The sun., 1918-09-26
FORT TOTTEN SHOTS
SCARE CITY ISLAND
Steel Splinter Punctures One
Woman's Fence and Chips
Basement Wall.

The war has come to City Island in
the form of shells from the guns across
Long Island Sound at Fort Totten. So
far no one has ben injured. but when
hunk OF steel rammed the basement wall
Of the homo of William Seymour. 20
hour yesterday the 800 chronic residents
Of the isle decided 1t was time to protest
So they're going to see II the War De-
partment can't stop the bombardment.
The shells are fred from the fort
which Is near Bayside in Queens. across
the bows of vessels which attempt TO
pass UP or down the Sound without dis
playing the required signals. This Is in
obedience TO an order from the War De-
possible enemy raids. Occasionally. for
reasons known TO itself, the Navy De-
partment asks the fort TO stop some craft
willy nilly. Most ships are quick to re-
veal their identity without being warned.
but now and then one comes along that
ignores the fort altogether.
some Shots Ricochet From Water.
The gunners aim the shells-which In
this case are really not shells at all but
solid three inch shot Weighing fifteen
pounds-eo that they will plunge into
the Sound after whistling past the bows
of forgetful vessels, but now and then a
| shot strikes the water Mt such an angle
that It ricochets to the Bronx shore.
City Island which is about three miles
| from the fort has suffered especially.
Mrs Seymour was alone In her home
when something thudded against the
basement wall yesterday morning. Rum
ming outside she found that a piece OF
shot weighing about half a pound had
Clipped a brick or two. She called ur
the police. Later Sergeant Booth, after
| telephoning to Lieut.-Col. Paul Loeser
commandant at Fort Totten, said:
| II do not see what we can do except
appeal to the War Department Thi,
has been going on for months and som,
day some OF us will be killed unles,
something is done Col. IIoeser told m,
frankly that the shell came from the
fort. He added that they took every
precautlon. but sometimes a she'll went
astray."
| IT told him Of the terror in which tn,
people lived and asked him IL It was e
continue. He said he did not see wha
could be done. as the orders were impera
tive. But something must DO done 4
we are not 10 lose our lives. and thu
citizens will petition the War Depart
ment."
| Board Fence Punctured.
Still later the police discovered tina
the steel fragment that assailed Mrs
Seymour's house also punctured
board fence, and other pieces were picked
UP on the beach. A coast artillery of
ficer from the fort visited City Island
viewed the exhibits and said the tfini
might happen again.
City islanders don't see why It 4
necessary to fire any shells to war;
vessels. While admitting their owl
amateur status as regards military ar
fairs, they argue that a blank shot woulC
serve the same purpose.
But in the first place" Col. Loose
said 10 THE Sun. Eve are forbidden I,
FIRE blank shots. In the second place
there Ia so much artillery practice goinl
on at the fort all the time that passing
vessels couldn't tell the difference be
tween II and blank shots fired for the
especial attention"
80 the moral for City Islanders SEEM
to be: Buy Liberty bonds and shorter
the war.