New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-22
READY FOR EMERGENCIES.
run SUPPLY OF AMMUNITION IN THE
FORTS Being INCREASED.


oy,y FEW MEN. HOWEVER. HAVE BEEN 'h'i
TO CARE FOR THE NEW GUNS IN ORDER III
,,rs, ruru IN GOOD WORKING ORDER
,,,o oord,,,on of the Notifications along the sea
hoard was the general theme OF disc"sSo', 9" &,
srnors Island yesterday. The placing Oh nv" -
charge OF the new guns al fort h"N ,s 80
Sandy Hook and at Wiilets Point was 'es ".
significant Of determination 10 nave '' - ~
a., rsod,nsss for any emergency foreseen o. un
foreseen The supply Of ammunition AZ III. and
along the seacoast Is also 10 De i"'' -.
there will be a larger reserve supply Oh n"'u 80
r,s bcretofore been kept. Especial ehor's are o
'"' -. ., roon cranks and all unauthorized
,s,,ors ont Of the harbor Notifications, 10 prevent
any nossibre tamperng with machine guns vi ca
plosives Especial vigilance has been o'ue'eu "
all the forts, and every measure Oh p'e'"'
which suggests itself Is observed
VIEWS OF GENERAL MERRITT.
csnsro, Merritt said to a reporter for The IT'D
une Yesterday: There Is nothing ne" III '"e -
ton to-day The steps we nave tahe" " Ca,
artllervmen in charge of the new guns at oanus
nj ana NiIIets Point are only such as we "o'.'
ho,o taten IN any event when the guns arc -,
place and are turned over TO our care W a.,
of Engineers We have not put as "'a',' -. :,
charge of the guns would be needeu ~ 'a'e -,
war detail Of eighteen or twenty men -" 70 aa
cora for one OF the big guns part OF the tie' - "
- 20 ao,,,n the guns for IT wouid repuho
tlxax
,h,r,,e,x or forty men for each to care lor u''"
all the time Those big guns are as ueno'e
watch and require to be carefuily ioo -,
II they are neglected they cannot De use ia
they are wanted 1t won't do 10 OIL .ne'" W -
tben let them lie still. They must be .raVe'se.
49,, dov. that f. run around and polished up anu
cleaned and kent bright. There must De men "
take full charge of them ,,o--,,t
''Where have you sent new menF "e"e'"' 49,
was asked. ,,,... po,rt thew
"Resides Sandy Hook and Willets fo'h.' ~
b,ve been detailed to Fort Warren, az bos'o",
-. r~h,o on tho Maine coast and 10 Portland
Head We need more men to man our present "e
fences properly. AS General Miles saio III "'s i"
annual report We need two more res'n'e"'' =.
artillery and hope Congress Is going 10 give '
to US There has been proposition 10 u's''o1n'
the cavalry and make artierymen OF the troopers
but hone II will not be done. We need the cav
airy as well az the artillery. II we had TWO resi
ments more we could equip all the sedpoai" i'
and have trained men in charge OF our nish-po"e'
guns Such men cannot be secured In minute
They require careful training But II we had enough
men in the forts could easily get an army oi
volunteers to defend them the land SIDE. VI
course n an enemy could land now ana march
around the forts they could cut them on but no one
will be able to DO that before we have SUFFICIENT
warning to raise an army for defence.
TO USE ELECTRICITY.
Another thing In which the men IN our tor's
arr
ia the use OF electricity We the electric cur
rent to light our batteries for the searchlights and
for firing torpedoes. The men have to obtain skill
by practice and their training is essential have
given considerable attention 10 this for some time
We are acting the theory that the time OF peace
is the time to prepare for Although we do not
see any to fear a conflict, the government
does not propose to leave anything undone th i
should be done in the way OF preparation we IN
tend have our Notifications IN the best possible
condition for any emergency which may arise; FOR
any iic Of the forts?S
None has vet arrived" replied General Merritt.
At the Army Building much interest is taken in
the existing situation but the officers In charge OF
he o s efanee 10 Of say the Of New
York beyond what is contained IN the Official re-
yesterday: THE orders of the Department pre-
eerd 70 V the OF the seaboard defences
have been repeated so often that we feel that we
Information. am not in sympathy with this
policy, and believe that the people would be
done. while foreign nations would learn no more
than they now know whenever they deem it de
sirable to get the facts within the forts. IT Is
impossible to prevent their knowing what they
want to know and the only persons kept In igno-
rance own people.
"of course there are certain facts that should
escorting visitors about forts was not bad one.
/ remember experience OF my own. however,
of Kindness Of heart showed him through Fort
Hamilton. and then he published startling head ,a
Government fort, and Army secrets were given
away by a regular of1cer III put me IN an I'M
pleasant plight, and | do not think my courtesy
was properly rewarded"
At the head OF the Government Corps OF Engt-
neers in the Army Building Is Colonel Henry NJ.
Robert. The fortincatons at Fort Hamilton and
Sandy Hook In charge Of Lieutenant-Colone
William Ludlow. Major Henry NJ Adams has
charge of the defences at Forts Wadsworth and
Schuyler and at Wilets Point. Colonel George l..
Gillespie has especial charge, Of the defences at
the easterly end of the Sound.
The Ordnance Department is in charge of Major
Frank II. Phipps. commanding the Newly Ar
senal Governors Island. while the Proving
Ground on Sandy Hook is under the command OF
Captain Frank Heath. The Board OF Seacoast
Artillery Fire. is composed Of CAPTAIN Henry |.
Harris and First Leutenants William II. Coffin
and Charles E. Parker. all stationed at Governors
Iola