Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18

after ship passed the entrance. de-
livered its single shot. proceeded and
returned to follow in the circling line.
These We're the most modern dread
naughts. firing from sixteen-inch guns.
Their shells tore the earth embank
mentS away in tons and flung dirt
high in the air and sent il down to
bury everything in its way under
mounds. But all their fire and all their
havoc was in vain. unless they could
hit a gun. And the guns were pro-
tected by steel armor and concrete and
earth piled on earth.
s
To hit gun was to attempt to hit
a bul's-cye only few feet square al
a range of eleven miles farther tina n
men can see.
Still the bombardment went on. un-
deferred. More aeroplanes SCARED over
the defenses now, far out of reach
from shots, and circied and signaIed.
The fire grew. The ships we're not
hesitating now to wear out the riflinS
Of their guns. They meant to give the
defenders no rest.
They were trying for a 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. If that many They
knew that all the coast artillery
forces Of the United States combined
numbered only 10 companies and that
these 10 companies had twenty-seven
harbor defense systems to guard. Even
If the United States had stripped its
other defenses to the utmost there
could not be a sufficient force in these
that were now being attackedsO
So they poured fire on fire and shot
on shot 1t was one-sded duel, for
teen-inch guns Of the defenses The
men In there fired only occasionally.
when their observers and range finders
and plotters perceived an opportunity
There was another reason for their
slow fire besides the inability to reach.
Those perfect defenses, those perfect
products of engineering science, those
results OF millions on millions of ex-
penditure, contained only enough
ammunition for two hours OF fring!si
They waited till the enemy ships
should try to force the passage and
make those two hours two hours of
unspeakable destruction that should
glorify their death with the fiery
splsndor of bursting ships.
sage. While they saved their ammuni-
ton, these defenses were fearful gladi-
ators to approach. None could come with
in reach of their steel hands and live.
But the gladiators were gladiators fear
ful only in front Steel-gauntleted.
armored with steel breast plates and shin
plates. 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 with
in the works, and whrled men like dried
leaves. An hour passed Still from the
sea there came the coughing below. that
made the air tremble and rolled inland
like summer thunder among hills Still
there fell the screaming steel from the
sky. Another hour, And still it came
The sun was overhead. Suddenly into
the naked back Of the defenses poured
fire and steel that hammered and heat
and tore through them Under 1t, through
flame and smoke and flying dirt appeared
shining rows of bayonets. With a yeip
10000 men poured in,
And through the United States, suit-
ing it into the dumbness Of despair, went
the news that the great Narragansett de-
lenses had fallen, and that the enemy
fleet was entering the harbor.
september ~. 1914. pages s. 10. L.. IL. IA. IS.
Fl. The ammunition on hand aud under
s manufacture , Is - per cent Of the allowance
report to the chief of stan. L. S. A.
= The . actual supply Of ammunition at present
Standard e.. the minimum allowance-',and
in many cases of most important scacoast
guns would be sufficient for only thirty or forty
minutes OF firing Henry l.. Stimson. forme'
Secretary Of War. March i. 1915.
%. Army and naval officers both American ard
foreign, believe that 5000 would Ice NOR.
than sufficient 10 take such works If they
manned only by their coast artillery companies
and uudefended by mobile army.
Copyright, 1918. by J. W. Muller. All rights
reserved,
The fifth installment Of 1.-THE Invasion
of America" will appear In next sun
days Stnr. 1t will describe New Eng
lands battle against the enemy-a
story crammed with tragic event and
incident.