St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-15
GIBRALTAR FOR u, S.
TAFT PLANS STRONG FORTRESS
ON CHESAPEAKE BAY.

ON CHESAPEAKE BAY.
Would Build It on island Between
capes Henry and Charles
Would BE Fourth Built
by Nation.
President Taft's project for a gigan-
tic fortress set on an artificial island
in the mouth of Chesapeake bay
should it receive the sanction of con-
gress will make the fourth of series
of powerful forts, practical Gibraltars,
now under construction or about to
be commenced in the United States.
The Gapes Of Virginia, the twin de-
lenses of the Atlantic and Pacific en-
frances of the Panama canal, the new
naval base at Pearl Harbor, In the
Hawaiian islands, and the series of
practically impregnable island batter
les at the narrows Of Manila bay
constitute the four. All are to be
as powerful as the combined science
and ingenuity of the army engineers,
the ordnance bureau and the coast
artillery's experts can make them.
There is different reason for the
construction Of each of these huge de-
lenses. Except that all are to be
powerfully armed and as nearly inn
pregnable as the student of modern
warfare can devise, no two of the
"Gibraltars" will possess much in
common. Their forms will be as d.
verse as the purposes which actuate
their construction.
Most prominently in the public mind
at the moment is the great Chesa-
peake fort. 1t was urged by Presi-
dent Taft in his recent speech before
the Atlantic deeper waterways con-
vention, and it is to the easterner the
nearest home.
dominate the entrance to the second
largest harbor in the world; harbor
that in the years to come will rival
in Importance and may surpass the
port of New York as port of en-
trance for cargoes from the Eastern
Hemisphere, and is almost certain to
do SO as port of shipment.
The entrance to Chesapeake bay
is a shallow sheet of water about Is
miles wide. At the northerly side
is Cape Charles, low, sandy point
fanked on the Atlantic by bit of
Virginia known as Fishermans island.
The southerly side of the entrance
is called Cape Henry. This point is
memorable as the landing place of
Capt John Smith and his company
of cavaliers in 1907. Cape Henry is
q sand dune 40 Meet high. From
neither of the capes can the other be
discerned except in the most favor.
able weather. The big lighthouses,
nevertheless, cast their bright flashes
across and both are visible at the
same time from incoming ships.
The channel for ships of heavy
draught runs much closer to Cape
Henry than to Cape Charles. 1t is
less than mile wide. The balance
of the stretch Of water is too shallow
for anything but the light draught
gunboats and torpedo boats. For this
reason the problem which the mouth
of the Chesapeake presents to the
army engineers is the defense of the
channel itself against the big sea
fighters of a possible enemy and OF
the shalloWer water against destroy
ers and light vessels which might
slip through to attack shipping in the
roadsteads Of Norfolk, Portsmouth
and Newport News.
Tentative plans for the defenses OF
the entrances to the Chesapeake pro
vide for the creation of big artificial
island fort between the capes, but
much nearer to Cape Henry than to
Cape Charles. In fact, it will be just
north of the channel. 1t will domi
nate the entrance toward Norfolk and
the other important ports much as
Gibraltar dominates the gateway oil
the Mediterranean. The island fort
will be built of concrete, with walls
approximately so feet in thickness. II
will be armed with disappearing guns
| or turret guns. The plans Of the coast
artillery officers are not yet decided
on this point.
The main battery will be composed
of the largest guns possible to mount
| The newest guns being manufactured
| for the army are of 14-inch bore ane
are 53.5 feet in length. The compile
ment of the Chesapeake Gibraltar will
probably be six of these monster can
| non. Then, If the present plans o.
the artillerymen are accepted. there
| will be a battery of 3-inch rapid-frt
guns and one or more quartets of NOR
tars-big Pinch mortars built t.
throw their huge shrapnel cases alof
at an angle Of As degrees. making I'm
tenable any position within thei
somewhat limited range.
Assisting the island fort in it
guardianship of the channel will b,
a smaller fort on the mainland a
Cape Henry. Rlis fort will probabl
be equipped with two or four 14-incl
guns and another nest of mortars
At the northerly side of the entranc
will be third fort on Fisherman