn
The modern fertilization, such as that at
Tybee, is a formidable affair. 1t consists
of a solid wall of concrete and sand, and
sand and concrete, practically impenetra-
bic by any known projectile The thick
ness of it varies according to the necessity
for protection, but they are twenty-five or
thirty feet thick and often more.
A fertilization with emplacements for
four guns looks very much like a simpls
wall of masonry, with space large
enough TO permit of handling the gun, cut
out at regular intervals. The wall may
be twenty-five or thirty feet high, while
the shelf, so to speak, upon which the
gun is mounted is some twelve or fifteen
feet above the ground. To the left of each
sun IS a small storehouse built also of
masonry in which is stored ammunition
and other materials. Between each of the
emplacements there is a concrete partl-
ton, and each is practically repetition
of that meagerly described. The guns are
kept under heavy canvass covers to pro-
tect them from the weather
The length of the whole fertilization Is
between 400 and 800 feet. The guns, S-inch,
which are about thirty feet in length, set
some five or six feet perhaps more, below
the top of the Notifications and when
loaded and ready for firing, are carried up
and over the top by a system of counter
poise weights. Then before the smoke
from the shot has cleared away, they ere
again in position behind the emplace-
ment. Sand is piled up aud carefully
graded In front of the fertilization leading
from the top right down TO the beach.
From a distance out on the water the
whole fertilization looks like a part of the
beach and it is practically impossible TO
tell that there are any guns there. Thus
the modern fertilization.
Visitors are not allowed around the for
tifications under any circumstances, and
every precaution is taken TO keep them
away. Lieut. Hayden keeps a guard con-
stantly on duty at the fort, and a lookout
Is stationed at the top of the lighthouse
constantly. His duties, however, are more
particularly to keep a lookout at sea, and
20 act somewhat in the capacity of signal
officer A guard is also sent from the
heavy artillery battery to Warsaw every
ten days to look after the new fortified
tons there. A squad from the infantry
company is detailed regularly to Fort Pu.
laski. and thus a careful and constant
watch Is kept on all of the fortidcations.
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E0T.nTIgRG RHENT<
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