The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-25
THE SOUNDS GATE.
One of the Good Turns the War Has
sf Done Us.

Done Us.
The New York Herald says: The out
er line of defense of Greater New York
is now really completed. Plum. Gull
and Fishers Islands, until now DESC
late, barren stretches of rock and sand,
have been made a breastwork at the
sound approach The government,
realizing at last their important STRAIT
egical position, has protected the most
vulnerable entrance upon the metrop-
Oils, and the war department defies an
enemy, no matter how well equipped, to
pass through the fire which can be
trained from these three narrow strips
| of land.
1t is generally agreed in the military
world that had the United States been
at war with England or with France,
instead of having Spain to contend
with fleet would have swept through
| the narrow passage at the eastern end
Of Connecticut and laid under contribu-
! ton all points as far surely, as Throgg's
| Neck. New Haven and Bridgeport,
where are manufactured all manner Of
| ornance, would have been rich prey.
New York and vicinity has plenty of
defenses direct from the Sandy Hook
system, which beginning at the Hook,
draws down to the Narrows and in
cludes Forts Wadsworth and Hamilton.
But with their protection is also threat
ened paralysis Of commerce. A block
aiding squadron off the coast of lower
Long Island and reinforced in the
sound, might be able to quickly dictate
terms. The project which the govern
ment is carrying out at the south New
England shore will make impossible
such condition of affairs, IT is con-
tended The Connecticut coast will be
secure and sound traffic undisturbed,
no matter how energetic and confident
a foe may arise.
The defense power of the arma-
ment planted on the little chain of is
lands is now, with the work not entirely
completed one hundred times greater
than the greater Notifications at San
tiago, which withstood successfully for
some time the onslaughts of the army
and navy of this country. Already 81
100000 has been expended.
Major Smith S. Leach, Corps of En-
gineers, United States army, is in ac-
tive charge of the extensive operations,
with headquarters in this city, and with
the arrival of spring and milder wealth.
err is hurrying the work to early COM
pletion.
"A glance at the map will show one
how natural is the line of the defense
at the eastern end of Long island
sound" he said. 1.-THE distance from
the Rhode Island to the Long Island
shore is twenty-one miles. Scattered
the entire length are bits of lands,
varying in size from pretentious Fish
er's Island to Valiant Rock, which
shows nine feet of surface at high tide
Politically all the ground is claimed by
New York state. We found eleven miles
Of solid ground on which to place works.
Fishers Island rises out of the water
six miles from the mouth of the Thames
river. Four and a half miles distant
Gull Island appears. Plum Island is
but two miles further on, and then,
mile away, reaches out the sharp end
OF Long Island.
There are four channels which we
plan to sweep with Uncle Sans guns
Plum Gut the passage between Plum
and Gull Islands, and the span of water
which separates Fishers Island from
Watch Hill would probably not answer
the purpose of hostile visitor. The
Race a swift moving current between
Fishers and Gull Islands, would likely
be an adversary's choice for move
ment into the sound. / feel positive
that no foreign vessel could ever make
the' journey in time of war. The chan