The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-28

nels are over sixty fathoms deep, and a mine is ineffective at a depth of over one hundred feet, FISHERS ISLAND. The government had some little difii- culty in getting possession of the neces- sary land on Fishers Island, and it | was only through condemnation pro- ceedlngs and after considerable litiga- ton that work was finally commenced | this spring. Fishers Island belongs to E. M. and w. Ferguson, The govern- ment paid over to them something like one hundred and eighty thousand dol- lars for one hundred and thirty-two acres on the islands extreme western end. The island itself is growing more popular each year as summer resort, and the three principal hotels on the is- land are only a short distance away l from where the gig guns will be loca- l ted. It is probable that Fishers Is land will be the headquarters for all the Qualifications around the Race. There | will be supply depot at Fort Trum- | bull A regiment of artillery will man the Notifications Each fort will quar- ter company with the headquarters and staff on Fishers Island. | The number of guns that will train on the Race from Fishers Island has not been learned. Nor has work on the island developed to tlse extent that visitor can learn Neither will the gov ernment officials in charge Of the work tell any of their plans, However, it is certain that there will be two ten-inch guns on disappearing carriages and battery of twelve inch mortals.
 Down on the extreme western point of the island the government proposes to conduct experiments about on the same plan as they do at Sandy Hook. The first gun to be experimented on is the Zalinski dynamite gun and the Ish- mae The foundation and the carriage for the dynamite gun are already In po- sition.
 NAPATREE POINT.
 With the completion of the Fishers Island Qualifications the government will consider the eastern entrance to Long Island sound impregnable, with one ex- ception. War vessels with draught of twenty feet might approach from the eastward of Fishers Island, sailing by Watch Hill To protect Fishers Island Sound, Napatree Point on the mainland of Rhode Island is rapidly assuming condition for defense.
 Napatree Point is the land lying be- tween the open Atlantic and the Paw catuck river The land is in the shape of the capital letter L. At the point of the angle are located the fortificatons, The guns on Napatree Point will sweep the ocean and Fishers Island Sound on one side and Little Narragansett bay on the other Watch Hill is two miles to the eastward, Real work was begun on the Napatree Notifications last fall The government occupies about twenty acres The gun battery will consist of ten-inch rapid fire guns, which are con- sidered sufficient to thoroughly protect the water close by.
 The completion of all the Notifications will take time. The obstacles have been many. On two occasions. at least the owners of desired land have held out for fancy prices. The appropriations of money made necessary to build these protective works will amount up in the millions but when completed, an ene-
 
 ing to get at New York
 CABLE CONNECTIONS.
 In addition to the armament the en- gineers are figuring on an elaborate tell egraph and telephone cable system. It is proposed to connect all the islands by cable. There are to be range finders to determine distance of the object to be hit and position finders with which to find the exact location, as well as an equipment of recolators, for correcting the wind and drift.
 All the government work at the en- trance to Long Island sound is in charge of Major Smith s. Leach, of the United States Engineer corps and he has under him an efficient squad of as sistants. Major Leach's office is at New London. from whence he superin- tends the entire work of building the The engineer corps of- fcers at New London are in the admin istration building and are elaborate and elegant.
 The trim little government tug Castle | plies regularly between the different | points, where the guns are being erect ed. Major Leach and his assistants find | her an invaluable adjunct to the suc- | cessful carrying out of their projects Captain Albert Earl, an old yachting | captain, is her commander. The Castle makes New London her home port for the present