Show EMPIE EMPIRE DEFENSE COST Washington ton Oct OcL Oct 30 OThe The success of coast lOst defense is the one subject con considered considered in the annual report of J M itt 11 Wilson Vison chief of engineers en Generally speaking he reported the most gratifying gt gratifying progress in the execution of the various projects during the fiscal year Some of the points of Interest treated by b General Wilson are as follows Attention has been given ghen to the sub subject subject subject of coast defenses for Porto Rico and the Hawaiian islands and in view of the Importance of these Island Iland pos possessions possessions sessions General Generl Wilson Vison says improve improvements improvemEnts meats ments mEnts for their defense should be b de deferred deferred deferred no longer San fan Juan de Porto Porte PortoRico PortoRico Rico harbor Improvements involve an estimated expenditure of or for defense Preliminary projects project for Pearl harbor and Honolulu are also already available and ready for execution as soon funds as a congress shall appropriate the War Causes Haste The war with Spain had the effect of hastening the work on the coast co t de defenses defenses and now ten years ears after the work began an in earnest the chief en engineer engineer Jiner is able to report that 50 60 O per percent pr percent cent of the defense work Is complete of the principal harbors of the United States now have a sufficient number of heavy guns gns and aDd mortars in place to offer ofer an effective defense against naval attack atack Existing projects contemplate the mounting of about 40 un for s a coast defense of rapid fire fre guns gns and about 90 mortars at an approximate total cost of 5 Up Ip to lit the present time provision prevision has been made for the emplacement of 30 heavy suns guns ns rapid fire fr guns uns and 52 mor mortars mortars tars The armament placed during the war wa in temporary temporal emplacements will willbe wil wilb willbe be b transferred in time t e to permanent works but the temporary work will wil be beheld beheld beheld held in reserve for an emergency Attention is to the urgent Dt need for Cor an Increase of the artillery arm of the service which Is now too oo small entail to take take care of or the costly costy and complex x defense works The total of the estimates submitted on account of fortifications for the next net year is and of this amount is on 01 account of the construe construction lion tion ton of gun and mortar batteries and position piton finders Estimates For the te West Among the estimates above for the te river and harbor works next year are the following Missouri between Stubbs Fer Per Ferry Ferr Perry ry r Mont font and Sioux Siou Sioux City la Ia Ia OOOO San Sn Diego harbor Cal San Pedro Pedr harbor Cal San Luis Obispo harbor Cal Coquille river Oregon mOO Siuslaw law river Oregon canal at Cascades Co Ce Columbia Columbia lumbia river Oregon 06 Another Item Iem Is for improve improvements improvements ments in the Yellowstone Yelo National |