The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-25
ITEMS FROM new CASTLE.
Correspondence Of the REPUBLICAN,.
NEW CASTLE, May 2jth.

A numbor OF New castle people have
fallen a prey to clever book agent. About
weeks ago he visited several houses with
a beautiful bound book Its usua! price was
So but on account of whole string of af
fairs 1t would be sold for SIS Is. Only twen.
ty five copies would be permitted to be sold
in New Castle. Name after name was ad-
dcd to his list and half dollar placed in
his pocket on account.
The books wero to be delivered inside of
week Tho books never camo and now
the subscribers declare that there Will be
Il hct time IN town when the next agent
appears.
A writer in discussing tho safety of New
Castle in case Of invasion thinks tho forts
should be properly garrisoncd
A limo OF dofence which, II provided with
enough men and guns, would mako the
river almost impossible to AL enemy,
guards the river sixty miles from tho
Cape5. Fort Delaware is in the centre OF
this limo Of defence to the west Is the
battery at Delaware City and In line with
these two, guarding the bank Of the river,
this vicinity. Unfortunately, to manage
all these defensive works men are lacking.
The forts are still on peace footing.
There are two batteries Uf artillery, OF
about seventy men each, one at Fort Della
ware and the other at Fort Mott. There Is
O detachment of eight men at the Della
ware City battery.
So far as guns are concerned the fortif-
cations are well off, but to man them the
batteries of artillery should be recruited
up to twice their present strength.
HOW FORTS COULD BE TAKEN.
1t Is asserted thatit would bo possible
at the present time for few hostile ships
to land 400 or 800 men and easily capture
the forts.
Little more than sixty miles from the
Cape, to the forts, and ir would be abso-
lutely impossible to dispatch additions TO
the garrison In the few hours that 1t would
take to sail up from the entrance. A storm
ing party attacking tho forts in the rear
would probably meet with little resistance
as affairs now stand. Nor do tho forts
need artilleryInen alone 1t Is believed
that, in addition to the force actually
needed to man the guns, force OF infant
ry Is needed to rcpel possible landing
parties, and there is feeling that the War
Department should dispatch one regiment
of infantry to each of the forts.
1t Is urged that to do this would entail
very little expense to the government, as
regiments now preparing for the field in
places whore they could not possibly meet
an emergency could as well be drilled in
the vicinity Of the fortilications. The
regiment stationed nearest the forts was
one at Mddletown, but that, 1t Is under
stood, will be moved to Fort Hamilton to
take the place of artillery ordered South
The seats will not be placed in the school
green this yeer until proper guarantee
is given by the Acting Mayor Tho guar
antce required is that when the benches
are put down that every person who Is dis.
covered defacing them shall be arrested and
properly punished.
The steamship Sirocco which has been
detained at Reedy Island was released yes
terday and proceeded to Philadelphia. Tho
Sirocco is loaded with bones from the
south. In order to prevent the spread Of
disease she was properly fumlgated.
j. Nathan who was reported yesterday
rs being indisposed is considerably better
to-day, ~S-:sss
Howard Cam, of Wilmington, visited
New Castle Yesterday.
Dennis j. McIvor of Philadelphia was
the guest of New Castle relatives yester-
day, lie will spend the summon at Cape
May.
Chaplain Munson who had been home
for n couple Of days returned to Camp
Tunnel yesterday. A visitor. to the camp
says that Sergeant Lancaster Is doing the
honors for Company II. lnstend OF the
Captain or his Iheutonants drilling the
men the task falls to Lancaster, who was
ignominiously turned down. He knows
the tactics,
Others do not know them. But as rc-
ported about the Governor, Lancaster had
to be turned down Now he has to do the
work and when the time comes there are
officers who will be retired on account OF
their lack Of qualifications Captain Boyd
drills his men and takes great pride in his
youngsters" tSome of then are over IT.
in height and weigh closs to l9J His first
sergeant Is an ex regular who served with
honor in the army.