The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-02

Ah DoAntA oA haVAns tne Eastern
 Entrance to the Sound Adequately
 Defended.
 In view of the coming great navy and army maneuvres soon to take place at the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound and in view of the erection in the last few years of forts and other defenses at various points at a cost of $7,OOO,OOO for protection at the eastern gateway to New York against foreign foe, it is interesting to recall that a New Havener, Captain Charles H. Townshend, started the monument which has eliminated in the erection of these defenses and labored with unre- n1itting zeal during a considerable period of years to have this important matter given the attention it deserved. Away back in 1888 Captain Townshend himself, an experienced navigator, ap- peared before the New York Chamber of Commerce to urge upon that im- portant body the necessity of the erec- tion of adequate defenses at the eastern entrance to the Sound. The New York chamber, of which Captain 1ON uSueIIU IS d IIletlDtI, lOOh lllG discussion of the question and referred the subject for consideration at fu- ture meeting. The subject appealed to New Workers as with the meagre de- lenses then existing. New York would be at the mercy of foreign war vessels which could easily enter the Sound from east and menace the chief city of the nation. Captain Townshend had already brought the subject before the New Haven Chamber of Commerce. The importance of the matter was readily recognized by the chamber and committee was appointed to urge the Connecticut Board of Trade to take &C., tion on the subject. The Board of Trade at its first annual meeting con- sidered the subject and later brought the subject before the state legislature, and that body instructed it's senators and representatives in congress to press upon congress the necessity of the erection of forts adequate to effectually guard the eastern entrance of the Sound The matter was then put be- fore the attention of congress and re- ceived favorable attention. Meanwhile the war with Spain came and gave an object lesson of the utmost significance as to the importance and necessity of the erection of these defenses. Captain Townshend went to Washington and with efficient aid there, efforts were made which resulted in the sending by the government of war ship to watch the eastern entrance of the Sound. Pre- vious to 1888 Captain Townshend had an interview with Captain Patterson of the U. S. coast survey and urged upon his attention the weakness of the then defenses of the Sounds eastern ap- proach. Captain Patterson concurred heartily with the views of Captain Townshend on the subject and sug- gested that the first step necessary was to get leading citizens of Connecticut to voice sentiment in favor of protec- tive measures and get strong backing for the movement in order to get con- gross to take the necessary action. Captain Townshend then went to work with his usual zeal and brought the case before the New Haven Chamber of Commerce with the result that appro- priate action was taken as recorded above An important matter-the re- surveying of Long Island Sound, both Geographically and hydrographically- was also urged upon the government by Captain Townshend and with such success that that such resurvey was made which included New York harbor and the Sounds eastern approaches and had much effect in showing how easily a foreign foe could get by the former feeble defenses of the eastern entrance of the Sound and sail on to- ward New York besides making much trouble en route. As the record books of the National Board of Trade of 1888 shows in it's account of it's meeting at Washington, D. C., in that year, Cap tain Townshend's voice was heard at the meeting upon the reading by the secretary of Proposition from the New Haven Chamber of Commerce in re- gard to the protection of Long Island Sound" which read as follows:
 Resolved, That in view of the large amount of traffic, both coastwise and foreign, passing through Long Island Sound, adequate Qualifications should be placed at it's eastern entrance, as being the easiest and most direct approach to the port of New York and the harbor UL SOHueCt1cuL. HIS pFOpOSlllOn dlleF having been advocated strongly by MT. Smith of New York was thoroughly put before the chamber by Captain Town shend, in an address setting forth the great importance of and need of the defences in question. Also in the of- ficiaI printed account of the first an- nual meeting of the Connecticut Board of Trade, which was held at Hartford in January, 1891, Captain Townshend was on hand to advocate the passage of resolution, regarding "coast and harbor defenses," the introduction of which he had secured. This resolution read
 Resolved, That we earnestly recom- mend the erection of harbor and coast defenses and particularly the fortifca- tion of the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound, as being the most direct approach to the port of New York and coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut.
 This resolution Captain Townshend advocated in an earnest address in the course of which he showed a map of the Sound approaches to New York with sites of the projected forts marked thereon and now extant and which he had prepared, illustrating the need that proper defences be built for the protec- tion of New York city and Connecticut coast ports.
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