Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-21
Hdrbor DcfenSeS.

Washington. Oct. 21.-The annual re-
port of the chief of engineers of the
army, Brigadier General John NJ. Will
son, just made public, submits estimates
for river and harbor works already au-
thorized by congress. but not provided
by continuing contracts, amounting to
$26, ,906,S21. In addition he asks for $l5,
582,626 to carry on WORKS already con-
tracted for. The report shows that the
existing approved projects for seacoast
defenses contemplate the emplacement
of about 500 heavy guns of 8. 10, II and
13 caliber, of about 500 rapid fire guns
and of about 1000 mortars, at an esti
mated approximate cost for the engi-
neering work of $55, 100000. An estimate
of $4,000, 900 is submitted for continuing
the work of construction of these bat
teries and for the defenses of Porto Rico
The sum of S5,663, 900 was allotted by the
president out of the national defense
fund in all engineering departments.
Under the head of fortified ton General
Wilson says that in addition to the 80
localities in the United States, for which
projects for permanent seacoast bat
teries have been made, the defense of
several other localities is now under
considera ton. Considerable study has
been given to the subject of the defense
of our insular acquisitions and projects
for Honolulu and Pearl harbor, so that
the construction of batteries for these
places can begin as soon as congress ap-
propriates the funds. Work on seacoast
defenses has been vigorously carried on
at 25 localities, nearly all of which are
even now SO supplied with heavy guns
and mortars as to permit of effective de-
fense against naval attack. An in
creased rapid fire armament, General
Wilson says, is now the most urgent
necessity, there having been delay in Sc
curing these guns in the past year owing
to difficulties with contractors.
With the rapid growth of the coast de-
fenses, the artillery organization, which
must care for them, has been utterly un-
able to cope, and the difficulty has been
increased by the withdrawal of two regi-
ments for foreign service and by the ne
cessity for service of skilled electricians
and mechanics to care for the highly
complex ordnance. The work of INSTALL
ing dynamite batteries at San Francisco
harbor has been completed, but at Sandy
HOOK PROVISIONS IellldIn IL De uduE lOT
the permanent protection of the guns in
place.
Turning to the subject of rivers and
harbors the chief of engineers expresses
satisfa cton at the working of the con-
tract system generally. summary of
tho detailed estimate recommended for
river and harbor work shows the follow
ing items: Coquille river, Oregon, $75,
900; Sinsaw river. Oregon, $4,000: CO.
lumbia river, at the cascades, s15o,oo0;
Columbia and lower Willamette rivers,
below Portaldn, s324, ,464: waterway,
Pugent sound to lakes Union and Wash
ington. 5000 900; San Diego harbor, Cal,
$l19, 400; San Luis Obspo harbor, Cal,
s150,000.
In addition to the foregoing, the fol-
lowing estimates are made under the
continuing contract system: Oakland,
Cal. $lSc, 600; San Francisco harbor, $780,
600: San Pedro. Cal. 100000: Gray's har-
Dor. Wash. s343 goo; Everett harbor,
Wash, $780, aOG0; Sacramento river, Cal,
$50 COO