The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-29
UNCLE SANS KEY
TO THE CHESAPEAKE.
War Department investigating the
FortificatiOns in Hampton Roads.

BY r. NJ. Larner.
Washington, May 2S.--The War De-
partment is preparing once for all to
ascertain if the Notifications of the
Rip Raps, the old Fort Wool of the
Civil War, in Hampton Roads, is prac-
ticable, and worth the while. If it
can be strongly enough fortified it
will be the key to the Chesapeake bay,
and will be even a greater protection
TO Washington, Baltimore, Norfolk
and Newport News, than the Fortress
Monroe is popularity supposed to be. II,
however, the foundations do not stand
the test of heavy firing to which they
will be put during the coming sum-
Iner the fort will be practically aban-
doned and the millions or more dollars
spent in trying to make modern for
tification of it will have been sunk in
the bottom of the sea- literally as we'll
as figuratvely.
Fortress Monroe is popularity sup
posed to be the strongest fortified place
in America, and the average American
rests secure believing that no battle
ship would ever reach Washington
while Fortress Monroe interposes its
rock-ribbed walls. But naval and mill
itary experts who know something of
the real strength of Fortress Monroe
express the belief that the capital will
have to look to other protection than
that of Fortress Monroe, in case the
United States becomes involved in an
international war The old, antiquated
stone walls, of that part of the fort the
public sees, would hardly stand an
hour before the 13-inch guns OF mod
ern man of war and it is to the dis
appearing guns up on the beach above
the fort that the war officers are pin
ming their faith. But even they realize
that the strategic position of Hampton
Roads is the Rip Raps, and if the
tests that are to be made this summer
prove it to be suitable to withstand the
recoi of the big guns that are mount
ed on it. it will likely be made the real
fertilization of the Chesapeake. Where
the doubt comes In is whether the island
itself will withstand the firing of heavy
guns. 1t is said to be sinking slowly
but surely notwithstanding that new
material is being constantly carried
there.
The island is all made land In the
century that has passed it was the
spot where all vessels threw the super
fiuous ballast they had on board, and
as the deposits of the millions of little
polys make the coral reef, finally these
deposits reared their head above the
water and assured the dignity of an
island. Prior to the Civil War it
stood there as simply a ballast made
island, but with the firing of the first
gun of that period it was realised that
that section would be one of the great
theaters of war; and every available
inch of ground was fortified by one
side or the other. The artificial island
was deemed an important strategic
point and was fortified. It's fortunes
varied with the vicissitudes of war, but
it ended as a federal fertilization. Ev-
er since that time a sort of half
hearted effort had been decided to see
If, after all, the game is worth the
candle.
1t is right off this island at Sew
ellis Point, that the Jamestown Expo
sition. concentrating the first plant
ing of Anglo Saxon civilization in
America, will be held. The Rip Raps,
Fortress Monroe, and the waters on
which the Monitor met the Merrimac
and made the fight the boom of whose
guns was the farewell volley to the
wooden ship as an implement of war,
are within sight, and will, in them
selves, offer attractions when the ex-
position is held.