The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-26
REPORT OF CHIEF
OF ENGINEERS
Progress of the Work on Fortifi-
cations.
ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR
GEN. GILLESPIE THINKS s1o.-
500, 100 is NEEDED.

Washington Oct. 25.-The annual re-
port Of General George L. Gillespie,
chief of engineers, L. S. A, for the
past year, made public today, refers to
the work of construction of the fOrti-
ftcations that has been going on under
the general scheme Of the EndicOtI
board. Tt adds
The degree of defense TO be provided
Tor coaling and other naval stations.
scattered all over the world, for the larg-
or naval bases which must be promptly
established and for which appropriations
are asked OF congress by the navy de-
partment; for the ports of Manila. Pearl
Harbor and Honolulu. and for the lake
ports and the st. Lawrence river. shOuFt
preferably be determined by 2 tribunal
similar to the EndicOtt board, as rec
commended Ia my last annual report. In
the absence of legislation on the subject
of insular defensss. q mixed board of
engineers and artillery officers. organized
by authority Of the secretary Of war,
mas already been practically considering
and reported upon plans for the emer-
gency defense of several OF the most i'm
pOrtant harbors in the insuiar posses
sions. Before these preliminary plans Pre-
actually entered upon. il might be well
to invite the cooperation of the navy by
T. the assignment of q certain number of
naval Officers upon n new Joint board of
army and navy officers appointed to re-
wise or enlarge the preliminary plans of
defense heretofore prepared
Plans Approved.
General Gillespie says that the projects
for defenses of thirty-One localities have
been approved. He adds:
Projects for the defenses of San Juan.
Porto Rico; Pearl HarbOr and Honolulu
harbor, Hawaii; San Luis, Apia Guam,
Manila bay and Subig bay have been APP
proved by the secretary of war and ac-
tual construction should begin thereupon
at an early date. 1t is believed that the
time viii come when it will not longer be
possible TO ignore the question Of insular
detenses. The navy department is prop
erly insistent that all its important coal
| Ing stations should receive proper de-
fensive projection TO keep off attacks
from possible hostile fleets
THE seacOast defenses of the United
States are now somewhat more than 30
per cent completed. Twenty-Five of the
principal harbOrs of the United States
have a sufficient number of heavy guns
and mortars mounted to permit an effec-
tive defense against naval attack and
during the past three years considerable
progress has been made in the installa-
/ ton Of an adequate rapid fire armament,
now the matter Of first Importance
At present there are provided for the
defenseS of the United States 105 twelve
inch guns, 133 ten-inch guns. ninety-six
eight-inch guns, $50 rapid fire guns and
3I6 twalVe-inch mortars-
Estimates For 1905.
General Gillespie submits a total esti-
mate of $40, $50, 100 for the Qualifications of
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1905, as
/ follows:
Construction Of gun and mortar bat
teries and the installation of range and
position finders S4.575000; sites for fOrti-
ficauOns and seacOast defenses. 81. 900 00Gi
searchlights for harbor defense, S500Oo0
protection, preservation and repair OF
Qualifications. 100000; preparation OF
plans for Qualifications. $4,000 sup
plies for seacoast defense, $4,000: sea
walls and entertainments 500 600: tor
pedOes for harbor defenses. SD. 600: de-
Tense of in5uIar possessions. g. O00G GOO
procurement of LAND for sites for defenses
of the Hawaiian islands. S526.1O0
Some Improvements.
Among the estimates OF improvements
are the following Deep water harbor
san Pedro bay, $4,000; Wilmington har.
{ Dor, California. $4,000; San Luis Obispc
/ harbOr. California, $4,000: San Pedro baV
/ california. $751; 600. san Joaquin river. cal.
/ lfornia, $4,000; Stockton channel Sar
Joaquin river, California. S12A316. Sacra.
mento and Feather rivers, California
SZJ,0tO, COQuille river. Oregon. SEQ N90
/ Coos bay, Oregon. S50, 800: Columbia river
/ az Ihree-mile rapids, Oregon and Wash.
/ IhSJon, S5JUUpO; canal at cascades of Co.
I iumb1a river Oregon and Washington
: SS1Vo; willamette ard YamhfH rivers
{ above Portland, Ore, $4,000: Columbia
: ana willamette rivers below Portland
ore, 60JJ.O@. mouth of Columbia river
oregon and Washington. $500 900. GRAY.
harbor and ChehaHs river. WASHINGTON
S3o'tuDf Puget sound and tributary wafer
I $4,000; New WhatcOm harbor VEasbins.
eou; e52,StJ, improvements Yellowstone