The sun., 1919-03-08
N. Y. WAR GARDENS
HAD Big MORTARS
Macmillan TOch, Camoufleur,
Discloses Secret Of City's
Auxiliary Defences.
FOUNDATIONS - FIT. DEEP
Ambrose Channel Protected by
Hidden Guns With Shell
Radius Of ~ Miles.


to an audience at the Chemists Club last
might as the frst American camoufieur.
gave the frst description made public
since the war ended. of the manner in
which innocent looking war gardens
about the city of New York we're planted
with things more deadly than the aver
age amateurs tomatoes. Many OF them
contained. Mr.. Toch said. huge mortars
capable Of throwing projectiles, Weighing
half ton, which were disguised. by
shrubbery and other means Of canou-
fiage.
The lecture was delivered by special
permission OF Secretary of the Navy
Daniels. and was held under the auspices
+. Of the American Chemical Society. 1t
was illustrated by many lantern slides.
showing the way in. which the four diff
ferent systems OF campufiage adopted by
this Government dsizled the C-boat
| confmander In aiming his torpedoes.
Mr.. Toch also had fiat wooden models
OF camounaged ships. one Of them bear
| Ing his own system, which he said had
so confused German submarine captains
that out of forty ships which were
| splotched according to his designs only
one was hit by n torpedo, though all Of
them had these deadly missiles shot at
them.
Hidden Fortihca tions.
| although this was unknown to the
American people," said Mr.. Toch, there
| were a number OF hidden Notifications
| along the coast in the gardens of private
! residences. Ambrose Channel which
leads from the sea into the harbor OF
| the city OF New York. was protected by
mortars with radius Of 10000 yards.
NJ mil
placed in private gardens. often two and
| one-half miles from the coast.
The spaces In which they were con-
| cealed were plots Of ground about 100
| by 400 feet, that Is approximately the
| eize Of a tennis court. They were thickly
covered with concrete. The foundations
| for these bases frequently were twelve
| feet In depth. There were usually three
pits in which were located mortars. The
| fortincations were surrounded by trees
, and shubbery and were absolutely in
visible to any one except an air man.
My work consisted in camoufiaging
by covering the parapets with artificial
honeysuckle, morning glory and Ivy.
| which were changed as the season ad
vanced to conform In hue with the sur =
| rounding scenery. To the aviator there
| was little or no evidence of the location
, OF these batteries. for trailing from the
parapet over the pits where the mortars
| were concealed was foliage Of various
kinds. The appearance was that Of a
| sunken garden.
by this time no doubt many Of the
grim war gardens have disappeared and
have been turfed over. but while they
were in operation they constituted most
| formidable defehces. The range finders
were concealed among the trees at the
side and there was plenty of amnruni-
ton. The army was prepared TO hurl
from these hidden Notifications IL inch
shells. each of which weighed 1000
pounds
Visited Florida Coast.
| II was commissioned to make a trip
at once to Pensacola and to Key West,
| with power to act upon my report and
lower the visibility of these two impor-
tant stations. Pensacola was probably
| the most important station in the service
| of the Government because IT contained
the hangers Of all the dirisbles and the
great hydrogen plant
| The secret service of the navy be-
lieved that the north coast of Cuba was
probably the place where the German
| raiders and C-boats received their sup
plies. 1t IL common knowledge at pres
| ent that the island Of Cuba contained
among it's inhabitants more German
spies and German propagandists than
the United States In the city OF Havana
there were large number OF very rich
German firms who were VIGOROUSLY aid
ing the Central Powers.
Before the middle of June both Key
West and Pensacola were very thor
oughly camoufaged. The total effect OF
ship camoufage Is one OF distortion and
not of the lowering of visibility and a
ship properly camoufiaged becomes so
distorted that it is impossible to tell its
correct direction within 25 degrees This
] determined for myself. having spent a
day at sea in one OF our submarines. In
| which the, camoufiaged ship Parthenia
accompanied US. and in Ave range and
ing operations mistakes in calculations
and In range finding showed up from o
to Is per cent. and in no case, even at
500 yards. which Is point blank fre,
could the Parthenia have been nit by
the U-boat from which l made my OBJ
| servat tons"