El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-08-04

D viii be Of a most formidable char
Greatest Guns Ever Built.
The project, as planned, calls for
Z the biggest guns ever built, supple
mented BY morIars larger than any
hitherto Constructed for our coast
forts II includes anti-aircraf- rifles.
a squadron Of flying machines. and
other interesting features The total
cost viii be somewhere between 49,
000.000 and S20,00o.0QQ
a glance at a map viii show That
the sea-gate IS a strait 10 miles wide.
between Cape Henry and cape
Charles The army engineers some
years ago. suggested the idea Of
building an artificial island on a
shoai half way across, and mounting
biz guns upon II. II was proposed
outline the contemplated islet- and
pump sand into the inclosure thus
formed But the scheme would have
cost $500, 600 merely for this pre-
iminary work, and, partly on account
Of the expense, though there were
other objections Do was abandoned
The Notifications at present plan
ned are TO be on Cape Henry. They
will consist OF series Of concrete en-
placements, in which viii be mounted
four huge 16-inch guns and STA s.
inch guns tall Of these with disap-
16-inch mortars- The toal cost OF
the guns will be S1.295.o00, and Of the
mortars $4,000.
II might be imagined that even
such great guns as these would not
be able 10 prevent warships from
running by and getting through a
gate 10 miles in width To un-
derstand why this could hardly be
done, one must grasp the rather
peculiar physical characteristics Of the
such a nature as 90 render the en-
trance exceedingly easy TO guard.
Has Natural Protection.
The only deep chaunel-dsep
enough that is to say. 10 be utiIizable
b. battleships Or other big Warships
runs within a mile and a half Of
the shore OF Cape Henry II has a
depth Of about so feet a battleship
attempting 20 pass would be within
point-blsnk range, she would be
blown out Of the water in next to
no time. This channel, furthermore.
hugs the shore. running parallel with
it and at no greater distance for
or 5 miles, and the great guns viii
be scattered all along the water-path
Outside the channel is A vast shoa1.
known as the Middle Ground, which
occupies most Of the width OF the
Chesa peake's mouth on the other side
OF the shoal. toward Cape Charles.
are a number Of small channels that
are constantly shifting. such minor
u-arcraft as destroyers. or even light
cruisers, might possibly find a way
through them in the event OF war.
the small channels would be promptly
blocked and Gf 10 were deemed eX-
pedientl mined.
The army engineers, before We en-
tered the war, had built a long and
substantial wharf TO deep water from
a point two miles west OF the Cape
Henry lighthouse. To this wharf
viii ne fetched, by water. the immense
quantities OF concrete materials and
cut stone required for the -un-em-
placements, as we'll as other kinds Of
supplies. II viii cost $50 000 but
later on viii find permanent utiliza-
ton for the mlne-planlnE work. done
by small steam craft
From the wharf a railroad must
he built, 20 carry materials TO the
places where they are wanted. when
this is accomplished. work viii be
Immediately begun on the emplace-
ments for the guns and mortzrs- Be
meath the parapets. above which the
mighty weapons will upift themsel- I
YES when they are 10 he fired. must I
be constructed concrete lined rooms I
for the storage OF gunpowder and
projeCtilev.
FortificntfonE In1i From Sea.
The Qualifications, when completed. !
viii be invisible from the water side I
They viii present TO the view nothing f.
but a slope of neatly-kept and at /
trsctive greensward. The guns. in I
their pits of concrete and stone viii I
De underground. beneath the level oil
he landscape. There viii be nothing F.
for an enemy warship to shoot at d
bach OF the four great 16-iuch rifles .
viii occupy a pit by itself, the g. &
inch guns viii be emplaced in pairs. .
Thus there will be seven pits. esta-I
biished at suitable distances from 7
each other along the shore In adj
dltlon, however, there viii be. at some
distance in the rear, two very large