The San Francisco call., 1898-03-16
MORE GUNS
 FOR HARBOR
 DEFENSE displacement at Fort Point for Another
 12-Inch Rifle. The New Weapon Will Be Mounted on a Dis appearing Carriage. Major Wallace F. Randolph to Be Promoted Lieutenant
 Colonel. OR DERED TO THE PRESIDIO Artillery Officers Who Have Been Directed to Report at Once to
 Examining Boards.
Major Wallace F. Randolph to Be Promoted Lieutenant
 Colonel.
ORDERED DTOTHE PRESIDIO
Artillery Officers Who Have Been Directed to Report at Once to
 Examining Boards.

The Boston agent of the Associated Press described the disappearing car
 riages for the modern high-power guns to defend San Francisco as an item of fresh intelligence for California read
 CTS. It is not generally known on the Atlantic coast that San Francisco is the i best fortified harbor in the United 1 States. The twelve-inch gun described i in the Boston dispatches is reported to
 be thirty five feet in length and to
 weigh fourteen tons. It may surprise Fasteners to learn that there are eight twelve-inch breech-loading rified guns of the modern type now in position here five at Fort Point and three at Lime Point. Each gun weighs fifty-eight tons and is forty-twO feet in length.
 San Francisco is soon to have a twelve-inch gun mounted on a disap- bearing carriage, and possibly that is what the Boston telegram sought to describe. Five of the ten-inch rified breech-loading guns at Fort Point are now mounted on disappearing car riages, but the twelve-inch guns are not arranged to drop out of sight of the enemy after firing.
 There is an emplacement, just above Fort Point, on the extreme right of the line of guns overlooking the ocean, for another twelve-inch rifle, and it is pro- posed to place this gun on a disappear ing carriage. These carriages have been successfully used for the eight and ten inch rifles, and it is now found practicable to make them heavy enough for twelve-inch guns.
 Men who study the natural positions of defense in this harbor perceive that a battery should be planted at Point Bo- nita. The plan adopted by the Board of Notifications provides for guns at this outpost, and the hope is expressed that work on the construction of battery at this point will soon begin.
 There are only two batteries of dyna mite guns in the United States. One is at Sandy Hook, New York, and the ether at the Presidio of San Francisco.
 Major Wallace F. Randolph, Third Artillery, who will be promoted to lieu tenant-colonel under the new bill to in- crease the army by two additional regi- ments of artillery, has been ordered from Fort Riley, Kans., to San Fran cisco, to report to General William R. Shafter for assignment to duty at one of the posts in San Francisco harbor.
 Major Randolph was born in Penn SylVania on June II, lS41, ana entered the volunteer service as a private in Company F, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Infantry, April IS, 1861. He was dis charged from the regiment June 2S 1861. On May 4, 1861, in conformity with the proclamation of the President. new regiment of twelve batteries was added to the artillery arm of the serv- ice, and became known as the Fifth. Congress confirmed this act of the President July 12, 1881, but all appoint ments dated from May 14, on which date Major Randolph was appointed second lieutenant in the newly organ ized regiment. He was promoted first lieutenant of the Fifth March 1, 1862; captain of the Fifth July 2S, 1866; and on April 25, 1888, was promoted major of the Third Artillery.
 Major Randolph earned the brevet of captain June 14, 1863, for gallant and meritorious services in the defense of winchester, Va, and he was breveted major March 13, 1865, for good conduct and gallant services during the w-r.
 His battery participated in the de- fense of Winchester, Va, and occupied without adequate support an isolated, unprotected outwork dominated by mountain to the west, within range. Here the battery remained till late in the afternoon, when the enemy opened