Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-05

how this works. take Dubuque county
Iowa, for instance. Forty routes. covering
an area Of 700 square miles, now furnish
daily mail service to 15,OD people, and
since the establishment of the system
more than 1000 daily NEWSPAPERS have
been subscribed for in that territory.
COMMANDMENT OF FORTS A WASTE
or MONEY.
Army officers hero were not surprised
that tho latest bombardmcnt of y Venc-
@uclan fort 10y the German ship Panther
resulted in no damare to the fertilization.
The history of all bombardmcnts since the
Cival War has been the same. and shows
conclusivelv that it is a waste of money
10 IRE from ships at sea in tho hone Of
dcmolishing shore dcfcnses. General Croz
Ter. chief of ordnance, III speaking of This
To the Eagle correspondent to-day. said:
ut has been pretty well established now
mat tic best an attacking fleet can hope
to do Is to silence the guns of a shore bat
t"r5. This can only he accomplished by
raining suth 4 heavy fire of rrojectiles
about the fortiication as to prevent the
mon from serving the guns. Occasionally
4 stray shot from an attacking fleet will
hit a rifle in a fort and disable 1t. but there
Is very slight probability of this occurring.
SO far as batterinE down "a fort goes, that
is out of the question"
Another officer said: I'VE made some
trials q few years ago to Determine the eff.
rect Of a big proiectilc striking head on
against Il stone parapets. The expert
mont took place at Fort Washington.
down the Iotomac river. The projectile
struck the face of the rock and glanced off.
infictinE no material damage whatever.
Everybody remembers the thrilling news
paper accounts of the daily demolishmcrt
OF the Santiago defenscs, but as Il matter
al fICt no damage whatever was done by
Simpsons guns. a fort with eartllern
pdrapct is Just as safe as one with ma
sorry protection. Shots fired into earthen
or sand banks bury themselves or else
turn ana come ont at the place of least
resistance. Aside from throwing up
clouds of dust and making a hole in the
ground, they do little or no damage. a
steady and well directed fire from rapid
fire gum is the most effective means of
attack, as il will create a hail Of splinters
winch Will fly about and iniurc the mon.
That is about al, We can do. even with
our modern nigh power guns
ARRANGING HOME FOR COMMERCE.
DEPARTMENT.
Now that the passage Of the bill for the
establishment of a department Of COM
morce is assured. talk is being started Cor
the erection of a building to accommodate
the new executive department. Congress
is to be asked to appropriate money for
thS construction OF q suitable home Tor the
department, instead of hiring
quarters in valiOuS parts Of the city. as
is now done for the department of jus tice.
There is plenty of money in the treasury
50 that one or two millions for Il new gov
III building would hardly be noticed
II taken out of the surplus. II Congress
authorizes the rental Of quarters without
providing for the construction OF a build
ing, it is feared that this arrangement
will run on for years and the cost of "A
modern structure be eaten up in rentals.
George Il. Cortolyou of Long Island is
TO Is appointed the head of the new lc-
partmcnt, ana his nomination will problb-
ly ho sent to the Senate as soon as the
President signs the act creating the posi-
ton.
MIR. HEWIT1"S PLAN TO ENLARGE
CAPITOL.
Abram $. Hewitt was deeply interested