The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-14
FOR NEW RAVENS DEFENSE
THE DELEGATI0N WITH PETITION STARTS FOR WAShINGTON TO-DAY.

Six Long Range Disappearing Guns at Could Keep Hostile ships Twelve Miles From New Haven, Says Henry c. Rowe-- Memorial win be Presented Tomorrow,
 The board of aldermen will meet to- night In special session to consider the petition of the chamber of commerce to President Mckinley asking that proper defenses against possible hostile vessels be erected at the entrance to New Haven harhor. The aldermen will undoubtedly vote to endorse the peti- tion, and it is possible that some ar rangemcnt will be made to send gen. tlemen representing the city govern ment to aid Henry c. Rowe, who is to present the petition to President Me- Kinlcy in behalf of the chamber of commerce, in urging upon the president the importance of erecting coast de- lenses for New Haven. The petition was drawn up by MT. Rowe and is ad- dressed to the president, as he has in charge the disposition of the $50,O0O,O00 for national defense just appropriated. The matter will also be acted upon py the councilmen at their regular meet ing tomorrow night.
 Mr. Rowe will leave for Washington to-day and will probably be accompa- nied by General E. F, Bradley of the chamber of commerce. The harbor commission has appointed George B. Martin of that commission, and presi- dent of the Empire Transportation company, to accompany MT. Rowe to Washington as it's representative. MT. Martin has not decided, however, whether or not he will go, as business may keep him in New Haven.
 MT. Rowe has for years made study of coast defenses and from the nature of his business, as one of the most prominent oystermen in the country, is peculiarly we'll fitted to speak for har- bor defenses for New Haven. He has carefully considered, from observance of natural conditions there existing, the possibility of hostile vessels run ming past the defenses at Fishers Is- land and Plum Island and the other works at the eastern end of the sound, and thinks that such circumstance IS very possible. He says that the Race, two and three quarters miles in width, would be the channel most likely to be selected by a hostile vessel attempting to run by the defensive works, as this channel is wider than Plum Gut, which is less than mile in width. The cur- rent is very swift, running at the rate of about five knots per hour, so that it would be almost impossible to anchor mines or torpedoes in the channel, and at high water, even if mines were an chored there, they would be one hun dred feet under water, while at low water they would be nearly on the sur- face.
 The petition which is to be presented ' to President Mckinley will be bound in morocco and will be lined with silk. The petition will be presented to-mor- row or Wednesday. Senators Platt and Hawley and Representative Sperry have been notified that the delegation is coming from New Haven and of it's purpose. It is arranged that the dele gation will see these gentlemen and the secretary of war before seeing the pres ident
 Official notice of the action by the two branches of the common council in relation to the petition will be sent at once to MT. Rowe in Washington af- ter such action is taken tonight and tomorrow night.
 Mr. Rowe was asked last evening when he would start for Washington to see President Mckinley concerning the defense for New Haven harbor; He said: "We are going oh the Colonial ho to1 1yor some time to set up an elaborate copy of the memorial and to secure all the signatures of the officers and execu- tive committees of the Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, the common council does not have it's special meet ing until Monday night at which time they will adopt my memorial, as did the Chamber of Commerce. Official notice of such adoption will be mailed o-us Monday evening and we will then receive it Tuesday so that we can pre- sent it to President Mckinley with the memorial and the certificate of adop tion by the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday"
 Flow did you happen to start this movement for defenses of New Haven harbor?"
 Well I have read the discussion of the matter in the North American Re view and other publications for doz- en years past, and have been convinc- ed for ten years that the country's de- fense was being neglected. l have not taken any steps in it until now because l thought other people were attending to such things, and they would think was intruding if made move. More over, there are always more to find fault and say its all nonsense than there are to give a man any thanks for such work. However, about a month ego I decided to study up the subject more carefully, and before the $50, ,000,- 900 appropriation bill was proposed I was nearly ready to offer a memorial address to congress on the subject. When, however, the president was giv- en the expenditure of the S50,000,000, determined to address the memorial to him and if for any reason he can not use any of it for coast defenses, then could petition congress and see the sec retary of war about it.''
 What defenses do you thing New Haven ought to have?"
 ''We need four or six long range guns mounted on disanDearine carria pes