Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-14
WARllKE ACTIVITY.
Preparations of Defense Not Re-
laxed for Sunday.
Work on Torpedo Outfits Being Pushed
at Newport-Getting Ready to Place
Submarine Mines at Portsmouth.

Newport. r. l., March 13.-There has
been the greatest activity today at the
torpedo station, in preparing charges for
torpedo outfits and also in perfecting the
defenses at the entrance of Narragan-
sett Bay. III the machine shops at the
station the lathes cutting the shell for
fuses and primers were run to their full
capacity, while extra hands were in the
fuse room loading and packing. Hands
have also been taken on in the gun cot
ton and slnokeless, powder plants, which
are being pushed to their full capacity.
1t is claimed at the station that all
this stir has no war significance, and is
only for the purpose of catching up
with orders, but itgis' known that while
the orders for fuses and primers were
sufficiently numerous to keep the plant
In operation on ordinary time for some
months, that this work had been so
portioned out as to be completed by the
time the ships now Building were ready
for supplies.
Since tGle war scare there has been a
large demand for fuses for the ships
fitting out, and as there is practically
no reserve supply, extra work has been
made compulsory, and that, too, without
providing for regular orders.
The gun cotton plant has been max
Ing only enough of its product to keep
the snokeless powder plant supplied,
but now it Is working up the surplus as
well as keeping up the supply for the
running Of the powder mill to its full
capacity. In the magazine at Rose ISL
and there are several thousand pounds
of Dupont cotton, purchased at the time
of the burning of the factory here. This
is used for the loading OF torpedo heads.
Tomorrow another consignment Of
Whitehead torpedoes will come from
the Bliss Company works, in Brooklyn.
The torpedo boats Gwin and Talbot kad
steam up ready to be turned over to
the, officers and crew, who are expected
tomorrow. The new type of torpedo
which will be ISSUED in a few days, will
require double the charge of those
heretofore served to the navy.
Early this evening the torpedo boat
Stilleto returned quite unexpectedly
from New York, where she has been all
winter for tests of her oil burning fur
naces She came up under this sort of
fire, and her stacks famed considera-
bly, 1t is assumed that she will be
used for carrying smokeless powder to
New York as soon as it is produced
here The last shipment was on tht
Leyden last week, and comprised 4O0l
pounds for six-inch pieces.
The class of seamen gunners is beins
greatly reduced here on account of al
urgent call for these trained men. Th
Marine Guard on the training station
which now numbers rs men, is held il
readiness for drafts, and most of til,
general service men at the station hay
already been detached. For the defenst
of the bay the mortar battery at For
Adams, and the 12-inch battery at Dutc
island on the other side of the bay, ar,
the principal points where work is be
ing pushed. Carriages of the mortar
battery at Fort Adams are in the pits
but await some improved parts before
they are complete. The mortars have
not yet arrived, although a couple of
carloads Of shells are in the city await
ing transportation to the fort.
The Burlington disappear-
ing carriages are ready for assembly in
emplaeerhents at Dutch Island, and men
are kept busy moving up the big 12-inch
rifles to mount on them. A vessel load
of powder arrived at Fort Adams today,
and another lot is expected soon by rail-
This morning there arrived several tons
of cables for submarines, for both the
middle and west passages of the bay.
Mines, anchors and firing apparatus are
already at hand, but no members of the
regular army engineer corps have yet
made their appearance to plant the
mines During the past week plans Nave
been worked up for laying a telegraph
cable to Dutch Island from the Conani-
cut shore, which will connect with lines
here by telephone cable 1t viii then
be small job to cut into the telegraph
ic circuit some Of the telephone wires
from here to Fort Adams. officers at
the fort have been locating range find
ers' stations for several days. but their
places are kept secret, but 1t said that
some are in summer residences which
hold commanding views.
The naval reserves today were engag-
ed along shore locating signal stations
between the government telegraph sta
tions. These will be at West Island,
Fort Adams. Dutch Island, Narragan-
sett Pier, Point Judith and Watch Hill
on the Rhode Island coast.