Evening star., 1901-10-30
THE COAST DEFENSE
Report of Gen. Gillespie, Chief Of
Engineers.
NEEDS OF FORTIPICATION DISTRICTS
Estimates for River and Harbor
Improvements.
LOCAL RECOMMEN DATIONS

LOCAL RECOMMEN DATIONS
Twenty-Five of the principal harbors of
the United States now have a sufficient
number of heavy guns and mortars mount
ed to permit of effective defense against
val attack, says General Gillespie. chief of
engineers, in his annual report He briefly
describes the original project framed by
the Endicott board for the coast defense.
and shows how II has been amended from
year to year. The important changes were
the provision for rapid-fire guns, a reduc-
tion in the number and caliber of heavy
guns and the elimination of armored de-
lenses. Provision has been made for en-
placing 325 heavy guns, 327 rapid-fre guns
and 3I6 mortars. Now General Gillespie
wants sites for more new mortar batteries,
and for gun and mortar batteries asks an
appropriation of $4,0O0,OO0 The fortifca-
tions board having declared pneumatic gun
batteries obsolete, the department has dis
continued work on such batteries at Fish
ers Island and Port Royal. An estimate
of $500, 600 is submitted for preservation
and repair of Notifications, which is less
than one-half of 1 per cent of their value.
During the year negotiations have pro-
ceeded for the purchase of fOrtificatiOn
sites in Boston harbor, .; in Narragansett
bay, 3: New York harbor, extension of
Fort Newton, 3 sites; Port Royal, San
Francisco, San Diego, St. Johns river
Fort St. Philip and Cape Henry, Va. With
few exceptions these sites must be pro-
cured by condemnation. An estimate of
S2,0O0OOO is submitted for purchases of
sites.
For the construction of submarine mines
and storage facilities an estimate of $780,
600 is submitted, and for searchights ap-
preparations of 100000 for installation and
of SoO0,00O for mains and conduits are ur-
gently recommended The experience at
New York has shown that economy in in
Stallation is promoted by using the fortif-
cation plants for post illumination also.
The estimates submitted will fully equip
with searchlights four more important har-
bOrS.
General Gillespie takes up in detail the
| state Of the defenSeS in each of the fortit-
cation districts, showing just what has
been done during the year at each of the
important points and what is projected.
River and HarbOr Works.
General Gillespie also makes an extensive
| report upon river and harbor works. and
discusses each Improvement at consider
able length, besides submitting estimates
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1903.
These estimates are from % to 33 Is per
cent less and in some instances 30 per
cent less, than those of the local engineers
in charge of river and harbor improvement.
General GileSpie'S totals as follows:
Under continuing contracts. S6.4S9.377
Rivers and harbOrs (generaD.... II ,543, coo
Examinations, surveys and con-
tlngencleS. 3O,OOO
Under California debris commits
sion. Observation-Disclosures. 5000
Prevention of deposits in New
York harbor. Observation-Disclosures. 70,260
Enlargement Of Governors
Island, New York. .......... 100000
Estimates are submitted by the Missis-
sippi river commission and Missouri river
commission as follows:
! Mississippi river commission. SO, ,695 600
| MISSOURI river commission. ], ,065 20d
Local improvements Recommended.
