The San Francisco call., 1898-03-11
PROTECTION FOR EVERY SEAPORT Urgent Military Orders Go Into Effect
 To-Day. Hitherto Unprotected Forts Will Be. Manned and
 Armed.
Troops to Be Distributed Along the Coast From Boston to Gal
 weston.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, March 10.-A Washing ton special to the Herald says: Mili- tary orders that will become operative tomorrow will cause the manning of hitherto unprotected forts from Boston down the Atlantic coast and along the gulf to Galveston. Baltimore will then be the only unprotected city in the de- partment of the East, and steps will be taken at once to garrison North Point and Hawkins Point on the sea- ward side of the city. These orders call for the utmost promptness in their eX- ecution and as all the troops affected by them have been expecting to be moved at any moment it is likely that all of General Miles plans for defense will be in operation within forty-eight hours. War conditions will at least be suggested in this distribution of troops, because all assignments are made to stations where there are neither quar- ters nor barracks, and the details Will go into camp and live just as they would were they actually participants in a campaign. Artillery troops ana signal corps are affected by the orders.
 Bostons modern Notifications on Long Island Head, at the entrance or the harbor, form splendid protection for the city. By tomorrow night they will be garrisoned by a battery Of the Second Artillery, which will be moved up from Fort Adams, Rhode Island.
 Sandy Hooks big guns, which are relied upon to keep an enemy snip from approaching New York, are to have large complement before Frlday night Two batteries will be sent there from Fort Slocum. from Fort Hamilton and a third from Fort WadsWorth.
 Fort Monroe is one of the strongest and best equipped stations on the coast, and is able to part with some or it's defenders. One battery of the First Artillery will be sent from there to Fort Morgan, Alabama, which, in con junction with Fort GaileS, controls the entrance to Mobile Bay. Another bat tery of the First Artillery, which Is also at Fort Monroe, will be hurried to Tybee Island, Georgia, which gives pro lection to the mouth of the Savannah River St. Francis Barracks at St Au- gustine Fla, will be abandoned in or der that men may be had for more commanding positions.
 The garrison headquarters band and a battery of the First Artillery will be transferred tomorrow to Sulliyans lsl- and in Charleston harbor, South Caro- lima.
 Battery I of the Second Artillery, which is commanded by Captain Cas- eire, will go to Fort Boswell, which IS on the mainland opposite Smiths Isl and, at the entrance of the bay of Wilmington, North Carolina.
 To strengthen the defenses of the na- tional capital one battery from the forts artillery has been ordered to go n dPfPnG1V9 works at Sheridan's Point, Va. This fort is opposite Fort Washington, Md, and both of them control the Potomac River several miles below Washington.
 From the division of the Fourth Ar tfllery. stationed at Fort McHenry, Bal timore. one battery will go to Fort Del aware. Del, and Battery l, Fourth Ar tillery, will be sent to Fort Mott, N. J. These two movements of troops are Tor the protection of Philadelphia, Trenton, Camden and other populous cities or that section. The forts that will safe guard them are at the entrance or the upper Delaware River.
 One battery of the First Artillery, which is at Jackson Barracks, New Or leans. will be sent to the bank of Mis- sissippi River below New Orleans. An other battery now at Jackson Barracks will go to Fort Point, in the harbor of Galveston, Tex.
 General A. w. Greedy, commander of the Signal Corps, will also assume war like activity tomorrow. In conse- ouence of orders from the War Depart ment he will begin to make telegrap phic and telephonic connection between all stations to which men are being sent and department headquarters in Wash ington.
 These orders for the rapid movement of artillery are the result of General Merritt's recent trip through the De- partment of the East. He returned to Governors Island as soon as he found the points where the country was in the greatest need of defenders. and ar ranged for speedy strengthening of them. He intended then to start on a second trip within few days. but the work of arranging for the transfer o1 artillery was so great that he was obliged to postpone his departure. He will leave Governors Island on Monday he expects, and will inspect the fortif1- cations along the Atlantic Coast. pay ing particular attention to Key West.