Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-26
S[A COAST D[FENSES
Gillespie, Chief OF Engineers,
U. s. A. Issues Annual Re-
port on Fortifications
REGARDING SUBMARINE MINES
Practically All Harbors Now Equipped
With Torpedo storehouses, Gable
Tanks and serviceable Mining Case
Matter--General Estimates on i'm
provement of Rivers and Harbors.

Washington, Oct 26.-The annua
report of General George l.. Gillespie
chief of engineers u. S. A. for the year
ended on June 80. 1903. dealing with
| Notifications and river and harbol
work, has been made public. He refers
/ first TO the work of constructing for
| tificationsi that has been going on un-
1 der the general scheme OF the Endicott
board. and adds: The degree of. de-
Tense to be provided for coating and
other naval stations scattered all over
| the world, for the larger naval bases
which must be promptly established,
and for which appropriations are asked
of congress by the navy DEPARTING
| for the ports of Manila, Pearl harhor
| and the st. Lawrence river, should
preferably be determined by a tribunal
similar to the Endcot. board as rec
commended in my last annual report
General Gillespie says that the
projects for defenses Of thirty 10
calities have been approved and in ad-
oition defenses of the great lakes and
the St. Lawrence river are under con-
sideratior. He adds; Projects for the
Pearl harbor and Honolulu harboc,
Hawaii; San Luis D'Al,ra. Guam: Ma
nila bay and Subig bar have been app
proved by the secretary of war, and
actual construction should begin there
en- at an early day. 1t is believed tina:
the time has come when 1t Will be no
longer possible to ignore the question
OF insular defense.
The seacoast defsnses Of the United
SO per cent completed. Twenty five or
the principal harbors OF the United
States have sufficiy MT number or
heavy guns and mor;ars mounted to
permit an effective defense against a
naval attack, and during the last three
years considerable progress has been
made in the installation of an a6e
quate rapidfire armament, now IN
matter OF first import"
defenses or the United States 100
twelve-ineh guns 1913 ,en-inch guns.
ninety-six eight-incl guns SCI rapid
fire guns and 3T6 twelve-inch mortars
Regarding submarine mines the re-
port says;
with few exceptions all harbors are
now equipped with tor oedo storehouses.
cable tanks and sep'iceable mining
case matter. Many of the latter are
not of the latest type, and are COM
planned OF by the artillery as INSULT
cient In size. As the funds become
available, they will be replaced by
more convenient ga rommodious case
Materials
General Gillespie submits total es-
innate of sl0,36s. 100 for fortifications
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1905,
as follows.
Construction of gun and mortar bat
teries and installation of range and
position finders. s4.575,o00: sites for
Notifications and sea coast defense. So
100000; searchlights for harbors de-
Tense, 100000: protection, preserva-
ton and repair of Notifications. $780,
900; preparation of plans for fortifica-
Tense, $4,000: sea walls and embank-
ments. 100000; torpsdoes for harbor
defense S225.000: defense of insular
s2,ooo.oo0 procurement of
land for sites for defense of the Ha-
waiIan islands, s526,10o.
For the Improvement of rivers and
harbors. General Gillespie submits the
following, general estimates for the
next fiscal year:
Under continuing contracts SILL |
$40, 7T3; rivers and arbors (generall, |
$40. 74S99o; examinations, surveys and |
contingencies. 100000; under Califor- |
MIA debris commission, $4,000: pre- |
of deposits In New York har- |
Dor, SI3,260; enlargement of Governors |
island. New York, s20).000: Mississippi |
river commission. s2,540,000
The following are among the esti-
mates for improvements:
Mississippi river between Missouri |
river and st. Paul, 100000.
Usage river, Missouri and Kansas,
10000
Chicago harbor, Illinois. s295, 900.
Calumet river. Illinois, $2500D0
Michigan City, harhor, Indiana, s45.-
100.