| The estimates for local improvements, as
| made by the chief of engineers, of $50 600
| and upwards, are as follows:
Lubec Channel. Me-, 5000; Harbor of
| Refuge, Cape Ann. Mass, $350,0O0; Glou-
| cester Harbor. Mass, $3.50, 600; Mystic river
| Mass, S1JO.000: Boston harbor, Mass, s163,
| 600. Harbor of Refuge, Nantucket, Mass,
| sl15,0OO: Woods Hole, Mass. $4,000; Provi-
dence river. R. L., $3.50; Harbor Refuge
! Point Judith, R l., 100000; Connecticut
| river, $4,000, New Haven harbOr, Conn.,,
| $4,000; breakwaters at New Haven, Conn.,,
| $4,000; East river, n. Y, 1900; Harlem
river, N. Y, s20O,0O0; Hudson river, N. Y,
| S3OoO0O: Shrewsbury river, n. j., $4,000;
| New York harbor, $4,000; Bay Ridge and
| Red Hook channels, New York harbor,
| 500 900; enlargement of Governors Island
| New York harbor, 500, 900; Delaware river,
| s65n,OOO; Wilmington harbor, Del, 1900;
/ Illdllu waterway lTOIi SHlnCOledSuG Day y,
| Va, to Delaware Bay. 100000; harbor of
| southeast Baltimore, $50 900; Potomac river,
| at Washington, $20G, 900; James river, Va,
$2J0.OcO; Cape Rear river. n. c., 100000;
/ Congaree river. s. c., $4,000: Charleston
| harbor. S. c., $4,000 for the 26-foot project
and $4,000 for the 21-foot project; Savan-
| nah harbor, Ga, $4,000; Savannah river,
$4,000; Cumberland Sound, Ga. and Fla.
100000; st. Johns river, Fla, $3.50, 900; Key
| West harbor, Fla, 100000; Tampa Bay,
| Fla, s75,OO0 Hillsboro' bay, Fla, 10000;
| Chattahoochee river, Ga, and Ala, $4,000;
| Pensacola harbor. Fla, $4,000; Coosa
river Ga and Ala, s250.OOO: Mobile har-
Dor, Ala, $35OOO0: Tombigbee river, Ala,
100000; Channel Ship Island harbor, Miss,
| $l50,000; mouth of Calcasieu river, La,
S165,OOO: harbor of Sabine Pass. Tex, $780,
900; Galveston harbor, Tex. $4,000; ship
channel Buffalo bayou, Tex, 100000;
| Brazos river, Tex, s120O0O; BraZos river
| between Velasco and Richmond, $4,000;
Aransas pass s35O,OOO; Red river, La, and
Ark, s135.OO0; Cuachita and Black rivers.
Ark, and La, $4,000; Upper White
river. Ark. $4,000; Mississippi river.
between Missouri river and St. Paul, $685.
687; Mississippi river between st. Paul and
| Minneapolis, $3.50 600; reservoirs at the
head waters of Mississippi river. $500, 600;
Missouri river above Sioux City, Iowa. to
| Montana 100000; Cumberland river above
| Nashville, Tenn, 100000; Tennessee river
| above Chattanooga. $50 600; Tennessee river,
| Chattanooga to Riverton, $6OO,OOO; Ohio
| river, 100000; movable dams, Ohio river,
| MOnONSdNeld " est NISinid,
| $2o0,O00: locks and dams. Allegheny river,
s11S,O0O; Big Sandy river, West Virginia
and Kentucky, SOL 900; Kentucky river,
Kentucky. 100000; falls of the Ohio river
| at Louisville, KY, $4,000; harbor at Du-
luth, Mimi, and Superior. Wis, 1863 727
| harbor of refuge at Grand Rapids, Mich,
10000; harbor of refuge. Milwaukee. iWs.,
$4,000 Chicago harbor, Illinois, $50 900;
| Calumet harbor, Illinois, $419, 4S0: Calumet
river. Illinois and Indiana 10000: Illinois
10000: harbor Of refuge. Milwaukee. Wis,
sissippi canal. Illinois, $685. go; Michigan
City harbor, Indiana, $6S,0OO; Holland har-
| Dor, Michigan, $4,000: Muskegon harbor,
Michigan, $4,000; Ludington harbor, Michi-
gan. $4,000; harbor OF refuge, Portage
Lake. Mich, $4,000: Frankfort harbor,
Michigan, 50, ,500 harbor of refuge Sand
Beach. Mich, $57,5OO: Hay lake channel,
ST. Mary's river. Mich. S144.115; Detroit
| river. Mich, $136, 800; Toledo harbor Ohio.