The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-31
Government Is Pressing Work at
Point Wilson.
THREE IMPROBABLE FORTS.
VIII BE Ready for
steel Destroyers to He Placed
Behind Frowning Parapets-
Invasion Of Hostile Fleets Then.

u-fthln 4 period q six months work on
RE LAST az q series OF foTtificatIons COM
Elanalnas the entrance 10 Puses sound. De-
gan aIIacsE two years aso by the On1e4
STATES government, VIII DC eorap!etsd.
Under TIE direction % Capt Harry Tay-
lor. corps Of engineers Of the army. the
work Of erecting the battery empiace-
rlsents ST Point Wilson, situated on the
south side OF tne entrance 20 the Sosnd.
viii shortly &c Began,
BY August / or Whereabouts tho forts at
Point Wilson and Admiralty bead wiil be
COMPLETED ana ready for The huge steel
dessroyers mat will frown from massive
para pess upon any foreign invader fooi-
hardy enough 70 venture within range ct
the f0rtiaeations The forts Will eonsti-
tate the chief 2efenses OF Puget sound
ne channel at the entrance OF Admiralty
inlet being too swift and deep 10 admit of
being successfully mined.
Just iow the efforts Of the war depart
mens. through the engineers Office IN TINS
city. are being concentrated at Point " IL
sen The fort az this place is but tribe
over a mile distant from Port Townsend.
II il situated on land secured by the Unit
"a States government by condemnation
suits al a cost approximately or sioeo.
Last summer, during the height OF the
Spanish American war Capt. Taylor was
directed 10 proceed with the construction
OF the battery esnplaccments al Point VII
son without letting contracts for the Work,
az had been the custom for some time
previously.
Contract system Discarded.
Parsnthetically it may be stated that
the contract system. As far as II appilei
to work en- government forTifications. mas
been discarded by the war department as
unsatisfactory. For some years Ii was lie
custom, 10 let work Of this kind TO the low
est bidder The f0rtif1cations at A1mifal-
~ Head and Aarrowstone We're construct
eG under the contract system. A year OF
50 ago the chief engineer OF the war de-
partfnent rec0mme nded 20 the secretary OF
war the abandonment or the contract sys-
tenn in the construction OF fortitications,
aud the subsequent appropriations MADE
for this work on the Sound are being ex-
pended directly by the engineering de-
partment without the employment or con-
tractors.
During the past year force OF work
men numbering at one time Ia. has been
employed at Point Wilson in clearing the
site OF the fort. a tract OF lana twenty
acres I'm area was cleared. work being be-
gun last Deco ber The excavation for
the battery enplacements has been al
most finished and within very short
time the work OF putting In the steel ana
concrete foundations Will be begun.
The gums al Point Wilson and Marrow
stosle Will ho non~disappearing The value
or the disappearing gun IS a quesi,ioh th.;,
Is greatly discussed among artillerynlen
and military authorities The advocates
az the disappearing gun cain that the
~ pid fire and machine gums Of the modern
cruisers would make IL out of the ques-
t}on 20 man stationary gun during an
attack upon a fort,
The argument in favor Of the nou-disap-
pearing gun. of which those AZ Point VII
son and Marrowstope will ne types. il
that The g0nners. having plain view OF
au approaching enemy. can operate their
guns to better advantage and can quickly
adapt themselves Ia Changing cffclim-
stances during an attack. III Is also urged
that before warship of an enemy could
get within machine gun range uf the 'orti-
ffcations equipped with modern ritied can
non. the large guns would work great
baNcc Unon the invaders armament. and
fher~ay diminish her destructive power.
Three Points af Triangle.
Point Wilson, Admiralty Head and Mar
ruwstnuo point are ut three points OF
triangle through the center of which an
inradiag feet would have 10 pass in order
10 obtain mn entran nee IA the SOUND. STRAIT
sgisis have examined the location az the
forts Il tire three sites and have pron0umc-
~ them magnificent, Authorities have
givcn II aS their opinion that with the
forts At the three points named equipped
with modern fi1led cannon and mortar bat
ttries tho entrance fe the Sound would Ire
1r1Dra enable against attack
The Point Wilson Qualifications viii be-
ths hast III the three forts ta be onmpteted
The allotment for clearing the land cxca.
waiting and aui'dilg the battery enpace-
merits - SE3eW No definite statement as
- the hatfery IA be Sappl!rFt Peint wilson
has b~eu x tpeu oui by the war department
hut T. has becn uupflciaiiy stated that
there VIII he three tweiVe-tnch rifles two
guns Of smaller size md Ave mortar
battery
noeF is charge of the work TN Washington
MontaHa aui Idaho Is row at Point Nru,
son inspecting the work in progress there