The sun., 1916-10-08
Skyscnpers would Sve as me marks and wouldb bring down d@trucionto lower Manhattan
Forts Defending the Approaches to New York Will
Be Far Outranged by the Is Inch Naval Rifles
Announced by England

lipoli Peninsula. We nave no such
Notifications here. nor did spoilers
during the experiments on our South
eru coast have the benefit of aerial
observers.
This matter OF spotting from air.
craft has reached n degree OF perfec-
ton abroad that far overshadows the
work one by the a%eroplanes at the
Dardanelles. Certainly any enemy
from the other side OF the Atlantic
would make use of this aerial arm in
measuring forces with u seaboard
defences. That being the case, Of
what avail would be low parapets OF
concrete and n semi-covert of sod and
shrubs?
a couple OF thousand feet up in the
air an enemy scouting plane would
he able to look right down into u
mortar pits or the emplaccments OF
our disappearing guns. Or. from "A
still higher point and safe from the
reach of any guns we have available
for II purpose, the aerial spottcr
would find it comparatively easy to
guide tho me on the ships well
off on the horizon.
I His O would he simple and short
and would cover but four signals. All
that he would need to telegraph would
he "ovcr." short" right" left"
And inasmuch as an %aeroplane WIRE
less has been developed and made
thoroughly serviceable. the observer in
the enemy aeroplane might do still
better and tell o much short or over
or to the right or left the foes range
finding shots were falling.
Because OF the very nature of the
defences around New York and. so far
as that Is concerned, on both coasts
and at Panama. our disappearing guns
need not be hit directly to be put out
Of action. and here is where the long
range heavy weapons Of a hostile fleet
have an advantage which the general
public little realizes.
Weapons OF less power than modern
naval rifles sufficed to smash to bits
the concrete walls and foundations of
the Belgian and French heavily ar
mored forts. while hero an enemy
would have TO deal only with earth
and cement. Should the shells of a
salvo of 1876 or Is inch guns hit the
sodded slope or the concrete parapet
In from Of n battery of disappearing
gun they would blow great holes in
the earth and the granolithic barrier
and hurl pieces Of the concrete down
upon the crouching weapons. The re-
suit would probably be not unlike the
effect of a pinch of and dropped on
the balance wheel OF a wrist watch.
If lot otherwise injured the guns
would have all their working gear SO
clogged that it would take hours If not
longer to get them in operating condi-
ton again. But the chances are that
the disappearing carriages would he
damaged and the guns might be irrep-
arably injured. At all events the bat
terry would probably be put out Of ac-
ton.
We have a few army II inch guns.
but they are not part of New Works
defences; in fact. those that have been
built are some thousands OF miles
away. To-day European battle fleets
have ready for service against MS
weapons Of 1876 and IL inches in bore,
and now, not satisfied with that SUI
periority. Great Britain Is taking "A
further lead with guns Of IS inch cali
bre.
Serious as our situation was with the
smaller weapons 1t is much gravcr now