The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 27, 1898, Page 4

e THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, INDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1898. S ralige THE DISPATCH BOAT FERN. R W SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR WELL IS NOW PROTECTED But the Work of Strengthening the Fortifications Proceeds, and One More Big Gun Is Hauled to Fort Point. The army leaders no longer try to withhold the information that war preparations are progressing. Activ- ity is the rule at all the milita garri- sons of the country. The work neces- sary for the defense of San Francisco going forward with commendable is still talk among the h fleet could s heads and cause ; by throwing h into the city. The fact is 2 count tkh back of Fort Point there are five inch mo high power guns. gun, rifled breech-loader fort feet in length and weighing fifty tons, can throw a stgel pr weighing 1000 pounds a distance miles. This formidable battery could be trained on any ironclad that should attempt the shelling of San Franci nish fleet outside would have e guns of the land to en- counter. The battle-ship ‘Oregon, the cruiss Charleston, Philadelphia Yorktown, and the coast sel Monterey could steam out and en- gage the enemy. The business of shelling the city of San Franc long range would be attended with con- siderable peril to the shelling party The engineer, ordnance and quarter- master corps of the United States army are working together to hasten the work of putting in new gu One of the 10-inch breech loading rifles for the Fort Point disappearing batt which arrived at the Southern Pac freight vards last Thursday, was placed on an immense truck early yesterday morn- ing and hauled a good part of the way to the point of destination. The truck was drawn by forty horses. The gun was taken from Fourth and King streets, along Fourth to Market, thence to O'Farrell and out to Polk street, along Polk to Vallejo, thence to Van Ness avenue, along the avenue to Green street and thence along Octavia, Un- ion, Greenwich, Fillmore and Francisco to the Presidio reservation. The weight of the gun is thirty-four tons and the contracting draymen, Morton & Co., had to be careful of the street pave ment and the car tracks. When the two guns are put in place there be five in the disappearing battery. From the Fort Point position the fire of five 12 and five 10 inch rifles could be | directed against an enemy’s war fleet | seeking to enter the ‘harbor of San | Francisco. The 12-inch rifles planted | on the high bluff at Lime Point, just | across the channel, could join the guns | at Fort Point in standing off the en- | 7. Should a large fleet menace the of ten mo; e will | c the fire of the big ri supplemented by the the mortars and the s, could be | [ bores. There should be no alarm about | i | San Francisco. As matters stand to- day the city is well defended. Thé| chief requirement is a forec of trained artillerymen to handle the modern guns. Much work in the way of elec- trical apparatus and range finding methods remains to be done before the guns can be worked up to the modern methods of operation, but the guns are there and the ammunition is on hand. The rifles can be trained for direct fire and a good many military men of e perience believe that the direct fire principle is better for actual conflict at | short range than the modern system of calculation by the range finder. Quite a joyous commotion was caused | in army circles of this department yes- terday by a report that the House of Representatives had passed the bill au- | thorizing the creation of two additional regiments of artillery. There is hardly | a doubt that the bill will p. some time this session, but there was a feel. | ing of disappointment' when it was | found that the measure had not been called up in the House. Increase of the artillery by two regi- | ments will promote Lieutenant-Colonel | E. B. Williston of the Third and Lieu- tenant-Colonel William' Sinclair of the | Fifth to the full rank of colonel. The | majors who will be advanced to the grade of lieutenant-colonel are: W. . | Randolph, Third; Tully McCrea, Fifth: | Frank G. Smith, Second, and James G, | Ramsay, Fifth. The captains who will be advanced to the rank of major ar. Frank W. Hess, Third Artiller: George W. Crabb, Fifth; Charles Mo ris, Fifth; J. W. McMurray, First; John W. Dillenback, First; James B, Burbank, Third; Samuel M. Mills, Fifth; John