The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-23
FISHERS ISLAND FORTS.
Something About What the Govern
 ment is doing There.

Island of late has any conception of the magnitude of the work being car ried on there by the United States gov ernment in preparing powerful fortlh- cations at the extreme end for the de- fense of the waters at the eastern en- trance of Long Island Sound. Already Big ten and twelve inch modern guns point seaward as if eager to discharge projectiles, and secondary batteries are in course of construction. Away down on the extreme western point Of the island is one queer Hiking piece which does not impress one at first glance with being formidable, but when the visitor is informed that it is the famous dynamite gun and then exam ines the elaborate machinery and appa- ratus with which it is worked the piece is viewed with a new interest.
 Visitors are not allowed to view the fortincations at close range. A strict order from Washington prohibits any one lettering within the government reservation, and line of alert sentrles see to 1t that the orders are enforced Recently a small detail of recruits has been received from Fort Irumbull. The new corners and the men who have been stationed there for some time form the detachment which is in charge of sergeant, who is under the com mand of the Forty-third company Of Coast Artillery Recently New York regiment of artillery, the Thirteenth of Brooklyn, were encamped within the reservation, and the men spent week n WnrkinPS of the big riflad pieces. The officers in charge, however, were very careful that cameras were not leveled within the guarded precincts, and the New York guardsmen did not carry away any in- formation concerning the Notifications and guns,
 Along the road leading to the reser- vation one passes the magnificent summer palaces of the Lindermanns, the steel kings and other wealthy sum mer residents, and immediately comes upon the rough huts of the Italian la borers. which form a startling contrast with their fort unate neighbors dwell ings. A big, rough board building Is the reservation store, where everything in the way of eatables is sold. Joseph Sica, who is well known among New London business men, conducts the main store as we'll as smaller one which is patronized solely by the Ital- ian laborers. The bigger store aims to sell goods to the officers and the dWell- CTS on the island. Two delivery wag- ons, conducted by two New London men, collect orders and deliver the goods. It is said that MT. Sica's busi- ness Is enormous
 Before going very far familiar New London face will be met-that Of Fred- erick Fitch, who has charge of the roll ing stock of the two miles of portable railway within the reservation limits. Engineer Fitch has been employed by the government for nearly two years and he has made his services so Valua- ble that 1t is probable that he will re- main as engineer of the reservation at- ter the works are completed At the present time six fair sized houses for the officers are in course of construc- ton. Two are framed in and rapidly nearing completion A large barracks and several other buildings for the use of the men are rapidly going up. The skilled help and the laborers, together with the soldiers form good sized vil- lage-almost another world-entirely distinct from the other part Of the is- land. A noticeable absence of women about the, reservation is commented upon.
 The big rited pieces are away to the westward of the buildings, and when one attempts to approach he is waved back by the armed sentry. The uni formed man means business, too and the visitor stops instanter. It would be against the governments wishes to de- scribe the Qualifications, even if 1t were possible to get an accurate description of them. It will suffice to state that the emplacements are practically hn- ished for the ten ana twelve men nieces and the guns have been tested. There are many electrical devices for sighting the guns, telephone and tele- graph connections and hundred dlt- ferent devices for the quick manlpula- tion of the battery. The sighting and firing and infact all the work of opera ting the guns is done beneath the level of the ground. Strong stone and iron WallS, CelloQ W1lH Ceuicht, SuliOtiid ,i'V guns and form network of passages and underground rooms, which wiuld reuure a man to keep track of. A fighting tower at a prominent Knoll flashes information of the enemy's ves- sels to the guns. The tower is not erected as yet, but small wooden shanty, furnished with apparatus, serves in lieu of the real thing.
 Over to the eastward of the big rif1ed pieces another set of empiacements IS being erected Here will be located the modern mortars, which will form powerful adjunct to the rif1ed guns. These works are in process of construc- tion and there the small army Of men are at present employed. Between the ten and twelve inch guns and the dy- namite gun on the point is a wide space of vacant ground, overrun with weeds and small brush. It is stated that hundreds of rabbits and English pheasants inhabit this ground, but they are rarely seen The dynamite gun is in charge of a machinist and one as- sistant The piece is about ready for the final test, but the men who were constructing it were driven away when