The record-union., 1898-10-26
Interesting Statistics Of the Results
Lately Accomplished
Contained In Chief Engineer Wilson's Re-
port TO the War Department.
The Value Of the Coast Defenses
to Resist Naval Attacks Amply
Demonstrated by the Operations
of the American Fleets Upon
the Coasts of Cuba and Porto
Rico.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-The annual
report of Brigadier General John M.
| Wilson, Chief of Engineers, u. S. A.,
has been made to the Secretary of War.
| In consequence of the war with Spain,
that portion of the report relating to
Notifications is most interesting. Upon
this point General Wilson says:
During the fiscal year projects of
permanent sea coast defenses were pre-
pared and approved by the Secretary
of War for Port Royal, S. c.; st. Johns
River, Fla; Tampa, Fla, and Sabine
Pass, Texas, making thirty localities in
| the United States for which projects of
permanent defenses have thus far been
approved under the general scheme to
aid in 1886 by the Endicott board. AT
the close of the fiscal year. the con-
| Struction Of permanent modern defen-
| sive works was in progress in 25O locali-
! ties.
In consequence of the war with
Spain and the possibilities of hostile at
| tacks upon our coasts, urgent and
| pressing demands were made by Sen
ators, Representative and local bust
ness men for the immediate erection Of
sea coast batteries at numerous points
not conter.Q ated in the general scheme
of nations defense. In the absence OF
any avail ible modern armament the
! Secretary of War directed the imme-
| date construction of temporary bat
| teries, mounting old style armament
| and siege guns, for the defense of a
number Of exposed localities, including
some which are embraced in the ma
tional SCI eme of defense.
| THE localities at which temporary
batteries were ordered are Bar Harbor,
Me; Stonington, Bridgeport and New
| Haven, Conn; Port Royal and George
| town, S. c.; Brunswick and Darien,
Ga; mouth of ST. Johns River st. Au-
gustine, Miami and Tampa, Fla, and
Sabine Pas, Texas.
! In addition to the foregoing tempo
rary batteries, preparations were made
against hostile attacks by overhauling,
cleaning and putting in serviceable con-
| dition the existing armament and by
| temporarily mounting with the adj
dditional guns at the following old type
works: Fort Knox, Fort Pepham, Fort
| Trumbull, Fort Monroe, Fort Macon,
Fort Pulaski, Fort Clinch, Fort Nor
gan Fort Jackson and forts in San
Francisco Bay. While no hostile attacks
were made upon our sea coasts during
the war with Spain, the operations of
the American fleets upon the coasts of
| Cuba and Porto Rico have amply dem
| onstrated the value of coast defenses,
| including shore batteries and subma-
| rine mines in resistance to naval at
| tacks
1T may be confidently asserted that
| the completion Of the projects upon
| which operations are now in progress
will practically insure the safety of
| our principal harbors and sea coast
cities against any attacks from the sea.
! One other important deduction may
also be drawn from the results of the
war-namely, the great value and eff
ficiency of the rapid-fir guns 1t is
gratifying to report that not only have
a considerable number of these rapid-
fire guns been mounted during the year.
but that provision has been made for
the manufacture and placing of a large
additional number.
Existing projects for sea coast de-
lenses contemplate the emplacement Of
about 500 heavy guns of eight, ten,
twelve and sixteen inches. of about 700
rapid-fire guns of various calibers and
of about 1,0O0 mortars. These figures
are subject to slight changes as minor
| revisions remained and additional To-
cations included. The estimated ap-
proxi innate cost of the engineers work
included with the installation of this
work is 500, 900, 000.
Since the Inauguration of the mod
ern coast defense system appropriations
amounting to $40, 1888 have been
made, and there was allotted out Of
the S5OO00,O0O defense fund placed at
! the disposal of the President. s., 653,
600 for work under the engineers. Pro-
vision has been made for mounting 2SS
heavy guns, 254 rapid-fire guns and 312
! mortars or about 90 per cent of the
projected armament of heavy guns, 36
per cent of the rapid guns and 81
per cent of the mortars. This disarma-
ment is disposed at II localities in 50
harbors of the United States.
THE estimates for next year are:
Gun and mortar batteries, 81, All 900;
purchase of land for Notifications,
5000 GOO; protection, preservation and
repair of Notifications, 100000; prep
aration Of plans for Notifications $780,
900; sea walls and entertainments So
500. Topedoes for harbor defense:
For the purpose of submarine mines
and necessary appliances to operate
them; for closing the channels leading
to our principal sea ports; for needful
classmates. cables. ETC., to render it
possible to operate submarine mines
and for continuing torpedo experiments,
total S4 917 900"
Taking the important subject of river
and harbor improvements. General Will
son says that experience has shown that
the system of providing funds for car
rying on continuously or completing
this work has heretofore resulted in
materially reducing the cost He says
significantly that if the system is re-
stricted to works fully justified by the
interests of commerce, it will prove an
economical one, providing the altera-
tions are made as to avoid delays in
improvements. He said he had been con-
vincing contractors that they may look
to Congress for full payment if they
!. finish their contracts. The total esti-
mates for the year 1900 are So, S333. 49,
flor continuous work and $50 ,5SS 341 for