Evening journal., 1898-03-01
THE SPANISH MAY COME
Fort Delaware the Scene Of
Active Military Works.
RIVER HoEBYooMBED WITH MINES


FORMIDABLE RECEPTION-HIGH
EXPLOSIVES FORWARDED TO
THE FORT.
Despite all the pacific utterances OF
the officials who have charge of the
offensive and defensive resources of the
country, no time is being lost by the
United States in preparing for trouble,
which may crop out at amy time from
some overt act on the part of some hot
head who does not fully appreciate the
real resources of the power they are go
ing up against.
Naturally, with war talk prevalent the
people hereabouts who are of a more
or less humorous nature discuss in awe
stricken tones the terrible results that
would ensue should some rude foe de-
eide to send a few warships up the Del
aware. For the information of those
whose nerves are shalzy it is Stated on
the authority of competent judges that
while the modern defences of Philadel-
phia, Chester and Wilmington, by
drowning fortress and embattled walls
is not even thought of, yet the cities are
perhaps the most imDregnable III
America to-day, and this, coupled with
the fact that in a pinch some very un-
friendly obstacles could be provided in
few hours, or days at most. that
would increase the security of the
towns a hundred-fold, makes it reason
ably certain that no foreign warships
will interfere with traffic amy time
soon.
The government has not been idle in
providing defcnces on the Delaware
during the past few years, and even
now, when all is far from complete,
there is enough preparation for de-
struction between League island and
Cape Shore to settle very decisively
the most powerful fleet that could be
assembled to force a passage. With
great proportion of people seeing Is De
lieving. and for this class attention is
especially directed to a magnificent
battery of disappearing gums, just COM
p,eted at Finn's Point, a very suitable
location fer such monsters, on the New
Jersey shore, opposite Delaware City.
This outfit is made up of four huge
1O-inch rified gums of the most power
full type known. When out on a little
expedition Of destruction they rear
their grim muzzles high over the edge
of a precipice Of sand and concrete and
hurl half-tOn projectiles, loaded with
explosives. of earthquake power. some
TlllR ike GItN6H uil4to uOWiA ulAo Jay 0
and hurl them, too, with an accuracy
that would land them in uncomfortable
DIT ximity to any approaching ship on
WI ich they might be trained.
Naturally. the "One swallow, one
summer" objection stands out against
this one-babtery defence Of great. cities,
but the government is not pinning alb
sOlute faith on siege gums amy more,
so another form of protection has been
provided, past which a feet would have
about as much show Of getting as an
oxasier pongee and. two canal bcaiss
would have CT reducing Gibraltar to a
. heap of ruins Unfortunately, just at
this time any reference to this other
defence must naturally arouse some
sad thoughts Of the possible cause of
the Maine's fate, since it consists en-
tirely of tOrpedoes and submarine
mines, but if the thoughts are sad the
picture of the ruin wrought is mute
proof of the power Of high explosives
when fired c,Cse to the modern battle
ship.
Fort Delaware, located on Pea Patch
Island near the Finn's Point battery,
is a fort in name only now It has
even discarded its old smooth base that
looked to uninitiated river excursion
lists aWfully deadly ais they frOwn-
ed from green swarded battlements, but
in their place has been installed the
most terribly destructive plant that the
mind of man can conceive. In short,
Fort Delaware is to-day The hub Of a
wheel around the rim of which are sub
marine mines and anchored torpedoes
enough to blow up all the nayies that
ever left a docl1yard.
Just to furnish an idea of the sort OF
- q
best to state that the zone of destrlc-
tion extends down the upper bay from
Pea Patch Island to perhaps Ship John
Light, which lies eastward of the main
ship channel, off the mouth of Cohan-
sey river This stretch of a dozen
leagues has at best a narrow channel
for the approach of big ships, and all
along this channel, in fact in it, the
preparations are complete for scores Of
mines THAT are calculated to wreck
anything they explode near.
With no Thought of being called on
to use such engines these mines are not
charged now. This is TO preclude tina
possibility of accident through the hIt
man agency, but only a few short hour
would be needed to place in each o.
Il the egg-shaped bulbs of metal 500
pounds of dynamite or gun cotton and
make the connections that would ren,
der them ready for service. Then AWAY
up at Fort Delaware. an officer seatet
at an innocent looking Keyboard safi
behind bomb-prOOf 60 feet thick
would have the control of the channel
A complete system of electric signal,
from points naar the mines is read,
to tell him just when 10 touch a but
ton. and Instantly The bI;idled electri.
spark is let loose into the mass of de
struotiOn, and if the calculations be true
the ship follows the action of THE ill
fated Maine.
Beside these there are torpedos read,
for the shallOwer water, and a com
plete torpedo station plant at the o,,
fort which would deal death in tn
noiseless cigar-shaped tubes to amy
thing that approached, So after an thl
Delaware is not half badly defended
and before an enemy could lay us il