Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-09-26
Our Sound Defenses.

/
Our Sound Defenses.
The P..I, Oh authority of "prom-
inent officer of the navy, who refused
[be it noted connection of his name
with his statements" makes the broad
assertion that Forest fires might. in
time of war, be responsible for COM
plete failure of Puget Sound forts in
their object of protection. puget
Sound" he says, "would be easily &C
cessible to an enemy's fleet, and with
little danger to them. Forts Casey,
Worden, Flagler and Lawton would
be absolutely valueless, during the
prevalence of smoke on the Sound
from forest fires. 1t is absolutely i'm
penetrable with the strongest search
light. Conditions are little better in
fog"
The prominent officer" basis his
opinion upon the "absolute impossi.
bility," he alleges, Of mining the waters
of Puget Sound, owing to their ex-
IRENE depth in front of the forts at
Port Townsend and on Magnolia Bluff,
and for blocking strategic points at the
entrance of and at various contours OF
the Sound. The undertow, he con.
tends, would drag the mines out OF
position"
Thus vanishes in smoke one of the
boasts handed down from pioneer life
of the impregnability of Puget Sound
from foreign attack! The concession
has been universal. however, that oul
natural safeguards are unparalleled
under ordinary conditions. and as the
late impenetrable darkness had not oc.
Cured within the memory of anybody
the past two generations, it is hardly
probable that . war of conquest could
afford to wait for such an unusual aid
to make their attack reasonably hope
fol.
Then, would not the same impene
trable darkness have the same effecl
upon an attacking As arepelling force'
If it be true, as this prominent Off
Ger" alleges, that the battleship Ore
gon was delayed in her passage Out
for Panama, on account of the dan
ger of making the ocean, through
the smoke" under the guidance Of
pilots familiar with every foot of oul
roadsteads, would it not be equally
hazardous to foreign ships coming in
under direction Of guides depending
solely on charts and hearsay for theil
knowledgef In other words, would
not impenetrable darkness be quit,
as much, il not more, of . handicap u
the aggressor - the deienderi
And if, as is asserted, Conditions
are little better in fog" would mo-
the same degree Of release from ex
tremely unusual conditions apply Il
the one as the other, and with equa
opportunity presented, would not th.
relative advantage Of natural resources
be re-established?
It seems to 10 that the name o
the prominent officer of the navy
should not be withheld, when he pub
fishes what seems 10 be such . palpa
BILE libel upon our hitherto regarded q
} improbable inland sea.
A PANIC OF . negro church conerega
ton, at Birmingham, Ala, Saturday
80 negroes lost their lives. Their,
were about 1000 people in the church
and just IS Booker T. Washingto,
had concluded an address to the Ma
> tional Convention of Baptists, . figh
ensued and somebody shouted "fire,'
: which set the large congregation il
motion towards the front doors. II
front Of these, long steps led to tn
sidewalk, the church floor being abou
Is feet above the street grade. Upol
/ these steps human bodies were sool
piled to the depth of ten feet, will
. 1900 people pushing the vanguard
, over them.