The San Francisco call., 1898-02-20
Ready to Blow Any Span iSh Fleet Out of
 Water.
Officers Commanding the Depart ment of the East Deny War Preparations, but Con-
 tinue to Prepare.

c NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-Un- . c usual activity has been mani Q c fested during the last two days . c in the forts and Notifications . c commanding the entrance to C c New York harbor. Reports from . c other points on the seacoast . c show that similar conditions . c have been noticed, and while the . c officers in command of the De- . c partment of the East acknowl- . c edge that certain steps have . . been taken, they declare these . c steps have no bearing whatever C . on recent developments in the c c relations between the United . c States and Spain. (;
 These unusual occurrences were first noticed late on Friday night when the commandant at Fort Schuyler re- ceived telegraphic order from General Wesley Merritt, commanding the De- partment of the East. Within an hour of the receipt of the dispatch, Lieuten- ant Lang, commanding a detachment of twenty men, had started to take charge of the new batteries at Willetts Point. Lieutenant Lang's command took their tents and full camp equip ment with them. Their orders were to take charge of the new guns and nor tars recently mounted there, and to see that they are kept in perfect condition. Imperative orders were also issued as to the care of the large quantity of ammunition which has also been ship ped to this point.
 The batteries at Fort Schuyler and Willetts Point command the entrance to the harbor from Long Island Sound and with these batteries fully manned and equipped it would be very hard work for an enemy's warship to force an entrance from that side.
 Additional evidence that the War De- partment is on the alert was furnished to-day when a detachment of artillery commanded by Lieutenant Arnold left Fort Wadsworth for Sandy Hook, where they took charge of the recently completed batteries there. They were quickly followed by detachment of engineers and other branches of the service, which brought the total garri- son established at Sandy Hook up to 200 men. They also took tents and camp equipment.
 At the same time Fort Wadsworth was closed to visitors. Even civilians whose daily associations made it neces- sary for them to enter the fort were halted half a mile away by the sentries and ordered to turn back. No one not a member of the garrison or of the fam flies of the officers was allowed to en- ter. and the sentries even refused to take notes or cards to Colonel Sinclair, the commandant.
 Ammunition in large quantities is also on the way to Sandy Hook, where there are sixteen 12-inch disappearing guns, four 10-inch guns and two tor pedo tubes. At Fort Wadsworth part of the modern armament consists of four 10-inch breechloading guns and five 8-inch guns. A shot from the latter can sink a ship at a distance of eight miles.
 At Governors Island the headouar- ters of the Department for the East. it was learned to-day that in addition to the batteries already manned orders have been sent to man those at Growers Cliff. at the entrance of Boston liar Dor and at Portland Head, at Port land, Maine. In each instance an or der has been telegraphed to the near est post to send a lieutenant and twenty artillerymen to take charge of the batteries. It was also learned that an order was to-day sent out from Governors Island to sixty military posts, most of them on the Atlantic seaboard, enjoining the commanders that the strictest care be exerted to keep the guns and other equipment at the utmost pitch of efficiency, and that every precaution be used to guard the stores of ammunition and provide against premature explosion or deter ioration from any cause. Work is also being pushed rapidly to comple- tion of the new batteries on the small island at the eastern end of Long Is- land.
 These are still in the contractors hands, but it was said they would be finished in few weeks. Guns and am- munition are all ready for them and they will be equipped and named just as soon as finished. Similar rush work is being done at Cape Hatteras and other points on the Atlantic seaboard.
 Notwithstanding all this activity the officers in command at Governors Island declare it has no bearing at all on the recent international develop ments. They speak of it as routine work which would have been done in any case.
 "The batteries have been completed and equipped, and we have simply placed a few men in each to care for the guns and equipment and keep them from deteriorating." one officer said.
 When asked, however, if the force was sufficient to fight the guns, the of flcer replied: "Oh, yes. The guns are automatic. You have only to start them going and they work themselves. !"