Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . THE FIRST VIEW OF COLON 368 PANAMA AND THE CANAL The General Board believes that the proposedfortifications at the termini of the Isthmian Canalwould be invaluable in assisting thetransfer of a United States fleetfrom one ocean to the otherthrough the Canal,the face of an oppos-ing fleet. Thefunction of thefortifications in thisparticular is precise-ly the same at theCanal termini as it isany fortified place fromwhich a fleet may havesueinthefaceofanenemysfleet Guns mounted on shore are onan unsinkable and steady platform,and they can be provided
Panama and the canal in picture and prose .. . THE FIRST VIEW OF COLON 368 PANAMA AND THE CANAL The General Board believes that the proposedfortifications at the termini of the Isthmian Canalwould be invaluable in assisting thetransfer of a United States fleetfrom one ocean to the otherthrough the Canal,the face of an oppos-ing fleet. Thefunction of thefortifications in thisparticular is precise-ly the same at theCanal termini as it isany fortified place fromwhich a fleet may havesueinthefaceofanenemysfleet Guns mounted on shore are onan unsinkable and steady platform,and they can be provided with unlimited protectionand accurate range-finding devices. Guns mountedon board ship are on a sinkable, unsteady platform,their protection is limited, and range-finding deviceson board ship have a very limited range of shore gun of equal power has thus a great. A PORCH AT CULEBRA advantage over the ship gun which is universallyrecognized, and this advantage is increased if theformer be mounted on disappearing;es, as are the seacoastuns of the United mere statementof these elemen-tary facts is asufficient proof ofthe value of sea-coast guns to as-sist a fleet in passingout from behind themto engage a waitinghostile fleet outside, providedthe shore guns are mounted inadvance of, or abreast, the pointwhere the ship channel joins theopen sea. Even if somewhat retired from that|Doint they would be useful, but to a less extent. At the Pacific terminus of the Canal there areoutlying islands that afford sites for fortifications,the usefulness of which in assisting the egress of afleet in the face of opposition is universally ad-
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Keywords: ., bookauthorabbotwil, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
