New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-06

AMMUNITION BEING SHIPPED TO ALL sEABoAhD
FoRTIFICArIoNs-GE MERRITTs
TRIP TO THE SOUTHERN COAST.


Activity In the matter of shipping ammunition and
supplies to the GARD Notifications OF the country
was not relaxed yesterday At the of'ce OF the
Ouartermaster's Department. in the Army Buldng'
Colonel Case said to a reporter Tor Inc irl"u'.e'
THE shipments of powder and proectilcs 10 an 'ne
forts have been going FOR ton days and arc lkey
10 continue for some time. The supplies at every
point are being replenshed. The procedures a'e
mostly sent from the New-York Arsenal on Govern
or's Island but some 20 from the Watertown Arse
nal The powder comes from near Dover. " j.
Pickatinny Is the shipping point | think IL Is on
the Morris County Railroad. The Government works
there busy manufacturing powder.
we are shipping some big guns to n point on the
Pacific coast above Seattle. and next week VIII ship
some from Sandy Hook to points the Atlantic
Coast Most Of the guns are sent from the places
where they are made Sandy Hook TO be tested
before they shipped elsewhere. we sehd All We
can by water. as IT costs less than by rail- Inc
guns under way are mainly s-inch' o-ihch ana
Pinch bore They are steel rifles and are usually
mounted disappearing carriages. They are capa-
bile OF doing good work. Fort Mott. In the Della
ware River Is place where new guns VIII be
mounted.
while the Government may not expect hostil-
ties to break out everything Is being done to make
ready for any emergency. We are better prepared
to-day than we were yesterday. and will he better
prepared tomorrow than to-day Whatever Con-
gress authorizes Is done with prompitude and dis
patch"
There was much interest In Army circles yeSter-
day in regard TO the proposition toIut modern de-
fences at the Dry Tortugas, abodt seventy miles
off Key West. FostVefferson. brick fertilization
with thick walls. which was erected there nearly
half a century ago has not been garrisoned for
many years. and has been in charge Of an ordnance
sergeant. The War Department can resume control
OF 1t any time. although 1t Is now used quar-
antine station by the Treasury Department Mill
tary authorities think that 1t would be an admirable
base OF supplies In case OF any outbreak of hostil-
ties
At General Merrtt's headquarters on Governors
Island it was said yesterday afternoon that his
plans had been TO start his Southern trip this
evening but that he would probably not get away
before tomorrow afternoon. 1t is expected that he
will visit Fort Mclienry. at Baltimore; the Wash
insion Barracks at WashingI9n: Fort Washington.
Potomac River. Fort Monroe, Va; Key West Bar,
Sullivan's Island. South Carolina. all Of which are
garrisoned posts. He may also visit some of the
ynga,rrsoHed points such as Forts Sumter and
DINA; Fort Oglethorpe. Georgia, and Fort Carroll,
Maryland: There are no fewer than twenty-eight
posts which the General commanding the Depart
ment Of the East has to visit Annually General
present year. which expires on September l. He
found on his return from his recent trip that some
away again. and these have delayed his departure
Nothing was officially known on Governors Island
Sensational newspaper in order to obtain informa-
ton In regard to the Notifications at Sandy Hook,
had secured a place tmekeeper for force OF
men employed there. and when detected was arrest
ed and sent to Fort Hancock An Army officer said
in regard to the story: While the rule promulgated
two years ago to prevent unauthorized persons from
entering Government property is strictly enforced,
IL would be easy for any one who wished work at
Sandy Hook, SO as to gain Information. do so.
and do not see how he could he detected unless he
gave himself away. There are several hundred men
employed there In building barracks and earth
works. All the information any desired could
be secured from the official reports in regard to the
number and calibre Of the guns there. and as to
what else Is to he seen there secrecy observed
There Is no Fort Hancock there yet. but when
the barracks are completed. probably in July next,
that name Is TO be given to them Personally | do
not believe in the policy Of excluding the public
from our forts. When the order was issued force
OF men had 10 he sent to the reservation at Sandy
Hook to do police duty. and they had 10 drive of
squatters and clamdiggers. At first there was
some trouble. hut now there IA none Practically
the only way at present 10 reach the reservation Is
by the Government boat"
The steamship Ncuces. Of the Mallory Line. took
a shipment OF powder and projecties from Fort
Lafayette yesterday afternoon to the forhcat ions
Key West.