The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-21
orR SEACOAST DEFENCES.
,yu REPORT OF GEN. WILSON,
,HIRF or hNGINEERS.

zeal Attack-w Work on the Defences
-, sew York Harbor-Increhse of RRpid-
y,rc Guns the Most Urgent Necessity.
r.s,,SaroS, Oct 2O-The annual report Of
,'r. .Cen. John NJ Wilson. Chief OF Engineers.
made public to-day by the Secretary OF
W., Gen Wilson calls particular attention to
AZ. Notifications OF the country and urges an
'"a..,ss in the rapid fire armament He rec
".,,,snds the APPROPRIATION OF 100000 for the
o,r,ation and repair OF Notifications. He
"a. The defence OF several additional
,..oritiss in the United States is now under
.nnstdsration. for which no formal projects
..y. vet been completed or approved by the
s.or.tary Of War In addition considerable
.uIv has been given during the year TO tho
',,,s,t O, coast deiences for our insular pos
...ions resulting in the completion ot pro-
w., =, defence for the harbor OF San Juan.
,oV' p,co, and OF preliminary projects for the
,.,.rce NJ Honolulu and Pearl Harbor.
w'roiion Islands. The construction OF bat
..',s for the defence OF our insular possessions
h.oin As soon as Congress sees Mt to appro-
at the necessary funds therefor.
30, The existing projects for the United
e..,a, number have been revised during tho
s.,a. wear. mainly by the adoption OF definite
Tia reearding the armament OF rapid fire
,o which have assumed most important
',ion ma weapons for coast defence. The
,don,ion by Congress OF the project Tor new
I.on ua.er entrance to New York harbor has
aoo..sit,t,d an extensive revision OF the future
-orv rroposcd for the defence OF the southern
an,,.r,, to the harbor. The plans Tor this
h,vo been com pleted and have been approved
=, ,bs secretary OF War. Further revisions OF
W i.,,,o projects will probably be required
rom time to time to provide for improvements
and changes in ordnance, armor and ships.
:. nrrinp the f1sca year the construction OF
defensive works has been vigorously carried
On nj twenty-five localities. at nearly all OF
which sufficient heavy guns ana mortars are
powin.talIed TO print OF an effective defence
,vsinst naval attacks. An increase in the rap
"A Are armament is now the most urgent me-
cessity"
49, as and for the defence Of Porto Rico an
estimate Of 81. 800 900 is submitted
Gen Wilson says that the SloOOUO Tor pro-
yiGing rarapets. magazines. &c. for the dyna-
mite battery at San Francisco has been e1-
pended and the work competed. iroNlsions
setting the dynamite battery OF three guns at
Much difficulty has been experienced in
the service respecting the desired features OF
The proposed fire control system The aues;,
ton of the type OF range nnNer beSt adapted
for GT use on low, sites does not ye. appear to be
definitely settled The use OF towers for de-
preston Instruments on low sites presents in
many cases structural difficulties almost in
surmOuntabe. as well as grave tactical obJec.
tons An approximate estimate OF the cost OF
The engineering work CONNECTED with the
by artillery officers for seacoast forts. Is vel
over SlOOO.UOO A considerable number Of
main to r''i be constructed. For thess and Tor
underground conduits. where such are feasible
aud desirable. an estimate OF S1JO.0OO is sub
For Notifications Gen Wilson makes the fol-
loving recommendations for 1900 and IDOL
For gun and mortar batteries. S5sl30.090:
for purchase of land for forttcations. 5000. 900:
for protection; preservation and repair Of iorti-
fca,ions, 100000: for preparation Of plans for
de,ences. So, 900; Tor sea walls and embanE-
ments 5000 for the purchase of submarine
mines and necessary appliances to operate
them. for c'oslng thu channels Leading 10 our
seaport, for needtul cnsements. cattle galleries.
