Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-04

They can begin by pouring steel into an
enemy that is ten miles or more away, and
at five miles they have frequently reg
istered 100 hits out Of 100. shots, most of
them being so accurately aimed that they
would go through a hatch without d.s-
figuring the paint on the sides. Two Of
these guns are placed in a single pit, and
together they can keep a shot in the air
nearly all the time, their combined capa-
city being a shot every fifteen seconds.
1t has been found that the twelve-inch,
high-powered guns are too short-lived for
economical use, A gun with a larger pro-
jectile and a little less speed will do prac-
tically the same damage when it hits, and
the injury by melting the rifling out of
the bore is very much less. So fourteen
inch guns are now being built, These
will carry projectiles Weighing 1850 pounds,
and will be fully as effective. as the higher
powered twelve-inch guns Some of these
are wire-wound and Others. .steel-Jacketed.
The biggest gun ever built Is the sixteen
inch monster that is now at a New York
fort. 1t carries a projectile weighing a full
ton and can hand it out TO an enemy TWEEN
ty-one miles away. At seventeen miles it
can toss its 2,0OO-pound ball as accurately
as a base ball player throws the horse
hide to a seventeen yards away.
This CUR has been fired only a few times.
Before the Spanish-Amerlcan war it was
though that the firing of ten shots by a
coast defense gun was a good days work.
Since then their speed has been increased
to many times that much in "a single hour.
After the Spanish-American war, when the
new type of coast defense was in its in
fancy, there was great secrecy. Even a
we'll vouched for American could not see
the batteries at Fortress Monroe. Secre-
tary Root had his attention called to this
precautionary rule. WIN your mines and
guns work?' he queried. Yes, was the
ready response. Then why have any Sc
crecy about them; why not let the world
know how strong they are?" he asked. And
since then the world has known, and our
coast defenses are respected in all the i'm
aginary wars which the armies and navles
Of the world fight in their professional
journals.
The equipment of the coast defense forts
is one of the most remarkable evidences
of military progress in America. The i'm
mense searchlights which reveal the enemy
the minute he appears even on the darkest
Of nights, the wireless telegraph stations
that can catch his messages, the system OF
fire control whereby the position Of the
enemy is determined, and the efficient sys-
tenn Of mining that has been developed, all
indicate the woe that will betide the hostile
battle fleet tina essays to pass the line of
defense.
1t is said that Uncle Sam has worked
out the best system Of harbor mining that
exists in the word. Furthermore, every
harbor from Maine to Washington can be
completely mined at a cost less than that
required to build a single battleship. The
moral effect Of these mines in time of wal
cannot be over-estimated since no natioI
would care to risk a fleet in a thoroughly
mined harbor. A mine costing a few
hundred dollars may destroy a battleshiI
costing millions. Military and naval OK,
perts say that It was the Knowledge tina.
its harbors were amply protected tina
allowed Japan to fear nothing from IN,
Vladivostok squadron and enabled thu
Japanese fleet to assume the offensive.
one Of the most remarkable steps to b,
taken In pegfccting the coast d~efenses o.
tho United States viii be the building o
an artificial island between Cap2s Charl-
and Henry at the mouth OF Cheseapeak'
bay. on this island will be planted a grea
fort to prevent any fleet from sailing II
while our own might be elsewhere. Mor'
precuilar than this, however, is the new
Gibraltar with which Honolulu is now de
Tended. The crater Of a huge extinc
colcano has been pressed into service Al
a natural fort, and galleries are being Gu
into it so as to place all war material on
Of harms way. When It is completed +
will be well nigh lmpregnable.
The question of manning the coast de
lenses has been a serious one. Congress
will not allow even half Of a war footin.
for them. SO the military authorities hav,
provided for the situation by inducing tn,
sea coast states to convert some Of thei
militia into coast defenders. These mGiti,
organizations meet for two weeks in tn,
year with the regulars and watch then
during the first half Of the time. DurinJ
the other half the militia man the place
with the regulars by their SIDE. The col
lege men are given charge Of the Fir
control and other positions of like import
ance. and II is said 10 be marvellous hoy
quickly the militiamen become expert
Certain paraphernalia is supplied TO oac
militia organization so that lis member
can practice the important duties in thS