The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-21
HOW THE COAST IS DEFENDED.
CHIEF OF ENGINEER PRESENTS
HIS ANNUAL REPORT.

Gen. Wilson shows Estimates
Amounting TO s26,00G,s2I for Riv-
err and Harbor WOrk-AIso Wants
SI5,oS2,G20 to Garry on Contracts.
How the Sea Coast Is Armed.
More batteries to BE Established.
Not Enough ArtIIIerymen.
Washington Oct 20-The annual report
of the chief of engineers of the army,
Brig. Gen John NJ. Wilson, made public
to-day, submits estimates for river and
harbor works already authorized by Con-
gress but not provided for by continuing
contracts, amounting to S26 500 .S2l. In ad-
dition he asks for $l5, $50 626 to carry on
works already contracted for.
The report shows that the existing ap~
proved projects for seacoast defenses con-
template the emplacement of about SEQ
heavy guns of eight ten, twelve and six
teen-inch caliber, of about 500 rapld-fire
guns and of about 1000 mortars, at an es-
timated approximate cost for the engineer
ing works Of s55, 100000
An estimate of A5OO, 900 is submitted for
continuing the work of construction OF
these batteries and for the defeuse of
Porto Rico The sum of $5,6630 GOO was al
lotted by the President out of the national
defense fund for the engineering depart
ment.
Under the head of foruhcauons, Cen
Wilson says that in addition to The thirty
localities i'm the United States for which
projects for permanent seacoast batteries
have been adopted, the defense of several
other localities is now under consideration.
Considerable study has been given TO the
subject of defense of our insular posses
sions. resulting in complete projects Tor
San Juan and preliminary projects for
Honolufu and Pearl harbor so that the
construction of batteries for these places
can begin as soon as Congress approprates
the funds. There has been a considerable
revision of existing projects for sther
points caused by the development or the
rapid71re gun, and further revislons VIII
be required to meet improvements IN shlps
and ordnance.
Seacoast Dcfcuses.
WorR on seacoast defenses has been Wig
orously carried on at twenty-five local.
ties. nearly all of which are even now so
supplied with heavy guns and mortars as
to permit of effective defense against naval
attack An increase in rapid-hre arma-
ment. Gen. Wilson says, Is now the most
urgent necessity, there having been delay
in securing these guns IN ine past yeaiii
owing TO difficulties with contractors Ihe
temporary batteries constructed during the
war with Spain have been abandoned
where erected on private land.
Up to date provision has been made for
emplacing 297 heavy guns, 30S rapid-fire
guns. and 344 mortars This armament is
disposed at seventy-seven localities in thir-
ty harbors. During the year there were
added TO the seacoast complement eleven
Pinch guns, thirteen 10-inch guns, twen-
ty-four S-inch guns, twenty rapid-ilre
guns and thirty-two mortars.
With this rapid growth Of the coast de-
fenses. the artillery organization which
must care for them has been utterly un-
able 10 cope, and the difficulty has been
! increased by the withdrawal of two rsgi-
| ments for foreign service, and by the ne
| cessitv for services of skilled electricians
| and mechanics to care for the highly com
| pick ordnance.
| The work of installing dynamite batter
| les at San Francisco harbor has been com
/ pleted. but at Sandy Hook provision re-
/ mains to be made for the permanent pro-
| lection of the guns in place. Contracts
| have been made for dynamite batteries OF
| one gun each at Fishers Island ana Port
| Royal s. c. To complete the acquisition
! of sites still required to carry out approved
| projects Of coast defense, funds must be
| provided for one site in Boston harboF
! two in Narragansett bay, one In New York
harbor, and one in Port Royal harbor
! S. c.
/ Valuable experience was said to have
| been gained with the torpedo system as
/ adopted during the war with Spain In
| general that system fully realized all ex-
! pectations and only a few minor changes
| are contemplated.
River and HarbOr Improvement.
| Turning to the subject OF rivers and
| harbors. the chief of engineers expresses
! satisfaction at the working of the contract
| system generally.
| A summary of the detailed estimates rec
ommended for river and harbor work
! shows the following items of $4,000 or
! more: James river, Virginia, 100000; Cape
| Fear river, at and below Wilmington, n.
/ c.. $3.50 900: Coosa river between Rome
! Ga. and Bridge, $i78,000; Coosa river, be-
| tween Wetumpka and bridge $500000; ST.
| Johns river Florida, Jacksonville to ocean,
| S5OO coo. St Johns river, Orange Mills Haas,
| $50 600; Tombigbee river TO Demopolis
| Ala. s25Oo00; Norfolk harbor, virginia
and approaches, $56j.774; Charleston harbor
! South Carolina, $250O00 Hillsboro bay
| Florida. S175. GEO; Key West harbor en-
! trance. $2OOO09; Pensacola harbor, Florida
| $95 600.
| In addition to the foregoing, the fol-
! lowing estimates are made under the con-
! tinuing contract system: Winyah bay
/ South Carolina, 100000; Cumberland
| sound. Georgia and Florida 100000; Tam
/ pa bay. Florida, $4,000; Norfolk, Va.
! water way, 100000; Savannah river, $780,
| 900; Congaree river, South Carolina, $780,
| OO0