The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-18
Estimate Is That United States
Will Spend $5,5OO,OOO for
Guarding Waterway.
THIS WILL INCLUDE
SEA COAST DEFENSES
Intention Is to Plant Heavy Guns
on Both Sides Of the
ISthmus.
BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.

by Leased WIRE 10 The Tribune,
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17-Plans for
the fortifcation of the Panama canal
at cost OF $l4, 100000, an increase of
S".2I6,522 over the estimate submitted
in 1908 by the National Coast Defense
board, of which President Taft was
tlen chairman, were sent to congress
last Aui,,.
The proposed expenditure refers only
to sea-coast defenses for the terminus
of the canal but it is also planned TO
tions of the canal other than the ter
nInal from attacks to which those por-
tlons might be subjected by forces op-
Grating on land with the object either
of getting possession of the canal or
lniuring the locks, dams, etc.
Twenty million dollars is a CON
servative estimate of what the final
plans for the combined seacoast and
land defenses Will call for, and it is
not considered improbable that the total
cost of the Notifications will be nearer
$40,000.000 than $l4,000,000..
Details of Announcement.
The seacoast defenses now being
urged by President Taft comprise the
following armament:
Ten l4inch rifles; twelve 6-ipch
rifles; twenty eight 12-inch mortars, be-
sides an elaborate system of submarine
defenses
Six OF the fourteen-inch rihes-the
most powerful and costly gun in the
world-will be placed in places on the
Pacific side of the canal, and four on
the Atlantic, in pairs.
Although the greatest secrecy is be.
ing maintained concerning the fortifca~
tion plans. it is known that the main
fort defending the Pacific entrance will
be built on Sosa hill and armed with
four l4-inch rifles, six six-inch rifles
and eight 12inch mortars. This will
be named Fort Amador, after the first
president OF the republic of Panama.
For Fleets Protection.
Two other l4-inch rifles Will be placed
on Ancon hill, with smaller artillery,
and the islands of Naos and Pcrico in
the Bay of Panama will also be forti'
fed, with the object of enabling an
American fleet to pass through the
canal and form IN line OF battle on the
Pncifc side outside the range of any
gun on a ship that can come within
range of the guns on the islands, which
in turn will be protected and command
ed by the guns on Sosa and Aneon hills.
IulS pan WAS duOHICu 10 lnCcJ luc
objection of Admiral Evans. who
pointed out that if Notifications were
not built fleet passing through the
canal would have to come out one by
one, and that Hit would be impossible
for n fleet TO pass from one ocean TO
another if there were q hostile fleet
awaiting 1T; the hostile fleet could
destroy the vessels as they came out
Furthermore, the original plans for
the Pacific entrance of the canal have
already been entirely changed for
strategic reasons. The locks were to
have been built at Sosa, thus affording
The greatest possible convenience to
commercial shipping, but Colonel Goe-
thals has moved several miles inland
N a sheltered position at Miraflores,
where they are comparatively safe from
;he fire of any warships In Panama
BAY.
East Side Defense.
The defenses on tho Atlantic side |
Will consist of two twin emplacements !
If fourteen.inch rifles, each reinforced |
oy sixinch rifles and twelveinch NOR
ars, so that there will be practically |
'our forts in all--two on the Pacific
md two on the Atlantic side
As on both the Atlantic and Pacific
;ides approach to the mouth of the
canal is only possible for large ships
through drcdged channel 500 feet
vide extending three miles out to sea,
he protection of these channels by |
ubmarIne mines is easy. On the Pa
ific side it is also intended to mine
he passages between the islands in
he bay of Panama so as to prevent
II enemy's ship from taking refuge be-
lind them.
Admiral Dewey. who. rs senior mem.
,er OF the joint board of officers of
rmy and navy appointed in Novem-
,er, 1909, TO report on the fortifica
ION of the canal approved the above
Tmament is on the record as opposed
o the principle OF fortification. lie
aid IN an interview some time ago:
d" Fortificntion? Why, of course not
understand il. the canal is to be and
hould be mutual commercial path
'ay between the two great oceans To
GRITTY it would simply result in MAX
ng it battle ground in ease of war,
'ortifications would be enormously ex-
enslYe and ought to- be rejected