The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-31

meath held true
The enemy had the range. Ship after
ship passed the entrance. delivered its
single shot, proceeded and returned to
follow In the circling line. These were
the most modern Dreadnonghts, firing
from sixteen inch guns. Their shells
tore the earth embankments away in
tons and nung Dirt high In air and sent
It down to bury everything in its way
under mounds. But all their IRE and
all their havoc was IN vain unless they
could hit a gun. And the guns were
protected by steel armor and concrete
and earth piled on earth.
To hit q gun was to attempt to hit
buIIseye only a few feet square at a
range Of eleven miles, farther than
men can see.
still the bombardment went on, IN.
deferred. More aeroplanes scared over
the defenees now, far out Of reach
from shots, and circled and Eignaled.
The fire grew. The ships were not hes
itating now to wear out the rihing of
their guns. They meant to give the
defenders no rest.
They were trying for prize that was
worth all the guns In their turrets
They knew that inside Of the works
there could not be more than a few
thousand men, II that much. They
knew that all the coast artillery forces
of the United States combined num-
bered only ITO companies and that
these ITO companies had twenty-seven
harbor defense systems to guard Even
il the United States had stripped its
other defenses to the utmost, there
could not be a sufficient force In these
that were now being attacked.
So they poured fire on IRE and shot
on shot It was onesided duel, for
their great guns outranged the four
teen inch guns Of the defenses. The
men in there fired only occasionally,
when their observers and range finders
and pIotters perceived an opportunity.
There was another reason for their
slow fire besides the inability to reach.
Those perfect defenges, those perfect
products Of engineering science, those
results of millions on millions OF ex-
penditure, contained only enough am
munition for two hours of firingl 1.-THE
ammunition now on hand and under
manufacture is "a per cent Of the al
lowance fixed by the national coast de-
Tense board. Last report to the chief
of staff, o. s. A. "The actual
supply of ammunition at present Is
very considerably behind even that
modest standard''-i. e., the minimum
aIlowance-"and In many cases Of our
most important seacoast guns would
be sufficient for only thirty or forty
minutes Of firing"-Henry L. Slim
son, Former Secretary Of War. March
/, 1851
They waited till the enemy ships
should try to force the passage and
come within range. that they might
make those two hours two hours of
unspeakable destruction that should
glorify their death with the fiery splen-
dor Of bursting ships
The enemy did not try to force the
passage While they saved their am
| munition these defenses were fearful
gladiators 10 approach. None could
come within reach Of their steel hands
and live.
But the gladiators were gladiators
/ fearful only in front. Steel gauntletsd
| armored with steel breastplates and
shinplates, nightly visored-so they
faced the sea. In the back they were
naked.
Fire and noise and bursting charges
and explosions that made hot gales
within the works and whirled men like
dried leaves! An hour passed. Still
from the sea there came the coughing
below that made the afr tremble and
rolled inland like summer thunder
among hills. Still there fell this
screaming steel from the sky. Anoth
er hour! And still it came.
The sun was overhead. Suddenl,
into the naked back Of the defensel
poured Ere and steel that hammered
and beat and tore through them. On
der it through flame and smoke and
flying dirt appeared shining rows O
bayonets. With a yelp 10000 mel
poured In. [Arny and naval officers
both American and foreign, believl
that 5000 men would be more thai
sufficient to take such works If the,
are manned only by their coast artil
lery companies and undefended by {
mobile army.l
! And through the United States, smit
ing It into the dumbness Of despair
went the news that the great Nara
gansett defenses had fallen and tina
the enemy feet was entering the har
Dor. America had lost NaFraganset
bay, with. all its defenses, great gun
and government stations, in less thai
two weeks after the declaration o
war!
Before the news Of Nerraganeett'
fall wae an hour old the cities Of tn
United States, including many town
so obscure that few Americans eve
had heard their names, had subscribe
enough money TO raise and equip a
army twice over and keep It in th
field for months. But the country tina
was so efacient, 30 intrepid, 50 N
sourceful, was facing a disaster nov
| that n eot1Id MT couture away with al