Show I OUR FORTIFICATIONS i The Report of General Duane Regarding Them TIlE ESTIMATES SUBMITTED A Valid and Constitutional Prohibition Prohibi-tion Nast McTIgho Resigns Other Notos Our Fortifications WASHINGTON October 31 General Duane chief of engineers has made his annual report to the Secretary of War Beyond reference to the attached reports of officers in charge of improvements im-provements the subject of river and harbor improvements receives little mention in the report which is largely devoted to a statement of the condition condi-tion of the sea coast and lake front defenses de-fenses On this topic General Dunne says many of the works are delapidated and economy requires that they should be kept from decay The estimates submitted sub-mitted aggregate 523t 000 including 2810000 for tne construction of gun and mortar batteries and 1860000 for submarine mines and appliance for closing channels In the report upon the subject of fortifications made by the board uf engineers which is included in-cluded in General Dunnes report it is said It must ho evident that immediate imme-diate action is demanded to place our sea coast defenses in proper condition to resist the attacks of an enemy From the differences of opinion which xist among certain nonmilitary experts as to the character of armor to be used on land defenses the impression has been created that this matter is in an unsettled and tentative condition and that the policy of inaction inac-tion now existing should still continue but the facts will not warrant this conclusion con-clusion as more than nin tenths of the armament recommended for our sea coasts is not to be mounted behind iron protections but in the rear of earthen covers surmounting and shielding i shield-ing masonry magazines bomb proofs end storerooms Particularly is this true of the rifle mortars which must hereafter play an important part in the defense of our channels and water ways and there is no reason why the erection of batteries required for them should be delayed a single month In a word proper sums may be judiciously judi-ciously expended and much progress toward placing our coasts in a defensive condition may be made indeed must be made before the question of armor demands consideration In accordance with the instructions of the Secretary of War the board also submitted preliminary pre-liminary plans for the defense of the more important seaboard harbors Two typical designs prepared by the board which are said to meet all modern requirements are for fortifications constructed of sand covering masonry and bomb proofs The report says that no armor is now or ever will be required for such defenses de-fenses It is believed that disappearing disappear-ing carriages can be constructed which will carry 12inch fiftyton rifled guns and an appropriation is suggested sufficient suffi-cient to place a few of these guns and carriages at each of the principal ports The plan of defense by mortar and gun batteries recommended by the board involves an expenditure during the next fiscal year of 2810000 which it is proposed to divide among the posts as follows flew York 6DO 000 San Francisco 650000 Boston 280000 Hampton Roads 250000 New Orleans 210 000 Philadelphia il GOO Washington 80 iou Baltimore SO000 Portland 5 90 OuO Narragansett Bay 200000 The plan also contemplates the pTeparation of casements cable hats etc to the number of twentysix distributed as follows At New York 5 at San Francisco at Boston 5 at Hampton Roads 2 and Philadelphia 2 at Washington I Wash-ington 1 at Baltimore 1 at Portland 3 at Narragansett Bay 2 |