Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-19
Armament, Consisting Of Great Guni
and Mortars.
FORTS ON BOTH OF THE COAST
Passages Between the Islands Art
ALI to Be Mined.
OBJECTIONS OF EVANS ARE MET
Admirui Dewey Contends that Water
way should BE Neutral Path
way between the Two
Great Oceans.
TERMINALS TO BE PROTECTED

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1s.-(Special Tele-
gram. )--Pians for the fortification Of the
Panama canal at a cost of $l4,140,OOO an
increase OF S9,276,b2i over the estimate sub
mitted in 1905 by the National Coast De-
Tense board. Of which President Taft was
then chairman, we're sent to congress last
April.
The proposed expenditure refers only 10
"seacoast defenseH for the terminus of the
canal" but It Is also planned to provide
means Of defending the portions OF the
canal other than the terminals from at
tacks to which those portions might be
subjected by forces operating ON land,
with the object either OF getting possession
OF the canal or % interfering with the
locks, dams, etc.
Twenty-Five million dollars is con-
serYatfve estimate OF what the final plans
for the combined seacoast and land de-
lenses will call for. and II is not con
sidered improbable that the total cost Of
the Notifications will be nearer $4O'OOO,VOO
than Sl4.OOO,OOO
The seacoast defenses now being urged
by President Taft comprise the following
armament Ten 1i-inch rifles, twelve
6-inch rifles. twenty sh-inch mortars'
besides an elaborate system of submarine
defenses. SIX Of the 14-lnch rifles-the most
powerful and most costly gun In the worlo
will be located in places on the Pacific
coast and four on the Atlantic In pairs
secrecy is Maintained.
Although the greatest secrecy is main
talned concerning the foruficatlon plans
IL is known that the main fort defending
the Pacific etrance will be built on Sosa
hin and armed with four A-inch rifles six
e-lnch rifles and eight l2-inch mortars'
This Will be named Fort Amador after
the first president Of the republic OF ran
anna.
Two other 14-inch rifles Will be placed
ON Ancon hill with smaller artillery ana
the islands of Naos and t'erlco, In tue
4say OF Pahasna. win also be fortified,
with the object of enabling an American
fleet TO pass through the canal and form
IN line OF battle on the Pacific side out
side the range OF any gun ON a ship that
can come within range of the guns on the
islands, which in turn viii be protected
and commanded by the guns on Sosa and
Ancon hills.
The plan was adopted to meet the obJec-
ton OF Admiral Evans, who pointed out
that no matter what Notifications were
buIlt, a fleet passing through the canal
would have to come out one by one and
that ut would be impossible for a fleet
70 pass from one ocean to another II there
were hostile fleet awaiting II; the hostile
fleet could destroy the vessels as they
came out"
Furthermnre, 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 affordlng the greatest possible con
Venience TO commercial shipping, but
miles inland to a sheltered position.
Defense on Atlantic Side.
The defenses on the Atlantic side will
consist OF two twin displacement OF 14-incf
rifles, each reinforced by 6-inch rifles and
Pinch mortars; so that there will b'
practically four forts In all-two on thu
Pacific and two on the Atlantic side. Al
on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides ap
proaoh to the mouths of the canal Is only
possible for large ships through a dredgeC
channel 500 feet wide, extending three
miles out to sea, the protection of thes'
channels by submarine mines is easy. Oh
the Pacific side Il Is also intended TO min
the passages between the islands In the bal
OF Panama so as 10 prevent an enemy
ships from taking refuge behind them.
Admiral Dewey, who senior membe
of the Joint board OF officers Of the arm!
and navy appointed I'm November, 1903. 4
report on the fortification of the Panami
canal approved the foregoing armament. 1
on record as opposed to the principle o
fertilization. He said. I'm an interview som
time ago: 'Fortificatons? Why, OF course
as / understand II, the canal is to be an
should be a neutral commercial pathwa
between the two great oceans. To fOrtif
Il would simply result in making it bat
tieground in case of war, Fertilization
would be enormously expensive and ough
not 10 be erected"