Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-09-04
BIGGEST FORT IN AMERICA.
G1s~ntfc Granite" Turret Now =.
Course of Construction 49, ::
q. - ut Halifax +; ~. $50,

work has been begun here on what
Is intended to be the most formidable
fortificationy in the. western nernis.>
phere, says Halifax IN. S. uorre-
sPondent Of the Chicago Chronicle.
FOR a number of years the British
government has been Strengthening
the defenses at Halifax, land and sea.
Inc armament of the garrison, which
mad become antiquated, was renewed
with modern guns of high power, and
the British North American squadron,
whose summer rendezvous is at Hall
1ax' has been increased from year to
year until now it includes some of the
Unset warships in King Edwards navy.
within few years after the compile.
ton of the Canadian Pacific railway.
often spoken of as Britain's military
highway from ocean to ocean, Esqui-
malt on the Pacific coast was fortified.
too, and garri son established there.
This awakening to the tactical value
OF these two widely distant points in
the Canadian dominion has aroused
much interest on both sides of the
'oruer, but no explanation of it has
oeen vouchsafed other than the gen.
eral one of the increasing Importance
OF Canada as an integral part of the
British empire. The active beginning
OF construction work has renewed pub
TIC curiosity as to the details of the
plan for the new fertilization, but as
usual the authorities are reticent and
only general outline of what is to be
done has been made public so far. But
now some additional particulars have
been ascertained in an unofficial way,
and these serve to heighten the inter
est in the great project.
The site selected is three miles west
OF Herring> cove on the neck of land
that runs out on the west side of the
harbor into the Atlantic ocean and ter
inmates in Cape Sambro. It was at
first proposed to build the fort on the
shore and have it rise sheer above the
sea after the fashion formerly adopt
ed by most European countries, but
this suggestion has been put aside and
the fort will be located short dis.
lance inland and will be hewn out OF
the solid rock. The imperial author
tiles selected large granite cliff
which has hollow in the center. The
main part of the fort will be located in
this hollow with works to be con-
structed of cement, giving the appear
ance of a solid cliff.
1t is said that in it's general form the
fort will follow the design of the
armored turret of modern battle
ship, and there will be other features
of the work that will follow out this
analogy with warship. The main
armament will consist of 16 guns. the
authorities say, but their exact caliber
they decline to tell. These guns will
be fired by instructions from a coming
tower and the men handling them will
not be exposed. They will work the
guns from below, getting the sight and
other directions from the coming
tower, much as the mortar batteries
at Sandy Hook, N. j., are worked. The
guns will, of course, be of the disap-
pearing type.
Speaking of the guns for the new
fort recently, military official said
that they would be of the most power
full kind in adoption. He was remind
ed that the United States already had
a 16-inch gun mounted for the defense
of New York harbor, and was asked if
he wished to be understood as saying
that the Halifax guns would be larger
than this. ''There will be no 16-inch
guns in the armament of the new
fort" was the reply. "But I meant
what I said when stated that they
were to be the most powerful in adop-
ton in good military practice"
BY this it would seem that the mill
tary man is of the impression that the
great piece of ordnance at New York
is an experiment that has not yet
demonstrated it's merit, also that he
wished it to be inferred that the new
pieces here would not be of such large
caliber.
The existing Notifications in and
about Halifax are on no small scale
and their armament is of recent design.
Such extensive improvements had
been made of late years that the port
had come to be considered as very
strongly defended, but the new works
will be on a scale that will entirely
overshadow the old ones.
NOT UP TO EXPECTATIONS.