The amounts required to complete the installation of the searchlights at the following places are shown in each case, namely: It has been recommended that this amount be included in the estimates to be presented to Congress at the coming session. III. POWER PLANTS. Under the heading of "Power plants and electrical installations" the National Coast Defense Board states: The use of electricity in connection with seacoast defense has become necessary for 1. Current for motors to operate ammunition hoists in order that the, service of ammunition may be equal to the increased rapidity of the fire of guns. 2. Current for the system of range finding, fire control, and fire direction. 3. Current for searchlights. 4. Current for lighting various parts of the emplacements and range-finding stations. 5. Current for motors for retracting guns on disappearing carriages. In a tabulated estimate of the coast artillery material needed for the completion of the harbor defense of "home Home ports. ports," the National Coast Defense Board's estimate for the cost of "central power plants" for these home ports is $3,062,664, and for the cost of reserve plants is $2,153,367. Before the act of May 27, 1908, no direct appropriations had ever been made for power plants for fortifications and all such plants as had been constructed for this purpose were built from the general appropriation for gun and mortar batteries. As no appropriations for new batteries in the United States had been made for several years past and as the need for fortification electric power was increasing, due not only to deterioration of existing plants, but on account of the additional requirements for electric power in the batteries, upon the recommendation of the Chief of Artillery an item of $1,000,000 was included in the estimates submitted by the Secretary of War to Congress at the last session. The act of May 27, 1908, contained an appropriation of $348,888 for power plants, which is the amount, according to the estimate of the National Coast Defense Board, required to install the central fortification plants required for the following places: Forts Casey, Stevens, Barry, Baker, and Winfield Scott. While this is a start in the right direction, more liberal appropriations will be necessary in order to supply the batteries with the proper power and it has been recommended that an item of $984,352 be included in the estimates of the Secretary of War for power plants for the fortifications in the United States. Considering the necessary power plants for the insular possessions, the National Coast Defense Board recommended an Insular ports. expenditure of $34,469 for the emplacement plants for Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. By the act of May 27, 1908, $20,000 was appropriated for this purpose, which leaves $14,469 still required for the emplacement plants in the Hawaiian Islands. The National Coast Defense Board also included in their recommendations an item of $72,089 for a central power plant at Grande Island, and $259,080 for the central power plants for the fortifications in Manila Bay. The act of May 27, 1908, carried an item of $115,000 for power plants in the Philippine Islands, which leaves $216,169 yet to be appropriated for the central power plants required by the defenses of Subic and Manila bays. It has been recommended that this amount, together with the $14,469 necessary to complete the fortification plants in the Hawaiian Islands, making a total of $230,638 in all, be included in the estimates to be submitted by the Secretary of War to Congress at the coming session. IV. SUBMARINE MINES. Recent war has shown clearly the value of submarine mines as an element of harbor defense. If a harbor is defended by an efficient system of mines and the requisite guns for their protection against countermining, sweeping, or other methods of removing them, it is not believed that any enemy, however enterprising, will ever attempt to force an entrance into a harbor with large ships. This conclusion has been supported strongly by the terrible destruction wrought by the submarine mines at Port Arthur and Dalny during the RussoJapanese war. Our system of submarine mines is practically perfect as a war weapon. Being under complete electrical control from the shore, a line of mines may be rendered instantly destructive to an enemy or harmless to passing friendly vessels. Home ports. While all progress toward the completion of both submarine mine structures and equipment has been made to the limit of the available appropriations, it can not be too strongly pointed out that the completion of this defense of our harbors should be pushed to a condition of absolute preparedness. The estimates show that at less than one-fourth the cost of a fully equipped battle ship the mine defense of the United States can be completed from Portland, Me., to Puget Sound. When the value of this completed mine defense is considered, not only for its actual worth as a destructive weapon, but also for its moral effect and its comparatively small cost, it will be apparent that this completion should be accomplished at the earliest possible moment. Moreover, it should be clearly understood and fully appreciated by those in authority that we can not afford to wait for war before completing our mine defense; we must be prepared beforehand, for otherwise no amount of money made available at the outbreak of war could procure mine material in time to be of service in mine defense against an active maritime enemy. Essential parts of this material, such as cables, mine cases, and electrical apparatus, can not be bought at a moment's notice in open market, but must be manufactured to order, and after having been ordered, months are required to fill the orders. If confronted suddenly by war, only such mine material as is on hand can be utilized for immediate mine defense, and if any essential part of the mine system is lacking the whole mine defense must fail. If the enemy is aggressive, an attack on a harbor may even precede a formal declaration of war, as was the case in the attack on Port Arthur in February, 1904. To meet such an emergency the complete mine equipment of every harbor to be mined should be kept on hand ready to be planted, and it should be made possible to mine effectively every harbor within forty-eight hours. The estimated cost of completing the submarine mine defense of the United States is, structures, $404,764; material, $1,322,405, making a total of $1,727,169; and of the insular possessions, structures, $227,000; material, $280,463, making a total of $507,463. It has been recommended that the estimates for this year contain the following items: (a) For mine structures in the United States.. $289, 964 This would complete the engineer part of the mine defense for the United States, according to the estimates of the National Coast Defense Board, excepting Cape Henry, Fishermans Island, and San Jacinto, for which latter places the amount required is $114,800. (b) For mine material for the United States--- $763, 700 This would complete the material of the mine defense of the United States, with the exception of certain material for Forts H. G. Wright and Terry, together with that for the following ungarrisoned posts requiring mine defense: Fort Popham, Cape Henry, Fishermans Island, and San Jacinto, for which latter places the amount required is $558,705. $38, 031 (c) For mine material for insular possessions___ Insular ports, BARRACKS AND QUARTERS FOR THE COAST ARTILLERY. In addition to the necessity for the elements of defense which have been referred to in the preceding part of this report, the matter of furnishing proper barracks and quarters for the garrisons is of the greatest importance and is treated in detail for both the United States and the insular possessions. UNITED STATES. The last session of the Fifty-ninth Congress excluded from the army bill any appropriation for barracks and quarters for the coast artillery, and provided therefor by a special appropriation of $1,250,000 in the sundry civil act approved March 4, 1907. This method of appropriation was continued in the first session of the Sixtieth Congress, the sundry civil act of May 27, 1908, carrying an item of $2,139,060" for the erection of barracks and quarters for the artillery in connection with the adopted project for seacoast defenses." The policy seems to be adopted for separating this appropriation from that for housing the mobile army, and the Chief of Coast Artillery is of the opinion that the policy is a wise one. The following tabulation indicates the construction which has been or will be undertaken with the $3,389,060, above mentioned, so far as can be told at the present time, and also what will remain to be done in order to provide for the present authorized force of coast artillery in accordance with the plans approved by the Secretary of War November 21, 1906. Fort. Constructed or under Williams, Me. New post between Fort Stark and Fort Constitution. Strong, Mass.. Andrews, Mass... Colonel's quarters.. Company barracks.... Field officers' quarters. Company barracks. Company barracks... Field officers' quarters. Company barracks... Band barracks. 5 7 125859 |