Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-08
Big GUNS ON CARS
FOR COAST DEFENCE

Coast defence by railroad is the lat
est plan of the government, il became
known recently. Naval and military
engineers are already at work upon
a fiat car designed to stand the strain
of q discharge of heavy gun resting
upon It.
Careful surveys Of the coast by army
engineers have disclosed the fact that
practically the whole Atlantic coast
except where marshes or other OBJ
structions make landing impossible
is lined with railroads along which
guns might be moved to repel attacks
on strategic points.
An army officer who explained the
new plan commented:
Boston cannot be taken from abe
front. but it could be taken from the
rear if the enemy managed to land"
He proceeded to point out how such
an attempted landing might be re-
PEELED by rushing big guns to the
threa tened point on specially designed
steel f1et cars. He showed that almost
the whole Atlantic coast and much of
the Pacific has line Of railway within
easy range Of the waters edge.
Protect Exposed Spots
There are exposed spots. bup these
could be protected by building spur
tracks to cover them. In New Eng
land these spots include the follow
ing:
Between the Cape Cod Canal and
Plymouth.
Near BuzZard's Bay.
On the Rhode Island coast
On the Connecticut coast.
: Elsewhere, the railways run within
range of the coast; and, further ad-
vantage. the railways are at the same
time out of actual sight Of the sea, so
that the operation of the guns on rail-
way cars could be masked.
Concerning the possibility Of build
ing railway car from which a heavy
gun could be fired. there is believed to
be no doubt. 1t is known that the
Turks have eight-inch howitzers
mounted on railway trucks. The only
problem is to increase the size of tho
guns, so they can cope with naval ar
tillery.
Even though ii be found impossible
to mount the guns on cars it would
nevertheless be simple to construct
gun platforms at specified places. COW
ering strategic landing points. ano
rush guns to these prepared platforms
in case of danger.
II has been reported that some such
gun platforms have actually been laid
need arises.
An army officer discussing the pro-
jected railway coast defence said:
Gun Car in Big War
We have not the details at hand
but We know that in Europe one Of
the belligerents is using an eight inch
gun that is mounted on "a car of some
kind. and there is no reasons why we
cannot do the same thing with a gun
Of the ten-inch, twelve-inch. or even
the fourteen-inch type. The answer
as you might think.
South of Delaware Bay down the
Atlantic and around the Gulf coas,
there is a great deal Of coast territory
that is marshy or swampy and this
Of course would render difficult the
landing Of any hostile force. But there
are many solid pieces Of ground that
abut into the water and that could be
used. Fortunately for US, in nearfy
every instance a railroad terminates
on those solid points or else touches
them.
'On the Pacific coast. from San Di-
ego to a point about 100 miles north
Of San Francisco. the situation could
hardly be better, but north of that it
could be greatly improved"
The New England coast is particu-
larly we'll defended by railroads.
The Maine Central lines are avail
able for the protection Of the Maine
coast from Eastport along the Ma
chias Bay coast to Harrington and to
Hancock Point. The Bangor & Aroos-