The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-24
OUR COAST DEFEN sEs-
Report of Chief Engineer wi.'son on
What Has Been Done and w.'at Is
Contemplated-River Improvem> ents.

Washington. October 2o.-The annua
report of the chief of engineers of the
army. Brigadier General John NJ
Wilson, made public today. submits es-
Inmates for river and harbor works al
ready authorized by congress. but not
provided for by continuing contracts.
amounting to sec, 900. s21. In addition,
he asks for SIS, So. S2s to carry on works
already contracted for.
The report shows that the existing
approved projects for de-
lenses contemplate the emplacement OF
about 500 heavy guns Of s. 10. IL and
16-inch calibre; of about 500 rapid fire
guns and of about 1000 mortars, at an
work of $55, 000, 600. An estimate of
400, 900 is submitted for continuing the
work of construction of these batteries
and for the defense of Porto Rico. The
sum of 1868, 900 was allotted by the
president out of the national defense
fund in all for the engineering depart
ment.
Under the head of Notifications, Cen
eral Wilson says hat in addition to
the thirty localities in the United
States for which projects for perma-
nent seacoast batteries have been
adopted, the defense of other localities
is now under consideration. Consider
b study has been given to the sub
ject Of the defense of our insular pos
sessions, resulting in complete projects
for San Juan and preliminary projects
for Honolulu and Pearl harbor, so that
the construction of batteries for these
places can begin as o as ongre
apprOpr;ates the funds. There has
been a considerable revision of existing
| projects for other points, caused by
the development of the rapid fire gun
and further revisions will be required
to meet improvements in ships and ord
nance.
Work on seacoaSt defenses has been
vigorously carried on at twenty-five
localitie5 nearly all of which are even
now SO supplied with heavy guns n
mortarS as to permit of effective de-
Tense against naval attack. An in
crease in rapid fire armament. General
Wilson says, is now the most urgent
NECESSITY, there having been delay in
securing these guns in the past year,
owing to difficulties with contractors.
The temporary batteries constructed
during the war with Spain have been
abandoned where erected on private
lands. Up to date provision has been
made for emplacing 29I heavy guns, 30S
rapid fire guns anI 34f mortarS. This
armament is disposed at seventy-seven
localities in thirty harbors. During the
year there was added to the seacoas
complement II 12-inch suns, IS 10-inch
guns, "a S-inch guns, 20 rapid fire guns
and SO mortars. With mis- rapid growth
Of the coast d%efenses, the artillery or
ganiZatiOn which must care for them
has been utterly unable to cope, and the
difficulty has zen increased by the
withdrawal of two regiments for for
eign service, and by the necessity for
the services of the skilled electricians
| n mechanics to care for the highly
complex ordnance.
The work of installing dynamite bat
teries at San Francisco harbor has
| been completed, but at Sandy Hook
permanent protection Of the guns in
place. Contracts have been made for
dynamite batteries of one gun each at
Fishers island and Port Royal, S. c..
To complete acquisition of sites still
required to carry out approved projects
of coast defense, funds must be provid-
ed for n site in Boston harbor, two
in Narragansett bay, one in New York
harbor and n in Port Royal harbor,
S. G.
Valuable experience was said to have
been gained with the torpedo system as
adopted during the war with Spain. III
general, that system fully realized all
expectations, ana only a rev minor
changes are contemplated.
Turning to the subject of rivers and
harbors, the chief of engineers ex-
presses satisfaction at the working OF
the contract system generally.
A summary of the detailed estimates
recommended for river and harbor work
shows the following items of $50, 900 OF
more: James river, Virginia, $400, 900
Cape Fear river, at and below Will
mington, N. c., $3.50, 900; Coosa river,
between Rome, Ca, and the bridge
$478, 900; Coorsa river, between Wetum.
ka and the bridge. $500, 900; st. Johns
river, Florida, Jacksonville to the
ocean, $500, 900; ST. Johns river, Orange
Mills flats, $50, 900; Tombigbee river to
Demopolis, Ala, $3.50, 900; Norfolk har.
Dor and approaches $50, VA; Charleston
harbor, South Carolina, $3.50, 900; Hills
boro bay, Florida, SITS, 900; Key Wesr
harbor entrance 5000, 900; Pensacola har
Dor $95, 900.
ACHRISTIAN WOMAN'S DEATH.