The sun., 1898-03-12
The Security OF the Seaboard.

The orders which went into effect yester-
day for placing garrisons in the new forts
Ill along the Atlantic coast, will help to
answer the important question whether
pur seaboard defences are adequate for n
war with Spain.
Directly after the disaster at Havana,
detachments consisting of an officer and
twenty men, with one medical officer,
were hurried to stations mounting high
power guns and not garrisoned; but
now whole companies go to Sandy Hook,
Long Island Head, Fort Mott, Fort Della
ware, Sheridans Point, Fort Caswcll, Sui
livan's Island, Tybee Island, Fort ST.
Philip, and Fort Point.
Looking along the coast we find Port
land defended by new battery, already
mounted and manned at Portland Head,
while before long another will be ready on
Great Diamond Island. Portsmouth is not
likely to attract Spanish ships, but it will
soon have new defences at Fort Consttu-
tion. Boston is protected by the powerful
battery at Growers Cliff, with others soon
to be ready at Paddock's Island and Long
Island Head, and indeed to this latter point
artillerymen are now ordered, just as they
were several weeks ago to Fort Winthrop.
On Cushing Hill and Battery Heights, at
Hull, other works will be placed. The i'm
portant strategic area of Narragansett Bay
is we'll watched both by the army and navy,
Fort Adams always being well garrsoned.
while works are going up at Dutch Island.
New York, the greatest of prizes for any
hostile fleet, is secure against any force
that Spain can bring to bear. The eastern
approaches will soon be dominated by the
Great Gull Island defensive system now
pushed rapidly along at the eastern end of
Long Island Sound, while nearer New York
submarine mines can destroy any ships
that might get by Gull Island, Fort Slocum
and Willets Point, aiding to make the pro.
lection complete. At the Sandy Hook en-
trance no Spanish fleet could stand the com
bined fire from the 12-inch, 10.inch, and
S-inch guns, and numerous 12-inch NOR
tars, and the dynamite guns of Forts Han.
cock, Hamilton, and Wadsworth, to say
nothing of torpedo defences. No fleet that
Spain can assemble could get through the
Narrows, while, II it should try to stay
outside, in the deep pocket just south of
Coney Island, and throw its shells from
there, it would be destroyed by the mortar
fire of the forts, which has been developed
to an accuracy bewildering to the uniniti.
ated. New York will also always have a
defensive fleet. the Terror and Katahdin
being now available.
Philadelphia, being up river, would be
looked at cautiously before approach by an
attacking feet, but in any case it has
been made secure by the powerful guns
mounted and manned at Firms Point Fort
Mott and Fort Delaware take good care OF
that region, but in addition the League
Island Navy Yard is a rendezvous for ships
the Miantonomoh and the greater part OF
the single-turret monitors being now in
the waters around Philadelphia.
At the entrance to Chesapeake Bay is Fort
Monroe, great artillery centre, with its
heavy guns, while up the Potomac is Sheri
dams Point, with its modern high power
guns sweeping the river, and forming, with
Fort Washington, on the Maryland shore
opposite, barrier to the national capital.
The Chesapeake Bay defences, including
ships that may be at the Norfolk Navy
Yard, partly shield Baltimore, which will
also soon be defended by batteries at North
Point and Hawkins Point.
On the South Atlantic coast, which may
be more exposed to any enemy operating
from Havana as a secondary base, we have
Wilmington adequately defsn3 the