The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-30
Oh
COZ DEF E.NSE.S
Fifty Per Cent. Of the Work Has Been
Completed.
RIVER AND .HARB0R ESTIMATES
Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand
Dollars for James River, and
Twenty-Five Thousand Tor
the Isuppahannock.

(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, Oct. .s9.-The im-
portant subject of cast defense is tn.
first considered in the annual report OF
General ]. NJ. Wilson, chief of engineers.
Up to the present time thirty localities
have been selected for defense on the
coast No formal projects were added to
the list during the past year, but pre-
liminary projects lave been framed tor
The defense OF the entrance to Chesapeake
Bay, and the deflnse of :Averai other
localities is under consideration
A detailed project for the defense of the
harbor of San Juan de Porto Rico M.
wolves an estimated expend {ture OF 5
SEQ, 0G0 Preliminary projects for Iea I
Harbor and Honolulu are also already
available and ready for execution as soo.l
as Congress shall appropriate the FUNDS.
The great changes in the character OIL
guns ard armor and ships since the
Endicott Board framed the coast de-
tense plans now under execution, nave
involved corresponding changes IN thos'1.
plans.
WORK FASTENED.
Th, war with Spain had the eftectSet
Fastening the WORK on thu coast defense,
and now, ten years after the work ReSsa
in earnest, the Chief of Engineers Is aoie
to report that fifty per cent OF the u,
Tense work is complete. twenty-five u
tbs principal tarpors OF the uhiteu
States now have a sufficient ntnber q
heavy guns and mortars IN pace 70 oiisl
an effective defense against naval al
tack Existing projects contemp ate the
mounting Of about $50 guns for q coast
defense: of $50 rapid fire guns and about
400 nlortars at an approximate total cosl
of $50 COS, 900.
Attention is :.lvited to the urgent need
for an increase of the artillery arm OIL the
tn
care of the costly and complex defense
works.
The total of the estimates submitted on
account of the Notifications for the next
year is So, rs Coo, and OF this amount Ss.ilp,-
goo is on account of the CONSTRUCTION OF
gun and mortar batteries and position
finders.
General Wilson makes an earnest plea
for the reinforcement of the Engineer
Corps, which has been overtaSed by the
additional work required on account OF
the addition of new territory.
RIVERS AND HARBORS.
The second section of the report treats
of the river and harbor improvements OF
the country for which estimates for the
fiscal year ending 1902. aggresating SZc,-
$50 0CO are submitted, to which are added
100000 for surveys and contingencies. S5,-
1853 for the Mississippi River ComIn1s-
sion. Sl140CG0 under the Missouri River
Commission, $15.G00 under the California
Debris Commission and S72,So1 to prevent
deposits in New York harbor
The expenditures for the year ending
1900 were SIS, ass. 2SS. The estimates for the
river and har6or work next year in the
South ar. as follows:
!! Inland water ways from Chincoteasue
Va. to Delaware Bay, 100000; Patapsco
River and channel to Baltimore, Sa-9,9sz
I,a rlo1 of Southeast Baltimore, sS0.0G0; Po-
tomac River, Washington, D. c., 10000
, Potoma C River below Washington, sso,4toi
Rappahannock River. Va. S25Goo; James
River. va, $4,000; Norfolk harbor, Va,
SIS. 700: water way from Norfolk, Va, to
the Sounds of North Caroiina sz2etV'
Pan1fco anf, Tar River. n. c., So, 500: Cape
ITeaI, River above Wilmington, \. c.. So
COO. Cape Fear River at ard below VIII
mineton. N. c., $2GQ, 0C0.