New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-05
Details Patrol the East
River-Machine Guns
on Piers
WATER SUPPLY
SYSTEM WATCHED
Raids by CrankS Are
Feared-Secret Squads
Protect Subway

New York City is prepared against
the possibility OF internal disturbance.
By nightfall yesterday every vital'spot
within the city was under guard.
Two thousand Naval Militiamen, de-
tacbments from two Guard regiments,
thousand police on emergency duty
and two thousand emDloyes of tie
Public Service Commission watched
bridges, aqueducts, reservoirs and sub
ways.
Bluejackets Of the Naval Militia
held the bridges. Each of the four
Great spans which link Manhattan with
BROOKLYN and Queens bore a guard OF
ninety men. Their bayonets forced
,ycrv automobile to stop and submit
10 search and encouraged those who
-ramped across to move briskly and
keen moving. Cars we're forbidden to
sop on their run from shore to shore.
Searchlights Play on River
Besides the men who mounted guard
high up above the water, others watched
The bridges from the shore and the
bosom OF the East River. Searchlights
and big arc lamps flooded the founda-
tions and buttresses with a glaring
white light, In which scntinels stood on
rotch. rife I'm hand.
Down by the shores over which the
bridges lowered we're more search
lights and more men grouped about
quick frers and machine guns that
stuck their noses out over the edges
Of the piers as a warning for all craft
10 keep away.
Five tugs also cruised Nd and down
,he river all night long Each of these
bore three men armed with rifles to
enforce the eternal warning, Keep
arsy from the bridges"
L. s. Sailors on Guard
On ,ho mighty span Of the He'll Gate
rs1vsy bridge, which leaps f"om The
Bronx 10 Astoria, company of sailors
from the battleship New Jersey mount
ed guard.
From the Ashokan reservoir down
into tho heart Of the city men are
catching over New York's water sup
ury. I'm the Hudson River counties
gis,dsmcn of the 10th Infantry are on
duty. Six patrolmen are guarding the
underground valve station IN Van Cort-
sHdt Park. A hundred and fifty more
Williamsburg rescr-olrs.
lu the city itself a thousand extra
Datrolmeu are held At the stations,
ready 20 respond to any alarm. Acting
COMMISSIONER Leon G. Cooley an
nounced Yesterday that he had per-
fected plans so that 5000 men could be
concentrated at any scene Of disturb
snce in two hours.
The system by which the subways
ere being protected has not been made
public. but the Public Service Com
mission said yesterday that the entire
syatcm was under efficient guard.
Guardsmen Are Ready
Every armory in the city yesterday
had six men and a nOn-commissi stoned
officer on sentry duty around its walls.
Although no general mobilization or
der has yet been issued by the Gov
ernor, hundreds Of the Guardsmen are
prepared for the call.
The order issued Saturday night sf-
iected only the 1st and I'd battalions
o. Naval Militia in this city and two
regiments OF upstate infantry.
Governor Whitman said yesterday
that his present purpose was TO use the
National Guard merely as a protection
against the possible acts Of cranks. He
said he did not anticipate any organ
.zed attack upon public utilities. An
armored car and several machine gun
motorcyclists have been called into
leryice 20 act as couriers.
Apart from the small details on duty
a. each armory, the lst and 10th In
isntry are the only organizations IN
The states army that have been PUT
% work The detachments of the 10th
are on guard in the Hudson River
counties. The 1st is protecting pubic
Utilities in the centre Of the state.