Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1909 — COMMUNICATION FROM THE ABSENT REPUBLICAN EDITOR. [ARTICLE]

COMMUNICATION FROM THE ABSENT REPUBLICAN EDITOR.

Tells of Some of the Sights He Has Witnessed In the East—Now at Fort Adams, R. I.

Fort Adams, R. I:, June 22. I have been so busy with the work assigned me end in traveling iron' one army post to another since I left Rensselaer that I have not undertaken to write before. It was my first visit to New York City and the arrangements that were made for me there required me to stop ar. 54:h street and Broadway, while the army fortifications where the provisional artillery troops of New York and Brooklyn were encamped were well out on the New York harbor, and it took almost twot hours to go to the forts from my hotel. I had never seen coast artillery forts at close range before and had but little knowledge of thq construction of these forts or of the guns with which they are garrisoned. Fort Wodsworth is on Staten Island, Fort Hamilton is on Long Island and Fort Hancock is on Sandy ilook, all commanding a view of the only entrance to New York harbor. Further up are Forts Totten and Schuyler, and a hostile fleet would find it very difficult to attack our great eastern metropolis. At Forts Wodsworth and Hamilton the batteries are largely ten and twelve Inch guns with a number of smaller ones and several mortar batteries; at Sandy Hook there are some 14inch guns and at Totten there are some 16 inch guns. The large guns qre thrown up over the forts in battery when discharged and the firing of the gun causes them to sink back behind the fort, where they are swabbed out and reloaded. It would scarcely seem possible that the gun could be cleaned, and 1,100 pound projectile inserted, two powder charges of 135 pounds each shoved in back of the projectile, the gun breech closed and locked, the gun set and sighted and fired all in 30 seconds, but the regulars and the efficient militia artillery accomplish it in even less time than that.-

A hostile fleet that would try to enter New York harbor to effect a landing would not only have to run the gauntlet of all these guns, but the harbor is planted with mines that would destroy any vessel or number of vessels that endeavored to enter the harbor. In artillery every soldier has Ms position, and it is very essential that he knows just what to d:> and how to do it, so that there shall be no delay if occasion arises. The men who are at the guns, who turn them, raise them, all work under the direction of other men some what in the rear at the range finding stations, where the distance of the target, the speed at which it travels, the wind conditions, etc., are all figured out and telephoned to the gunners who set the gun for tie firing without other knowledge of the position of the target than what is communicated to them from the commanders in the stauouj, but the mechanism is so complete thac the gun can be set in only a few second?’ time, and the marksmenship of I ncle Sam’s soldiers is very excellent. As it requires about 30 seconds for a projectile from one of the large guns to travel five or six miles, it is necessary for the gun to be so sighted that allowance is made for tbe distance the target would travel while the projectile is in flight. It would not do to guess at these things for a war vessel would probably travel from an eighth to a quarter mile while the projectile is in the air, and the projectile must be so cast as to hit in the right place. The range finders figure these things out 6o nicely that they hit the moving targets with about the same accuracy that they do the stationary targets. From Forts Wodsworth and Hamilton no full service charges are fired, as the discharge of the guns creates such a vibration that window lights a mile back are shattered. They used one pound instead of 1,100 pound projectiles and fired these sub-caliber charges at moving targets from 1,500 to 3,500 yards out in the bay. The targets were canvas affairs fixed on frames that were supported by rafts. They wtere hauled by long ropes attached to government launches which went over and back in front of the forts. The firing was so good that