P. Story, Fourth; Willlam P. Voss, Second, and George G. Gren- ough, Fourth Artillery. The addition to the army of twol | regiments or twenty-four batteries of artillery would probably give this de- partm four more batteries. It is understood that a detail will be made from each battery of the existing five regiments to f the nucleus for the s and that the present r ve recruits equal to the number contributed to the new or- ganizations. Since it seems settled that the in- of the artillery will be allowed » is a growing sentiment in favor of reorganizing the infantry regiments in accordance with modern military tactics. The system of infantry regu- lations in the nited States army was *ast aside many years ago by European s. It is obs e and wholly out ace since rapid fire guns of long range have been accepted in place of the old muzzle-loading muskets. The infantry desire the new battalion or- ganization of three battalions to a regi ment. Each battalion should con: four compan and 200 men, making the battalion 800 strong and the strength of the regiment 2400 men. The regiment would then be about equal to the brigade strength during the war of the rebellion. Since the introduction of quick-firing breech- | loading m zine guns with a deadly range of 2000 yards troops must be de- ployed in long thin lines. The day of massing is gone. The modern battle unit is the company of 200 men. In extended order 800 is the greatest num- | ber that one man should immvdialel)" of h company of command. The scheme of reorganiza- | tion was recommended by A'venerals‘\ Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Schofleld and by many other officers of- distinc- | tion. As a measure of economy in or- | ganization the plan is highly commen- | dable, as the number of effective men | would be largely increased without adding to_the number of commissioned | officers. Since the United States is pre- paring for war it is held that a reor- ganization of the infantry is essential. In this particular line the National Guard is a step in advance of the re- gular arm General She ter, commanding the De- partment of California, has directed that detachments of troops shall leave Angel Island, Fort Mason and Fort Baker to-morrow and proceed to ‘hfli Presidio for the purpose of mounting guns on the reservation. The troops will report to Colonel Miles, command- ing the post at the Presidio. Lieutenant William S. McNair, Third Aritllery, has been directed to report to_the commanding officer of the Pre- sidio for duty in mounting guns. Lieutenant Babbitt of the Ordnance Corps visited the fortifications at Fort Point yesterday and examined the guns and carriages. The detail of troops from Angel Ts- land, Lime Point and Black Point is made because the batteries of the Third Artillery permanently stationed at the Presidio cannot perform all the duty required at the fortifications. PRIEST RECEIVES AN INFERNAL MACHINE. Father Weber’s Remarks Anent the War Crisis Excites Some Crank. | NEW YORK, Feb. 26.—Father Web- er, whose recent declaration at Rond- out, that in case of war between the United States and Spain, it would be- come the duty of Roman Catholics to fight on_the side of Spain, has been officially requested to leave the diocese. This fact was given out to-day by Father Connolly, secretary to Arch- bishop Corrigan, who explained that had Father Weber belonged in this dio- cese, -instead of in the West, whence he came, he would have been subjected to sharp discipline. A package addressed to Father ‘Weber, containing an infernal machine, was received at the Kingston postoffice to-day. One of the clerks noticed that a black powder came from the poorly wrapped packing, He carefully opened it. After the 1id had been remowed a box was discovered. It was arranged in two compartments. Attached to the | lower portion of the box lid was thick sandpaper and in the upper apartment matches and about a pound of powder, which would have been ignited by the removal of the lid quickly. The powder was between layers of cotton and a substance thought to be dynamite was in the bottom of the box. The package was sent from Wash- ington. Sl R Torpedoes Being Planted. PORTLAND, Me., Feb. 26.