The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1907-07-08
WAR ENGINES AT SOUND FORTS ARE
USELESS WITH FEW ARTnLERYMEN
Government Expecting War With Japan, Is Training
Militia for Artillery Service--FOris Casey, Flagler
and WOrden al Mercy Of Enemy Landing Guns
al Port Discovery.

The United States government. expecting war with
Japan quietly and with little commoton possible,
making desperate attempt 10 put forts Fagle Casey and
Worden the Of Puget sound into state OF ei
cency and to them for the that IS looked for by
the officers 20 come.
The sending OF almost the entire American navy 10 the
Pacific is regarded significant than the
dspatchng OF Col Cummss perhaps the foremost artillery
officer in the American army Fort Wordeu Further
the staonng OF the natiosal gsass at ~ so~pd
forts spDsy Os as purpose o eucauen has mach
naars srs pqrpeses Ia vbee ke the iia acu placed
trs 90 he~ the bog whdeh uaa safety %
Seattle s@a har seter cpSes depemis
III oflasla ogces has spread bayoad them. Forts
Casey, Faaies asd Norden we'll equipped with gives.
powder anuats.an aad the mechanisa mGaas ID vagng
% handle te gums with the mauaher that il possibe
reeruit iutn ae artillery co@Paaes staoned at these
oHa-Foursa Enough Mea
II : aargitted that there not one-fourth eaoaga
any fors ia fact rs admitted THAI only about
cnengh be austered any fort TO man ONE 81 the
part in enaagepeat becaase there would be TO
elevate load amd fire the pieces
There mortar batteries a these forts which woad
be 81 great Use n ga attempt q ect o e toFs But
there by enough handle both the big
guns ard the mortar batteries and the other woad
necessarily have 90 be neglected.
Stranger than this IS The fact that there batteries in
the vicinity Of a three forts, costing sums whch
have never had man on them STAGE the time they were een
structca Ta big batteries II heh cahre disappearing
guns located distance from the three forts aeo
pecly manned and IN positions command the
the sound absolutely unattended being plugged up
with grease c stand nomth month without
being fired having been used ioF drill purposes
The government IS known 20 have started fort IA the
vicinity ct Fort WeFdcm which has been finished Ia
is now understood that the work will again taen up as
the position is sad 70 be Important
Forts at Enenys Mercy.
The fort Port Discovery and the fort Whitby ISL
and have matealzed Col Cumhns believes the fort
Port Discovery be necessity Siege guns could be
landed there and Forts Fage Casey and Wordcn equipped
az present, even though manned 70 the maximum
strength would be swept rom existence Tor Port Discovery
commands the other three locations The big gums 81 these
present azimufh range AND elevation could BE
verscd ca return the shciiing from bchHd
The fort az PORT Discovery will undoubtedly be rushed
to completion BY the government but will take four
five years complete The officers oi the forts while
IN duty bound q talk for publication expecting
They believe that the dispatClng 81 the mitiamen the
forts for the purpose % learning the work az artcrymen
has been done that these gaafdson cold be rushed into
the forts in ii
Il be almost inpossiblo 10 rocrsa the coast
artillery companies, aRd the government " argued has
despared % filling WP the places BY the regular
aud has undertaken adacate the gardsneu tins
science % ihe big gsa.
Japs Surveyed con@try
hoag with the war talk. comes another story But
tes wonths ago a number Of apparestly hghy s@scasd
o tSrss forts the entrance Puget sound Tksy cao-
ell to BE surveying timber lands The fort officers tod the
MISTER up with the government but way ousdoto
sep the suspicious surveying and plotting The japanese
departed and have since been uuheard Of their alleged tim
Der business falling 90 develop Officers the forts believe
they were experts securing maps Tor the japanese govern