few shots failed to either hit or come close to the targets and with the naked eye one could see the ball strike the water at the target several seconds after the report of the gun reached the ears of the observer. At night powerful search lights are cast up the harbor and even on quite foggy nights the men handling them are able to sight vessels some distance away and ascertain all the information required for gun adjustment the same as though it were day time. As the manning of the batteries in case of actual warfare would require many more artillerymen than there are in the regular service and as inexperience and untrained men would be of practically no account, the harbor states are quite appropriately supplying a number of artillery regiments or districts as a part of the state militia. All of the Rhode Island militia is thus disposed and I am now for a few days taking in the camps at Forts Adams, Wetherill and Prebel, which protect the Newport harbor at Narragansett bay. I could write at much greater length upon the nature and extent of the defenses, for here is a naval training station, a torpedo manufacturing station, several torpedo boats, several mine sinking boats, two or three men-of-war, a few submarines and a government war college, but I do not wish to distress the readers of the Republican with something that may not interest them. The Atlantic coast is very excellently protected from Maine to the gulf and Indiana people can rest easy in the assurance that no foreign power could effect a landing along the east coast without meeting the most stubborn resistence. Newport is rather a quaint city of near 20,000 people. It is chiefly a resort town and many New York, Boston and Philadelphia millionaires have their summer homes here, owning most beautiful places along the rock bound coast of the harbor or bay. Sight seers are taken on a course of twelve miles past the fine mansions which are built upon the ancient castle plans and the course is called “twelve miles of millionaires.” Of course not all have reached that figure of wealth, but most of them have and the homes are more beautiful than can be imagined. Although occupied by their owners only during the months of July and August a retinue of servants keep the houses in order and the surroundings artistically landscaped the year round. My son and I walked to Fort Adams post this morning, going around Jhe harbor instead of crossing on a government launch. The trip involves a walk of about four miles and leads past several of the mansions, which are mostly hid behind stone walls and high box elder hedges. Green swards, fragrent flowers, beautifully trimmed trees, fine stables, winding drives and pathways, hills and dales, sweet singing birds and gurgling fountains all help to make the places so exclusive that the'common people dare not trespass. There is a magnificence about them that looks ’good to the person who passes by on the outside and on tiptoe looks over a boxelder fence to catch a glimpse at the luxurious surroundings. Newport has solved the question, “What good is a millionaire?” Any resident of this city will tell you that he is a good thing for Newport”. Every business man here is laying for him. They plan ten months in the year for two months’ business and sock it into the fellow with the gold lined pockets. A few of the early summer guests are arriving now and coachmen in camols skin tights and other monkey adornments are quite conspicuous on Thames street, the leading business thoroughfare. As a result there has been a 26 per cent increase in the price of everything or a 25 per cent decrease in the size of it. I don’t think anyone has taken me for a millionaire, but the kind of bumps I have received in the restaurants makes me wonder. I think I shall have to adopt the plan of going in and out of eating houses with my pockets all turned wrong side out. Of course most of the wealthy summer tourists have launches, as launching is one of the most pleasureable attractions here. During the next two months, it is said, something like 500 private launches will lay in the harbor. n

Aside from laying for “millionaires,” fishing is the great industry here, and half the population not only of Newport but of all the poast from Providence to Boston is engaged in that industry. About 1,000 barrels of fish are shipped from here to New York daily. . Last night I witnessed the marvelous performance of seeing twenty-five truck hands on the great boat Commonwealth load these barrels of fish. A gang plank probably 8 feet wide was laid from the wharf to the freight door of the boat. The fish barrels were in the depot and a circifit was established for the empty truck men coming from the boat and the truckmen carrying a barrel of fish to the boat. All ran at breakneck speed and the rumble of trucks is like the roar of thunder. There is no complaining, no shirking, each man must take his turn and keep up his lick, as the man with the loaded truck strikes the gang plank he gives a little jump and shoots into the boat like a ball from a rifle. The men with the empty trucks must pass the men with the loaded trucks on the gang plank and thfe former must avoid a collision. On the basis of 1,000 barrels of fish and 25 truck hands each man must load 40 barrels. There was not a moment of hesitation from the start to the finish, and it looked like a Marathorn race. Every man kept in the race and when all the fish were loaded the truck men were wet with pespiration. They were mostly foreigners and the biggest armed men

I have ever seen. I understand they receive about $45 per month and board for their work. They certainly earn every cent of it. The Commonwealth is one of the New York, New Haven & Hartford boats that runs between New York and Fall River, Mass. It is about 600 feet long and has 1,000 state rooms on it. Every man, woman and child in Rensselaer could get on it and almost all of them could find beds to sleep in. The fare from here to New York via water inside Long Island is $2.75, and with berth is $3.75. My son and I took it over from Fall River, Mass., to Newport, our railroad tickets being good on the boat. It was to us a very pleasant trip. Fall River is the greatest cotton products factory city in the world.

From here we go to Crown Point, N. Y., on Lake Champlain, where a brigade of New York infantry begins an encampment next Saturday. GEO. H. HEALEY.