—It is evi- dent from appearances that some of the torpedoes which have been stored at Fort George in Portland harbor | are being planted in the harbor. For several nights a tug has made trips to the old fort and lights have been seen moving about above the chan- | nel at the entrance to the harbor. If such operations are in progress it is being done under direction of the local board of Government engineers, who are silent in regard to the matter. At Portland Head is a torpedo operating station cut from solid masonry and | extending to the water’s e 'MUCH DEPENDS | UPON THE REPORT. | Before Increasing the Navy Con-| | gressmen Desire to Know How the Maine Was Sunk. WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.—Members | of the Senate and House Committees on | Naval Affairs are anxlously awaiting | definite information regarding the sink- | ing of the battle-ship Maine. | come of the investigation will' have an fmportant bearing upon the action of the committees toward increasing the naval establishment. The sub-commit- tee of the House having the present appropriation bill in charge has decided | to postpone for the present considera- tion of the increasing clause until a full report comes from Havana. Upon this will largely depend whether the Maine is to be replaced and other battle-ships authorized. If the theory of accident prevails many members of Congress will be inclined to oppose the provision for more ves- sels on the ground that we are not yet fully acquainted with the safest meth- ods of caring for those wehave. If it is shown the Maine was sunk by an | outside explosion it is probable not only | will there be a far superior ship to the Maine authorized, but one other high- | fighter. The out- | MUNITIONS OF WAR FOR THE SOUTH Heavy Shipment of Shot and Shell From Water- town Arsenal. Twenty-Five Carloads of Ammuni- tion for Heavy Guns to Be Hurried to Southern . Ports. BOSTON, Feb. 26. — Twenty-five freight cars are being loaded at the Watertown Arsenal with shot and shell for Southern ports. The work of loading was begun shortly before noon to-day by a dozen men, and up to a late hour this evening three cars had | been packed. The work will be con- | tinued until the last car is loaded. | The shot and shell are for 3-inch, 10- inch and 12-inch rifles and 12-inch mortars, Major James W. Reilly refuses to talk. FEven Major Reilly’s closest friend could not ascertain what his | special secret order from Washington | was, so that his silence led every per- | son at the arsenal to believe the order was of the utmost importance. One of Etho lieutenants at the arsenal was known to call at the quartermaster’s and commissary’s office in Boston | during the morning hours, and that visit was a significant one. Up to noon everything went smoothly about the spacious grounds, but about | that hour the huge gates between the | Fitchburg Railroad tracks and the | sidetrack entrance to the arsenal were | thrown open. About a dozen men’had been ordered to that section of the | ground situated on the west side of | the erecting shop. Among them were | four or five soldiers connected with | the arsenal. They had been there a | short time when Major Reilly put in | an appearance. About eight or ten of | the freight cars were then backed on to the arsenal sidetrack under the su- | pervision of H. C. Fisher, freight | agent for the Fitchburg Railroad. This | move gave the men the impression | that something unusual was about to oceur, but Major Reilly kept his own | | counsel. The first order given was to take from the old storehouse a derrick which had been there for years. It was brought to one of the freight cars and then set up beside the track. The shot and shell were then lifted into the cars one by one. They weigh from 300 to 1000 pounds, so the work was hard and tedious. The major superintended the work during the greater part of afternoon. The ammunition is stored in different parts of the yard, some be- ing in the south storehouse near the officers’ quarters, machine shop. and about the grounds. The material which is shipped will carry a distance of from six to ten miles. The S-inch is intended to carry six miles, the 10- inch eight miles and the 12-inch ten miles. The loading of the freight cars is the first outside sign of the activity that has been displayed at the arsenal since the Maine disaster. There seems to be no doubt in the minds of the hundreds of men employed there that war is inevitable. Not sipce the Civil ‘War has such a large order for shot and shell been receivedat this place. It is expected that an extra force will be put at work immediately in order to finish the work on gun carriages which are under construction. The shipping will be done under the direc- tion of the Fitchburg Railroad of- ficials, and it is said that the twenty- five cars will be sent in different direc- tions along the Atlantic coast in the South. he DIED. GREPPIN—In this city, at his residence, Turk street, Joseph, beloved husband of Ce- cilia Greppin, and father of Ernest H., Philip P., Joseph E., Robert A. and Adele C. Greppin, a native ~ Switzerland, aged 64 years. (Los Angeles and St. please copy) > Notice of funeral hereafter. 