New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-17
LACK OF PROPER FoRTIFIcATloNs.

NETWORK HARBoR NOT ADEQUATELY PRO
rrcrEp AGAINST FOREIGN INVASION
The adequate protection Of the port ~ Ne"-iHs
Is OF vital importance in case OF any danger OF "a
Tho great interests. commercial and indus'rlA
c.n,r,ng in this metropolis demand defence OF NV
mos, ample nature But the policy which has oesa
nursued has failed. IN the minds Of most Army ana
Navy officers. TO provide for any emergency s'ea
"a strained relations between this Government an'
any foreign Power may give rise 10. Inc sl'.A''"
NAV be summed up by saying that the us'e"0''
now existing are regarded wholly inadequate
case OF the invasion Of this port ny modern "0"'
clads the vessels could lie out Of range o. me ca
listing batteries and could shell this city WIKI "eA
high-power guns. or they could run pas, .as III.
and reach points OF comparative sai''s "'''"
rar ge Of the entire city A..
prominent Federal official. IN discussing 's
situation. said yesterday: War : far more 00s'
than providing proper means OF deieh'e >" -
latter part OF the Civil War the cost was 80
e 10000 4 day or about soorNco a month JUS
gee what we could DO with any sucn SUN q" ~
erly fortifying our harbors II me ,
,ro,,,a a,nronr,ate 100000 and let US have u 81
the rate OF 100000 "A year, we could 20 s"e"s
our dafences that We would not he az the i-e-z >
,oro,s, ,r,nclads But we must have money 70 ="
:, 7, tho people will not appropriate tNe "'0"'
,bav uvon't yet the defence. IL Is just the sa'Ne
q man who saves the premiums on his i"'''
and then has to shoulder his losses wac" -
comes But don't believe thar We WI" nav 80.
war AZ this time II We DO. 20 nor S'e ~"
can prevent war vessels coming rsht w .'' -.
~ ~ -, down ,orpedoes they Will drag them "
unless we have rapid-tre guns 70 protect theHN -
wa can, maintain the rapid-hre guns Unless
49, ,,u h,o gums 10 take care Of them GO, W.
soc ono thing hinges upon another. ana u" ~
rords upon the amount OF money spent
TIL. fortiicauons OF the port OF New-fofA "''
rlac.d al the southern ana the eastern en'raNo'
Al the former they are on SANDY HOOK '.'. s
Island and Long Island. on opposite sizes o' ~
Narrows are Forts Wadsworth ana h"ii''o" "
tho resut OF an inquiry conducted twelve years @e
nv the Board OF Fortihcations. under autho'"
congress the placing OF modern hfh power -
o,d r,or,ars was begun Sites Tor mortar oS''e
,ero occurred several years ago adjoining me ~
orruent property az Fort Hamilton and a. ssa sS
Wadsworth and also on Plum Island near '"N
Tr. las, report Of the Government beard .rS ~
Engineers shows that on staten ls.dhH 49, car
niae,ments for l0-inch guns cn disappearing asst
49, were made ready Tor mounting n tne ySsr
var and I'VE Tor S-incn guns, te"" -, and
I ~. w.re completed At Fort Hamilton a..
Sondv Hook the defences include mortar s asssat
Tor sixteen l2inch moriars, TWO ehp'ta. .un
FOR pinch guns In htts' one tor mates g," 70,
on n disappearing carriage and TWO casenlsa nils
eix-pounder rapld-hre guns. all completes, Ior
work is going forward upon four empaeenp.snss TWO
.,snnat9s for s!X-pouuter rapid IRE guns .,s~s-
,raCts have been made for three more ss'Ps guns
,,snts for lO-inch guns. Two FOR l--lhS" asen.u.
ana one FOR an S-inch gun. All the rev ., AR.
ment is Of high power guns with dsappeaI"g I, me
r,o@ss and the mortar batteries are l'aceu, !" 10
,nrn ~ a rectangle, with four al e9ch aisav hat.
,rL has VET been done In placing The mor'" 80 30
trriss on Plum Island. although title 10 Tue P'''
.rty has been obtained. -. x.yyork
the eastern entrance 20 the port OF New wGies
~ frrfiarotiors are AT Fort schuyler ana o,er
p",,, 49, rho dividing line between the hast ~, ,so
and the Sound. The new worhS mere iiil.'aDrpearns
an. ocements FOR lO-nch guns, Two ulsaFts,- an
ca rlr,ayes one Tor A Pinch gun ana one 80 -
s-inch gun together with eight p.a'a"tn, includes
inch n,ortars In addition. the aitit iie.,. ~ TWO
NV nortar battery Yor sixteen l2-!nch moriars' W.
io-inrh guns ana one s-inch gun. , ,-k has
a" ~ cosIrrlv end of The SOUND Norh al
~ ho, hsrtn I'm fortifying Plum. Fisher az ar
Crca, Gun Islands prevent ;ne p1sSsr beg IN
sntns sif.s have been secured ana WORK Nell
ro.,inn ~ y inch and le-inch guns a. ,ss.s
as mortar batteries In CONNECTION ION, "i banned tor
forts submarine defences have pe.ll bssancH but
and the mines prepared for torpedo deIs"'"
the plans are not made puDnA