The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-01-25
The Need of Better
Sound DefenSeS

The traveller between island points
and Seattle, by way Of the straits
route. passes three great forts. SO un
preteptious in outward appearance
that they might escape his attention
entir"ly if unaware of their existence.
bat for the rows of barracks. officers
residences and other buildings
grouped near by them. For several
years patriotic passengers on steamers
passing the forts beneath the muzzles
of the great guni, dimly discernible
upon the bluffs. have pointed with
pride to the works erected in fnther-
ance of the popular doctrine. emil
lions for defense but not one cent for
tribute, 'and have been wont to regard
the forts as practically impregnable
aud as furnishing adequate means of
defense OF the Lp-Sound cities. It
will be something of shock. there
fore, to the average citizen to learn
that there is good deal lacking in
the Sounds system of offense and de-
fense. 1t appears that in a recent
letter to member of congress, pre-
sumably member of the committee
on coast defense. President Roosevelt
asked for particular information as
to the present condition of Puget
Sound fortifications-and he got it.
According to the Port Townsend Lead
er army officers declare that nothing
short of 14-inch gun would be effec-
tive against an invading warship.
The largest piece in the district meas
ures IL inches. OF this size Worden
boasts two and Flagler like
number. AT. headquarters but one of
the guns is mounted on a modern car
riage, while at Flagler one lies in
the grass and the other on a carriage
rejected at Sandy Hook and later sent
here. The dismantled gun vas former
ly mounted on q duplicate carriage,
but at the first discharge it demolish-
ed the carriage and crippled an artil-
leryman for life. The report also de-
clares there are no adequate search
lights at any Of the forts. On the day
the writer of the report visited the
forts, there were not sufficient men on
duty at Worden, Casey and Flagler to
man one position.
In view of these representations
and the unquestioned need of modern
Notifications at other points to COM
plete an adequate system OF defense.
it is to be hoped that congress will
speedily grant the request. earnestly
supported by the president and the
war department, that 81. 800. 900 be
made Immediately available for
undermining the equipment of Forts
Worden, Casey and Flagler and begin
ming the work of fortifying other
points now utterly defenseless. The
amount asked for is considerably less
than the cost of a single battleship.
A complete defensive system should
not only include strong fortress at
Deception pass, as now proposed. but
also on the south or west coast of
San Juan island and at one or more
points between here and Bellingham,
commanding Hale's passage and Ro-
sario strait. A modern fort on the
summit of Mt. Constitution would
command great area of land and
water and reduce to q minimum the
danger of hostile feet entering Bel
lingham bay from that direction.
while one on the San Juan coast would
command the Canal deHaro.
When the public lands of this coun-
ty we're opened to settlement nearly
thirty-fve gears ago. over 4. 900 acres,
mostly bordering upon San Juan pass,
we're set apart az military reserves,
and as such they remain to this day,
although repeated efforts have been
made to have the lands opened to en-
try under the homestead and timber
and stone acts.