Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-20
AS TO ATTACKING OUR COAST.


alarm and furry among residents along
the Atlantic sea coast and especially
among prospective patrons OF seaside
resorts on account of possible attacks
on our coast line by the Spanish 1t is
absurd but true that many otherwise
sane people have given up their pro-
posed seaside trips for the coming sum-
mer for fear that their sport in the surf
will be interrupted by Spanish men-of-
war Direful pictures have been paint
ed of the possible distinctions of the
large hotels at seaside resorts. There
is very little danger that Spain will in
terfere with the pleasure of the sum-
mer bather. If, however, Spain should
elect to lombard city of some i'm
portance along the coast she would in
deed find a warm welcome. During the
past three months governmental ac-
tivity in Strengthening coast defenses
has been phenomenal The principal
equipment for shore batteries are rif1ed
cannon. These consist of 12-inch, 10
inch and 8-inch guns Of both the lift
and disappearing variety. The 12-inch
gun is surpassed in power only by the
13-inch rifle on first class battleships.
The 12-inch gun weighs nearly sixty
tons and throws half ton of metal
twelve miles with effect. Each Charge
consumes $40 pounds of powder and the
cost of firing one shot, including pow
der and projectile, is 1888. At dis
lance of four miles, however, a shell
from 12-inch gun will penetrate TWEEN
ty inches of STEEL The government is
cut of which appeared in the Register
yesterday, which it is said will be the
most destructive weapon in the world.
1t is a 16-inch bore and is capable of
throwing a projectile weighing 1890
pounds a distance of fifteen miles. In
addition to the rifles shore batteries
have auxiliary Pinch mortars and Is
inch dynamite guns.
The old style of Notifications has en-
tirely disappeared. The modern fort
is more than likely to be below the
surface of the ground, the apparatus
for lifting, sighting and firing and
other machinery being inclosed in
water-tight easements ten or fifteen
feet below the surface. The men are
never exposed
The places at which the War De-
partment have built or are building
Notifications are Portland, Me-; Ports
mouth, N. H.; Boston. Narragansett
bay, East End, Long Island sound,
New York harbor, Philadelphia, Wash
ington, Hampton Roads, Baltimore,
Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah,
Pensacola, Key West, Mobile, New Or
leans. San Diego, Galveston, San
Francisco, Columbia river and Pudget
sound. The armament includes $50
rifles and 200 mortars, not counting
torpedoes and mines connected with
the shore by insulated cables
Hampton Roads in particular is so
powerfully defended that no foreign
vessel could possibly live to navigate
it. The system of distractions is most
elaborate and formidable. This is due
to the fact that any vessel which
passed the defenses could go up to
Baltimore, up the James to Richmond,
and up the Potomac to Washington,
and could cause no end of destruction.
Before the present month is out $15,-
100000 will have been spent on coast
defenses, and this will surely render
the summer girl and her escort and
their families perfectly secure from the
assaults Of the wicked Spanish, suppos-
ing the latter should still be in exist
ence on the high seas then.