The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-19
MAKE AK ISLAND AND ,.FoRTlFY

~ Siit EfOIClllCdllOllS.4
MAKE \ ISLAND AND FoRTlF>
Plan of Engineers to Make De.
Z lenses of Bay Entrance
fmpregnablc.
q Munsey Building,
:. Times Dispatch Bureau,
. washington. D. c.. Jan. IS.
j mended that 100000 be appropriated
q for the fortihcation OF Cape Henry, at
the southern point Of the entrance to
y Chesapeake Bay. or course, this sum
], Will hardly pay for the land on which
Il u 10 proposed to erect the fortitica-
II tons. but 1t is not expected that the
n government will be asked to pay any
4 thing like the enormous price demand.
4 ca O year or two ago by the men who
had purchased tho property in antici-
patton; OF Its being taken by the Fed
4 eral government for the purpose indi-
Gated. Some OF the Virginia members
A refused to urge the bill at that time.
i owing to the extravagant price asked
II tor the property.
II is the plan OF the army engineers
70 fortify the cape and at the same.
A tlme build midway between Cape Henry
\ ana Cape Charlos to the north, an
island on which Notifications Will be
erected. The latter proposition was
tirst made when 1t was found real
estate SPECTATORS were holding the
ian ian q on the cape at such an exorbitant
4 ngure, butt has since been adopted as
! n of r>t,zk
Island would be constructed Of sand
pumped from the bottom Of the bay
surrounding the cuisson Enclosing the
| Sue OF tho Island. Concrete would be
mixed with the sand, OF course, and the
result would be q structure whose sta.
pity would never be brought into
Danger is From the West,
y VIII not be as easy to get an ap-
propriatton for Qualifications on our
Eastern coastline this session as it
would have been heretofore. For a
hundred hundred years and more, the general
sovernment has planned to prvent sue
tcess1ul a ttacks on our Eastern sea-
board Europe was looked upon as the
only continent from which we need
year trouble at any time in our his
tory. Is, - -
But Japan is now regarded as the
most dangerous nation. SO far as pro-
yoktng war is concerned. and her sud
zen rise TO the dignity OF serious
menace to- America finds our Western
coast very inadequately protected. The
war department is devoting Its whole
attention to terrifying the, Pacific
COAST, so far as the subject OF fortifi-il
cations extends. The East may have
TO axe care Of Itself for time,
For Norfolk Harbor.
While there will hardly be a river
and harbor bill at this session OF Con-
.gress. there will probably be what is |
known as an executive bill, that Is. |
one which will provide for emergency
appropriations and for the protection
Of work already undertaken.
Representative Maynard, Of the Sec
ond Virginia District. said to-day he |
hoped to be able to have Incorporated |
In this small bill an appropriation to |
be expended In improving AID extend.
ms the anchorage grounds off Lam
bcrt's Point. The appropriation made
last year for dredging the channel at
that point was found to be about
twice as large as was necessary, and
Mr.. Maynard will seek to have the
balance expended In providing more
room for vessels at anchor in that
locality
Representative slemp, of the Ninth
virginia District, has introduced a bill
Which. If 1t passes. will provide a
place for a good Republican OF his
district. The bill AUTHORIZES the clerk
OF the United States District and Cir
cult Courts at Abingdon to appoint !
deputy, who shall reside at Big stone
Gap, where sessions Of the court are
held.
Representative a. .. James, of Ken
lucky, Republican. introduced a billi
to-day which seeks to allow to clerks
OF Federal courts, when they reach
the age of seventy years, and have
served continuously for thirty-hve
years. pension, equaling annually
the amount of fees and other emolu-
ments OF their Office for the year pre-
ceding their retirement. He saws The
object of the bill is to promote EN-.
cheney in the public SERVICE" but soma
may be so uncharitable as to cali II
a bill to pension the man who refuses
to be priced loose from q public Office,
Bills, by Mr.. Lassiter.
Mr.. Lassiter has introduced the fol-
lowing bills:
To carry out the findings Of the
court Of claims in cases in which
Schurch property had been damaged BY
sSo otdleS troops during the War
between the States and Immediately
thereafter, as follows: Smiths Grove
Episcopal Church. Dinwiddie county.
$500; Merchants Hope Episcopal
Church. Prince George county, $l,l5O;
Methodist Episcopal Church, Gary's
Prince George county $1,000; church
at Reams Station, Dinwiddie county,
$500.
Saunders and Floyd County.
representative Saunders, OF the Fifth
Virginia District. has returned from
Richmond, where lie has been all Of
this week. IT Is presumed that the
proposition to change the lines Of his
district by adding Floyd county now
IN the Sixth, moved him to spend a day
or two with the legislators. He says
he has no objectionto representing the
people of Floyd in Congress If the
Legislature shall decide to make that
county a part OF his district.
Democrat Holds at Scottsyillc.
81, scottsville, the home of Senator Mar
tin, Will continue to have g Democratic
postmaster. Representative Bascom
slemp said to-day that postmaster
sGault would DO reapp otnted. There
are NOT oraf{ Nm ~ fwOt& Renublicnns