Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-30
THE RIVERS AND HARBoRS,
Up to tho Present Time Thirty Localities on
tho Coasts Have Been Selected for De-
fence Tho Entrance to Chesapeake
Bay Estimates of Twenty Million Dol
lars for Improving the Rivers and Har-
bow-what Has been Recommended
for Virginia and North Carolina.
(By Telegraph to virginian-Pilot1

considered in the annual report of
General j. NJ. Wilson, chief of engin-
GERS. Generally speaking, he reports
most gratifying progress in the eXecu-
ton of the various projects during the
| last fiscal year. Because the report
included the fiscal year only. the sub
ject OF the destruction of the Galveston
defenses by the September hurricane
| is left for treatment in a subsequent
report.
| THIRTY LOCALITIES SELECTED.
| Up to the present time thirty local
| tiles have been selected for defense on
the coast. No formal projects were
added TO the list during the past year,
but preliminary projects have been
| framed for the defense of the entrance
| to Chesapeake Bay and the defense
| of several other localities is under con-
| sideration. Attention has been given
| to the subject of coast defenses for
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian islands.
and in view of the Importance to these
island possessions General Wilson says
active measures for their defense
should be deferred no longer. y de-
tailed project for the defense of the
harbor of San Juan de Porto Rico in
wolves an estimated expenditure OF ST.
| SO0,00 Preliminary projects for Pearl
Harbor and Honolulu are also already
available and ready for execution as
funds. The great changes in the char
acter of guns and armor and ships
since the Endicott board framed the
coast defense plans now under execu-
ton have involved corresponding
changes in those plans.
| THE WORK FASTENED.
The war with Spain had the effect
of Fastening the work on the coast de-
| lenses, and now ten years after the
| hnlrD N fl.. ,I,;o
gineers is able TO report that fifty per
| cent OF the defense work is complete
| twenty-five of the principal harbors
| of the United States now have n sufli-
Client number of heavy guns and NOR
tars in place to offer an effective de-
tense against naval attack. Existing
| projects contemplate the mounting of
| about $50 guns for seacoast defense. OF
| $40 rapid fire guns and about 500 NOR
| tars, at an approximate total cost of
| $50 zoo, 900.
Attention Is invited to the urgent
need for an increase of the artillery
arm OF the service. which is now too
small to take care of the costly and
complex defense works.
TOTAL ESTIMATES.
| The total of the estimates submitted
on account of Notifications for the next
year is S5,715,00O and of this amount
S4,71O,O0O is on account of the construc-
position finders.
General Wilson makes an earnest
plea for the reinforcement of the engi-
neer corps. which has been overtaxed
| by the additional work required on ae-
count of the addition of new territory.
T2Tv-TT 5ftS AND HARRORS.
The second section of the report
treats of the river and harbor improve
ments of the country, for which esti-
mates for the fiscal year ending 1902.
aggregating $20,000,000 are submitted
to which are added $200,000 for surveys
and contingencies. S3,S90.000 for the
Mississippi River Commission. S1.0i0,-
900 under the Missouri River Commits
sion, $4,000 under the California De-
bris Commission and $I2,S00 to prevent
deposits in New York harbor. The ex-
| penditureS for the year ending 1900 were
| SIS, ass, 29S.
The estimates above $4,000 for the
river and harbor works next year in
the South are as follows:
Inland waterway from Chncoteague
Bay, Va. to Delaware Bay. $4,000.
PatapSco river and channel to Balti-
more, Md, S525, 1862
Harbor of Southeast Baltimore. $50
600.
Potomac river, Washington. d. c.,
| 5000, 900
Potomac river below Washington,
$50, 400.
| Rappahannock river. Va. $4,000
| James river, Va. s390.000.
| Norfolk harbor Va, s56.700.
Water way from Norfolk Va, to the
sounds of North Carolina, S29.S70.
Pamlico and Tar rivers. N c.. $50. 500
Cape Fear river. above Wilmington.
N. c.. $4,000.
Cape Fear river. at and below Will
mington. n. c.. $200, 600.
Winyah Bay, s. C., S525, coo.
Santee river. S. c., SIS, 600.
Congaree river. S. c., columbia to
CRANKY, $4,000.
Charleston harbor, s. c.. 100000.
Savannah harbor Ga. $4,000.
Savannah river, Ga. 500. 900
Dobey bar, Ca. 100000.
Altamaha river, Ga. $4,000.
Ocmulgee river Ga. $40, 600
Cumberland sound, Ga. and Florida,
| s400, 900.
st. Johns river. Fla. 100000.
ST. Johns river, at Orange Mills
Fla, $40, 600.
Key West harbor, Fla. 100000
Sarasota river. Fla. 1880.
Tampa Bay. Fla, Si37.OG0.
iiilsboro Bay. Fla. $4,000.
Apalachicola Bay, Fla. $4,000
Flint river, Ga, 100000.
'Chattahoochee river Ga. and Ala
bama. below Columbus $50. 00O
Pensacola harbor Fla, s1S0.00o.
Coosa river. between Rome, Ga. and
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Geor-
gia Railroad, $3.50, 900.
Coosa river. between East Tennessee
| Virginia and Georgia bridge and We
tumpka, Ala, $25, 900.
| Mobile harbor. $780, 900.
Black Warrior river Ala S52 67e