The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-19
HENEWHARBORDEFENCE
n D~IFFICULr PROBLEM PREVENTED
By THE CHANNEL CHANGES.

"
now II 10 LIKELY TO BE M~et-fresent forts
u Guns VIII be 'nnaequ.'o ana now
Unes Are poink rl.nnou- n"'hn"nS
The opening OF the new East Channel, which
- 10 De oredRed forty ieet deep 10 a width OF
Z.oooieet throuSh tDat part OF tne mouth OF
new YORK haroor which lies TO the north OF
komer Shoals and midway between sandy
HOOK and Coney Island. ana work upon which
is 10 oe begun wlthin a year. forces upon the
war Department a new ana rather dinlcult
problem In regard to making the harbor and
city safe against a foreign Zoe. it Is true that
the new channel VIII not be opened Tor q
number OF years. but It Will not do to
walt until that time before providing the
new means oil defence. ior Dig guns ana forts
10 put them IN cannot DC puilt IN a oay' as Is
properly reaiizedat washington.
Inc contract Tor the opening OF the new
channel. which was signed a rev days ago.
gives the contractor a year In which to get
ready Tor work. After that he must remove
100000 cubic yards OF earth every month for
the eiGht working months OF the hrst year
ana l.2oo.ooo CUBIC yards Tor each work
ing month Of tho succeeding years. As
there will be from 40 600 600 N 40
100000 cubic Yards to take out. Il i,
estimated that it will be about six
,sn oe.S S 'n9 wore Is nnlsnea; by
snae .,me IN. var pepa,.men' ,n,ends .hat a
m,n r,oIo ~ h.rhu. as sn,o anain.t o,t.,n Inv vi
VIII make the herpor az saie against attack as
commanding the entrance through the present
maIn sh,n nhannoI A Glance ~ tha 49, 20, ~.
harbor entrance will make it apparent to
almost any one that the new problem is much
The main ship channel. as it now exists,
starts from deep water well within the range
oIthe powerful guns al fort hancock. near inc
P pGi1t Of ha the . hoo ot h' and l,S under mo the fire sn Of the he
the sandy shores below the fort. From there
IL baye TO pass almost under the Guns ~
,ha Tor, Tnere &. no n.rt -, thn nb.u
a mil. AWAY from tho Hook. and 4, n"1 ia
not believed that any ship ahoat could
run the gauntlet Of the powerful guns there
.nsusn VIE n aa wnnI' ein iiuaieu
ana SUNK. oven Without the ala OF the torpedoes
which in war time MI the Ghannel; Without
running TINS santle. no ship could get close
sSs osins = to sn sse s niles e s az any %oS Ss%a 4lses se eas
fafnee Guns strung along the Hook below Fort
H anresk miles anS t aWsy 70 c tns ng}r slnT9 1o 2, f I3ss
the Romer beacon. and the nav, channel will
three and a half miles away from sandy Hook
iand a. Con1y : LELAND, a. j., Although dfn o three or four
a,I - wen withan Ihe eneGtaee range OF plR
portsin5 part o. is 6%siiiastllo easet and pow " Of
Pse I net an afmo mrppid. e; "a an 6i 2 en,p. pig as II is:
Weather I IA and ff II full Me daylight. mt eV'n IN clear
miimou1 turtneF SamanienS than me haroor
R PealS Sp plS az M%rl $re nave cem HSs9 sh' a dfit sss. Which s56
would nesitate anout attacking new YORK at
tina shst w the board 1n onT Of b ansips Ss,s5 now "a Glha fnz9E Of
snss then tbs n @,,sSn; Gh Inst qa EiRgines Wbs has t Is
engineers VIII recommend the location OF new
, nntii 1 iand pa for tSs ;w'i !: o. s, t66srs Ssd 1s EePt Is secret Snet
demnatlon proceedings are begun to obtain
Of the 20 land az; G tha + the seg new G heEfgas.s w ro9m he be lay Iny
af IT O. 9p,sSE9nInstyyplss l ar n4 On s slater enrb leland IL back c
Of the Quarantine i q Islands also; Measured in q
sStralEht inc; me distance from SANDY HOOK to
nine miles; Although 1t would be At long
mshd the outer entrance TO the new channel.
Whie one at Coney lsand oeach would have
coming up the channel as would the guns at
hCWeNoI psss cIoee "
Norton's Point. and a fort there would seem to
Dc q necessity. Big Guns at Fort Wadsgorth
on the newly ACQUIRED lands overlooking south
Bearh would train right down the channel.
wnle Tor some at shorter range 70 cover the
same general line OF IRE Q Tort could pc estab-
lished at Holman island. BseE Of this still.
anu 10 the south OF eouth Beach. other pig
guns could De mounted 70 give a cross ,hre
upon attacking ships II they ever got un close
enough TO- attack at close range the fort that
may De Quit at Norton,s Point.
ara me , earlier dssiGned id deie e : at sa MoLyy, HOOK tSat
had hung fire for years for lack OF money, was
pressed forward as soon as the, S3O.OOO.oOO
war 1und was appropriated al, the beginning
OF the trouble with spain. and there. are many
more guns IN place mere now tnan there were
are. and how big they are Is one ct the care
tuiiy guarded secrets o. the war department..
out u Is known mat there IS a goodly number
OF high-power guns and mortars OF large cali
pre- ready tpr an enemy there and that the
imTG Ie a against the sattaeS 81 any neet;
built as part OF the older plan, which would
perhaps De OF more value than AZ the others In
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