The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-07-21
GRADUATING CLASS OF WEST POINT CADETS INSPECT BIG SIX.
TEEN INCH GUN AT SANDY HOOK, NJ. j.

11IN I'S~is - ~
ture of $3333 ,o336. 759, of which So. 1874
600 has been appropriated. In order to
carry the entire plan through to COM
pletion the government will have to
spend $50. N54.557 more than has al
ready been voted.
The high powered. long range fifteen
inch guns mounted on modern dread
naughts have made it necessary for
the United States to completely rear
range it's coast defenses, according to
experts.
Remember that the latest dread
naught can fire her great guns accu-
rately at a range of 25.OOO yards and
that our best coast defense guns could
not touch her. partly because they are
mounted on obsolete disappearing car
riages which do not permit an eleya-
ton of more than 10 degrees and part
~ because the guns on dreadnaughts
represent the very latest advance in
ordnance. Even our neWes fourteen
inch coast defense guns, of which five
We're completed last year, have a max
imum range of only $4,000 yards,
which has been increased to 1890 by
charging the powder chambers.
Some idea of the power of a modern
fourteen inch coast defense gun may
he gained when it is stated that its
1000 pound projcctile will drill through
| nearly twenty-three inches OF the best
quality Of armor at 1000 yards and
through ten inches at 1900 yards. The
fourteen inch coast defense gun made
at Watervliet arsenal weighs. when
finished, 13S.OOO pounds, costs $4,000
and is wound about with $1,000 pounds
of wire.
The most ~commendable feature Of
our Notifications is our mortars.
They are first class, and their high an
gle fire is as good as there is anywhere.
Our coast defenses are in reality har-
Dor defenses. OF our 5000 miles Of
coast line not more than 300 are under
| potential protection of Notifications.
The greater part of u ~seahoards is alb
solutely undefended at the present
time.
An entirely new arm Of the coast de
Tense situation is the aerial project fos'
tered by Rear Admiral Robert +. Peary
L. S. y. The idea to establish aelia]
coast patrol along the Atlantic, Pacific
and great lakes is already under way
and is proving a popular undertaking.
At the present time the establishing
of this patrol is a public spirited un
dcrtaking which will no doubt in time
be taken over by the government. The
organization in charge of this very i'm
portant project is the national aeria
coast patrol commission. with head
quarters in the United States surve,
building at Washington. Admiral Pear.
is chairman Of the commission, and TIN
principal technical member is JOIN
Hays Hammond, Jr., inventor Of TIL
system which controls harbor defens
vessels from concealed land stations.
Briefly stated, the plan to provide al
aerial coast patrol is to procure b,
private subscription funds for ahou
fifty aeroplane defense stations tor on
5000 miles Of coast line. each to b.
fitted up with Il hangar, Il STANDARD
hydroaeroplane or an aeroplane espe
cially designed for use over the waite
and so cOntriyed that III event of land
ing upon the surface it will 1oat OF
p%ontoons, the necessary tools for re
pairs and tuning up the airship and &c
) ~commodationS for the aviators an;
mechanicianS.
1t contemplates a regular patrol o
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to rc
port wreck dangers to navigation, ice
bergs or any other thing which ough
to be promptly reported and, in cas-
of war, to report to the country read
for duty. The addition of all thes
machines and several hundred traine