&c. to render it possible to operate submarine
. 9 spS ST tGta oTJPed' expert
- The totu! estimate suhmtted by the Chief Of
Ensingerss 10 for l;Nl for ecRt3u n 10 work
the, construction and maintenance OF works
authorized b. Congress. but not provided for
sysc21ng.n1fi G9n.rsG,s estimates amounting
tyrrs and harbors in New York. on Long
isinni and OF Harlem and East rivers: Port
Chester Harbor. So 900; Mamaroneck Harbor
SLIGO; d Ianrchmon, Harb"rh t" complete pro.
70 complete project S55.JS5: 1901. $500
Mat,t"ok Hsrbor' to mPete project, SO; 900
Huntington Harbor. $500: Glen Cove. to
complete project, $1,000: Tor 1900 10000
i si506 % E sa Rver 'r Sn Hell V Gate
for completion OF project. 81 0O3.S4O87: for
%t Iis Gsxt yesr;, s2o99}H0G;, Harlem
pHi r n4I yss2 s50G Nsw Sr
Creek. SlOOuO: Canarsie Bay. for completion
q nro!eGt 5000; Tor 1901. sl5.99Q: Browns
For i@pr9v%msnt d NV York Har6oTro Bay
and 'Gowanus creek Channel; New York Har-
hor Tor genera Improvement. balance avail
able Ss'@i3 50; amount estimated Tor 1901.
project, s3,oOo0OO; BAY Ridge and Red Hook
channels, 10 complete rrOlect. 81. 400. 900; for
MY sS Seags work. s332,oO0: Gowanus Chan
Nlrows Of Lake Champ plain. n. Y. and YER
miGn fnn ioF GGompeinG project within next year.
agT7" E or IoG GF fs SOB sans OF pTe
haroor. $500: harbor at Rondnut 50 800:
f hNr. , at Psekssi. complete work. $4,000:
Island aud New jersey. for 1901. and mantle
nance Of Improvement. $4,000
In western New York-For harbor at Dun
o. o. tt,Iysting nro!ect. S1435O6: for 1901. s1lG.-
~ ~; Buffalo entrance to Erie Basin and
bacS Rock harhor, Sl!'S 49, 80; Touawanda
Az Niagara River. to complete project. S727.-
ISL; Tor next year. $1,000 Niagara River
IRON Tonawanda to Port Day. $50 900.
Improvement OF harbOrs on Lake Ontario
and u s.. Lawrence River and it's harbors-
harhor al W son. y Y. $4,000: at Putnery-
we. Sl;HiS2S: Great SOdus Bay. $4,000
i.ul" S?dus Bay. $1,000: Oswego, for works
and Maintenance, SiH3. 800; Cane Vincent, Ia
comp etc PROJECT. Sl5O 900: for next year S75,-
A., sh ais IN the ST. Lawrence between Og
GGeeMsonrg and The foot Of Lake Ontario, $35,-
wv harhor at Ogdensburg. for works and
maintenance, 10000.
vf9r the supervision OF the harhor OF New
s5 SE 5Nthe chief asks for the appropriation OF
k'Eariing the defences Of the east ern en-
"anre 70 Ne" York harbor the report says:
AZ me beginning OF the fiscal year EN- place
,,btents mad been completed and turned over to
nus sarrisons for the following guns and
S4iMchhrs which had been mounted viz: one
cnr sam nnH Tour lO-inch guns on disappearing
Ir,"kes' and sixteen 12-inch brosch- lOadi nR
ni.tS fmplaccments had been nearly com
Wig iof the following guns and mortars
N, ,''r a. hal heen mounted viz one S-inch gun
amhaPpearng carriage and eight l2-iurh
soVCIh,.oad ng mortars. These have all been
T.nIa'ted during the fiscal year. with the
"'TSaty machinery for their service.
a,+r,mp'acementf for one l2-inch gun on disap.
srmaaaH carriage had been COMPLETED, but not
Inducements for two l2-inch guns or
i"ch guns were under construction. The II.
'it'N emldcpmpDta baya laan oil 49,,