1231 | Louls papers | DEFENSES FOR THE SEABOARD. STRENGTHENING THE DEFENSES OF NEW YORK Submarine Explosives to Guard the Harbor and Approaches. Torpedoes and Big Guns to Be Added to the Batteries and Complete Protection Afforded Against Any Outside Foe. NEW YORK, Feb. 26.—By order of | ceed without arousing the suspicions =) Brigadier-General John M. Wilson, | of craft lying near at hand. chief of .-ng;wers active steps are be. | 1In the opinion of the engincer and S ¢ tew York | Ordnance experts of the War Depart- fhs Guken .fnr the defense of New ment the harbor of New York is in a harbor with the available supply of | ¢4r gtate of defense although the plans | submarine explosives. The greatest | of the department are yet very far from | secrecy is maintained in connection | being accomplished. The department | with the work, and it cannot be|is endeavoring to follow on general | learned how large is the number of ex- l!nots lbhe r;rm:\m@m}]fltlnns mif t’hr" Endi- | e n s rante § iti > har- | cott board, in whose ,opinion were plosives already in position in the har | \C..ssary for the proper defense of tho O ApC on ARG b v eighteen S-inch, two 14-inch, forty am told, however, that it is sufficient | 1o {, S5 o0 FTRE0 MG L M Cna fif- to do a great deal of damage to a hos- | teen 8-inch guns and 144 12-inch rifled tile fleet if judiciously disposed and;m..nars, distributed around the ap- operated. | proaches to the city. There are now in TSubmarine defense 1s understood to | position at Fort Hancock the fortifica~ be well advanced at the entranceof the | :I‘K‘v"s :1( }?a,’},‘l‘.m?;'fii‘gmli ltfi“!nnfil 1?12fi proscn. 1o o an 3 Cene battery of sixteen 12-inch mortars. ment is also in possession of mcumos\ st e Tor Tobe Thand for the protection of the Narrows and | (gorts Wadsworth and Lafayette) some lower bay. Electro-contact automo- | {p-inch guns are in position and four bile torpedoes will play a large part | batteries of 6 and $-inch guns. On in the defense of the city. The elec- | Staten Island five 8-Inch guns and four trical apparatus which operates them | 10-inch guns are nearly in readiness. is easily portable and weighs much | At the eastern entrance to the harbor less than the explosive itself. The ex- | (Forts Slocum and Schuyler) are bats pidsive is provided with a rudder and | o o tomewial e e prengll fthan connected with the electrical battery | ranid_fire guns is greatly deplored by by a charged wire, w is long | the department. These guns, on ac- enough to reach from the hidden loca- | count of their relatively great power tion of the battery to the hostile ship. | and their rapidity of fire, constitute a After the explosive is planted in the | highly important element in coast de- water its rudder is adjusted so as to 'm\Mf“hrfllirm'-xn;zlllmemermalare (‘nnr:4 direct its course, and it is then pro- vey expensive and can be trical apparatus, and its location Is| “mye gung in position are fmadequate- made visible above the surface of the |1y supplied with projectiles. There are water only by a tiny flag or “war |gaid to be about 1000 projectiles on nose.” The stationary mines are |Governors Island, and there are prob- planted just under the position occu- [ably 1000 elsewhere in the country. Sev- pled by a passing keel, and may be |eral outstanding contracts for projec- fired either by simple contact or by a |tiles are nearly ready for delivery, and charge from the main battery. The |the department is in position to rap- | planting of the stationary mines does |idly furnish itself with sufficient sup- not involve the employment of many |plies from numerous manufacturers in men or much apparatus and may pro- | this country and by purchase abroad. to mankind. nervous debility, stunted growth, palpitation, shortness of breath, dyspepsia, constipation, Hudyan cures pains in the back, pains in the side, pains in the chest, pains in the loins. 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