The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22

ssked out regarding the scope and
sharscter of the defences which are
being prepared.
little over three years ago Congress
,ppropria,ed nearly $4,000. 900 for the
I ratification Of the canal. 30 enereetically
has the undertaking been pushed since
the waterway our coast artillery will
he prepared there for any contingency.
out Of the total appropriation Of
1000, 900 about 32.500.O00 has been
apportioned to the guns and carriages
for seacoast batteries. and the weapons
are supposed to represent the. very last
word in the way Of guns fashioned by
our army men at Watsrvliet. N. z.
OF course 1t would be Interesting to
NOW all about these guns and Just how
many Of each kind the War Department
viii place upon the Isthmus. but Il -
not deemed wise to take the world ct
' large into the ohicial confidence In such
matters The good old days Of military
sankness ended some decades ago
and II is now considered advisable to
maintain as much secrecy - possible
regarding the forces that an enemy
would have to face In approaching any
fortified position. The modern dread
nought has quite altered the situation.
There was q time not long ago whom
The nshting ship was inferior to the land
licences Of any port and We could then
Afford to take matters more or less
calmly because II was By ships prin-
dpally that an enemy could hope to
stack US with success. But the modern
atte craft has wrought Q revolution
In our attitude because Of the greater
and more destructive reach Of the nav1f
gun. Therefore secrecy becomes i'm
portant, and this applies particularly to
1.-The number Of guns and the positions
IN which they are placed.
Unless you are one OF the initiated
unless you have been singularly
avored you could not from the out
side Of any Of our forts tell Just where
The most formidable Of the guns were
to be found. In fact in many cases the
exterior Of our strongest seacoast de-
fences is totally lacking in any sign
ha, would indicate their real character.
The heaviest Of the long range rifles
and the biggest OF the modern mortars
Eve no hint whatever Of their presence.
|
blow their parapets upon the legs Of
their disappearing carriages. and even
the tips Of their sinister mussles are not
% be seen from the sea. Thus. while
rady to spring IRON their cover. they
are loaded behind great walls Of solid
cement faced by Q mask Of apparently
harmless grass or unkempt bushes. At
the word Of command on the part Of the
battery officer the big steel bodies leap
above the breastwork. crash we'll nigh
instantly with their deafening boom of
defiance, and before the thin veil Of the
mokeless powder has vanished they are
rouchlng again out OF sight and are
being reloade
Why, you will probably ask, II they
can thus sink into the ground apd es-
cape the direct fire Of the naval weapon.
- ii necessary to keep their positions a
secret? Why now more than some years
ago?
The answer 10 that when we embarked
upon our scheme Of coast defence the
disappearing gun was supposed to rep
resent military economy. inasmuch a. It
did not require the gun to be housed
within shetering walls Of steel 1t could
bob up over parapet OF dirt and com.
paratlvely low cost cement. deliver its
attack and not have to depend upon
heavy easements and turrets Of high
priced armor
In those days-the days when the
great bulk Of our coast offences were
bullt-naval guns could not be elevated
high enough to make them effective for
The bombardment OF fortified positions.
and air craft were but Q dream. All
this is changed now. The gun ahoat
ean be elevated 80 that at Q range too
lar Tor the disappearing rife to retaliate
me weapon on shipbOard can send Its
pro,ectiles through Q high curving flight
mat will land them right Ia the bat.
'eries OF crouching guns.
W course the dreadnOught must know
Were 10 place its shot, and here 10
"here the aeroplane 10 going to play it,
part in the next great war. The enemy
Tom the sea will send its flying ma
chimes aloft to locate the hidden weap-
ons on shore, and from positions up In
The sky they will send by wireless the
necessary Information to the distant
.nps' II will be the part Of our mill
1ry air craft to try to prevent this
- VI SNpillHk.
Under the circumstances you can
realize Just why the War Department
woes not want the world to know where
,ne guns and mOrtars are placed at
rsnama, but the ordnance experts are
20 satisfied with the weapons that they
nave produced that they are willing 10
u,.close something about them, and in
s"entally give the rest Of the world
warning OF what would happen II .
I've should venture there with hostile
.nlent For direct assault upon an ap-
p'oaching squadron or feet Of dread
thoughts the army will depend prin-
apaily upon its twelve inch and four
'usn Inch guns. together with that
tsn'que weapon, the sixteen inch rife.
" , by way Of an experiment nineteen
,esrs ago, 1t might seem more ntting
begin with the weapons Of the
\ mailer ca.bre and work upward, but
really Is more appropriate 70 0eol
uh ms sixteen inch monster 0rgt
'aa have done with Il.
Accordng to oMciaI nguree The stx.
ven incl gun II capah1s q hurting .
,s'yee'iIe OF 2,4oo poun6b . Distance q
. "soV yaris, and Ct 8 range q ~
sA,e e' that armor pIsrelng eonot win -
e 10 bore its way thpeugh - ine1gss
seei' The projectllo enSy1oe . -
suuctive bursting cher0o - ~ ~
a an i25 bounds Of ds41lv DanaIts.
s. Illustration sheWB ~ 1n1t