The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-07
By JULIUS w. MULLER
Copyright. 1915. by J. W. Muller.
All rights reserved.

Westward he is throwing masses or
cavalry-probably most OF the cavalry
that he has-to clear the way for his
infantry and artillery to march along
the coast to New York Northward
those cavalry masses are screening him
against any attempt by our army either
to fall on his forces in Connecticut or
to move around north Of him and at
tack the rear of his divisions that are
marching on Boston. 1t isn't tactics.
| It's simple, common sense use of nu-
merical superiority"
The president played with a pile OF
dispatches. They were from Boston
and New York. ''You say that those
companies Of coast artillery from the
south got through
81 had a message from the COM
/ mander of the artillery district of Bos-
ton," he said. "The six companies ar
! rived at Fort Banks yesterday morn
| Ing. They had to go around by way
of Lake Champlain and Vermont, but
they got through. That will at least
/ give the men some relief IL there
| should be a sustained action"
you are sure it was not mistake
to-sacrifce themr asked the presi-
dent.
The general shrugged his shoulders.
There are some things that one SIM
ply must do" he said. I'VE had to
give New York and Boston something.
! We absolutely must make some sort
of fight for them"
The commander Of the harbor de-
! lenses of Boston was not concerning
| himself about the occult reasons that
had inspired the re-enforcements. He
had been praying for men, for he
needed half dozen men wherever he
had one. He needed them for the
searchlights; he needed men that he
might establish defenses to the land
| approaches; he needed men for pro-
lection of base lines and cable sta
| lions.
Now that he had them he waited
for no orders and asked for no in
structions. He loaded quartermasters'
boats with detachments and rushed
/ them to the waterfront of Boston and
Chelsea where he knew of things he
wanted They returned with two tons
| of explosives and miscellaneous ord
nance material that had been seized
| from merchants. He seized barbed
| wire. From electric light plants and
1 power works he obtained, by the same
simple method, some forty miles of
lead covered cable for his mine fields,
| Oh In hor he
half a dozen searchlights.
1.-THE searchlight project is approx
mately 80 per cent completed
The fire control system may be said
to be approximately 60 per cent COM
pleted. Installation of power
generating and distributing equipment
is % per cent completed. Sub
marine mine structures are SO per
cent completed. Report Chief OF
Coast Artillery, q. s. A., For Year
Ended June 80, 1914.1
Before night, too, he had men In
trenched behind entanglements with
machine guns on the narrow neck Of
land that leads to Nahant's broad cliff
promontory on the north of Boston
harbor to protect position finding sta
tons there and great sixty inch
searchlight-
Southwark at Point Allerton, on the
long cape that juts out toward Boston
harbor from Nantasket beach, TO de-
fend the stations and searchhghts and
approaches of Fort Revere with its
mighty batteries. he, placed g strong
force with ample artillery. Irregular
manning detail for Boston defenses,
twelve companies Of coast artillery.
These have seven systems Of defense
to maintain. The companies are not
enlisted to their full strength. Even If
they were there would be less than 200
men to each defense This is not sufn-
Gent for any sustained action at the
) big guns alone A sufficiently energeL-
ic enemy, even II he might not damage
the works, could wear out the men by
incessant attack for few days and
nights. There certainly would not be
men enough to provide for outlying de-
tense against landing parties.l
! This was the point where he feared
q landing most. He built an srmored
train, seixing the material from the
town of Hull, and armed 1t with quick
) frers that it might be sent to threat
ened places.
Outposts were sent as far as Nan
tasket for fear the enemy should Try
to land there or cross the narrow neck
5 and take boats over 1t into the bay
behind
Beyond Fort Revere he destroyed
s certain houses that would interfere
= with the firing. At the far outlying
islands called the Graves he posted
men with signal rockets. He sent