The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-11-30
Of
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COAST DEFENSE
DEPLORAb[E
Continued From Page one.)

Slocum, Wadsworth, Hamilton and
Hancock, equipped with big guns, tor
perdoes, search lights, etc. 1t would
require 224 officers and 1862 men to
man these forts alone, without provid-
Ing for any relief whatever. That is
more that two-thirds of all the off1-
GERS and half of all the men now en-
gagged in taking care of all the coast
defenses of the entire United States.
Other cities present interesting sta
ust1cs. There is San Francisco, the
terminal of the Hartman and other
great trans-continental lines, and
nom which the ships of the Pacific
mail aud other trans-Paciffc lines
carry our goods to the orient; in many
respects the key to Hawaii, Guam
and the Philippines. To defend San
Francisco are Forts Foster, Miley,
Barry, Baker, Mason, Winfield Scott
and Mcdowell. To man these would
require rs officers and 4.26S men.
There are available AZ officers and l.
400 men. The coast defense plans call
for the expenditure of s3,119,242 to
complete the defenses of San Francis
co, OF which s439,600 is to be spent
for guns, emplacements and carriages;
$459,955 for submarine mine defenses;
$334,952 for a central power plant;
$193,064 for a reserve power plant;
$4,000 for search lights; Sl9,620 for
undermining older emplacements, and
H,47S,991 for fire CONTROL I" 1t will
cost $1,473,991 to install complete
system of communication alone at
San Francisco, and it is significant
fact that this fire control installation
will be the only one recommended to
congress this year, because there are
no men available to care for others
If they should be installed And, in
passing, it may be remarked that for
Fort Mason and Mcdowell at San
Francisco there are no men available
at ALL
Portland is another place on the Pa
cific coast of Importance. Forts Co
lumbia, Stevens and Candy defend
Columbia river. 1t would require 81
officers and LAG men to properly
man these defenses. Ten officers and
246 men are available The national
board estimates that $1,041,3S2 is
necessary to complete these defenses
but there is no prospect at present of
congress being ever asked to appro-
pirate a dollar for this purpose, so
long as ten officers and 240 men do
the work of 81 officers and ,446 men,
and enlisted men at $13 to S18 a month
will fill positions as engineers, fire.
men, master gunners, electricians, OBJ
9QI.V0rC nnintnrc m
Takoma and olympia, Washington, are
important cities on the Pacific coast.
How are they provided with coast de-
lenses? Puget Sound is defended by
Forts Worden Casey and Flagler.
These forts are manned by the mag
nificent equipment of 81 officers and
9O2 men, where 129 officers and 2,185
men are now required; Even at that
there is only one officer to 80 men
where the proportion should be one
officer to twenty-four men.
The coast defense plans call for an
elaborate system of defense for Puget
Sound. An expenditure of s5,519, 349
is estimated as necessary to complete
it. OF this $3,413,600 is for new forts
alone, including guns and carriages
The national board on coast defense
says that these waters have become
of the greatest strategic and CONNER
cial Importance due to the completion
in the extreme northwest of great
railway systems, and the establish
ment of a navy yard containing the
only docks on the Pacific coast with
the capacity for a battle ship. These
considerations press for an increased