The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-21 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The works connected with the sea defences for the
protection of the entrance to Chatham harbour are
now partially interrupted. Few hands are now
employed in the construction of the two large bat-
teries, or forts, on each side of the river below
Chatham dockyard in comparison with the large
number engaged on those undertakings some months
since. The foundation of the large fort at Folly
Point, which will guard the entrance to the locks
communicating with the three great steam basins
about to be constructed at Chatham dockyard, is
nearly finished; but the erection of the superstruc-
ture will be delayed until the question of granite
walls versus iron-clad ships has been more fully dis
cussed. The most serious difficulties have had to be
encountered in prosecuting the works for the erec-

tion of Darnet Fort, on the opposite side of the
river, about three miles below Chatham dockyard.
The soft, spongy mitnro of thy 001 l ou which the
large fort is to be erected has rendered it almost
impossible to obtain anything like a firm foundation
for the massive battery which will be placed at that
repot. Although the works connected with the foun-
dation of the Darnet Fort have been several months
in hand, comparatively little progress has been made
in that undertaking in consequence of all attempts
to prevent repeated irruptions of the exterior water
having until recently failed. On three occasions
every vestige for the foundation, laid under the
greatest difficulties, was swept away by the sea, but
at length these engineering difficulties appear to
have been conquered, and the formation of the sub-
structure-of the battery is being carried on with as
much expedition as the formidable obstacles to be
encountered will admit. Individual opinion, how-
ever, inclines to the belief that, although the spot
selected for a battery at Darnet Ness is in all re-
spects an admirable one, yet a serious mistake is
likely to be made in the description of fort intended
to be erected on the site. The unanimous opinion
of practical engineers who have inspected the loca-
lity is decidedly adverse to any heavy mass of ma-
sonry being placed at that point, the opinion being
freely expressed that, if built in accordance with
the original intentions of the Government, the
treacherous, sloppy, and yielding nature of the
ground will render it almost certain that the fort
will not stand, by reason of the heavy pressure it
will exert on such unreliable soil. It must also be
borne in mind that, in addition to the mere weight
of some thousands of tons of bricks and granite,
there will be the pressure of the heavy guns com-
posing the armament of the battery, together with
the accumulation of vast quantities of shot, shell,
powder, and other stores, all of which will severely
test the hardness of a spot which experience would
seem to prove is partially undermined by the action
of a strong under current at that point of the river.
Considerable progress has been made in the erection
of the formidable battery at Garrison Point, on the
spot where formerly stood the old Cavalier and
Half-moon Batteries constructed many years since.
This battery, in conjunction with the existing Mar-
tello tower on Grain Spit, and the forts to be
erected on the opposite side of the Channel, on the
Isle of Grain, will effectually guard the entrance
to the Medway, and, as the navigation of the river
renders it impossible for any vessel to escape the
range of the guns from both batteries, any attempt
of a hostile fleet to ascend the river to Chatham will
thereby be 'rendered all but impossible. The foun-
dations of the battery have been completed, but the
works will be delayed for the present until final
orders from the Government have been received,
when the casemated battery, magazines, &c., at Gar-
rison Point will be commenced simultaneously with
the battery at Darnet Head. The existing sea de-
fences will also be materially strengthened by the
erection of a casemated battery at Cheney Rock,
which is situate about 1,200 yards to the eastward
of the salient angle of No. 1 bastion on the ex-
treme right of the fortification, the guns from
which will cross their fire with those mounted
on the bastions of the present fortress, A bat-
tery will also be erected on a commanding posi
tion at Queenborongh, and this will be connected
with the other forts by a broad and deep ditch,
which will intersect the island of Sheppy. The
estimated cost of the defences to be erected on each
side of the Medway, for the better protection of the
naval establishments at Chatham and Sheerness is
£340,000, of which amount £BO,OOO is the cost of
the land required to be purchased by the Govern-
ment. The additional defences for the protection
of Chatham garrison, arsenal, and dockyard on the
land side are estimated to cost the sum of £500,000,
£150,000 of which will be expended in the pur-
chase of land on which the line of forts will be
built. Beyond taking possession of the required
lands the Government has not yet made any com-
mencement with the erection of the land defences
at Chatham.
The whole of the cast iron ordnance mounted on
the forts and batteries at Chatham and the defences
at the entrance to the Medway, as well as the seve-
ral descriptions of guns in store at the Ordnance-
wharf, Chatham, have been minutely inspected by
Capt. Dyer, Assistant-Inspector of Artillery, and
the staff' from Woolwich. Some guns have been
condemned as being unserviceable. The greatest
number of defective guns were found among those
mounted on the forts :and batteries, commanding
the approach to the river, several of the large
10-inch, 8-inch, and 32-pounders being found un-
serviceable, either from large fissures at the bottom
of the vent, or from defects in the vent. The num-
ber of unserviceable guns was, however, not so large
as was anticipated, when the great number of
rounds of solid shot and common and diaphragm
shell fired away at practice by the Royal Artillery
aro taken into consideration. The whole of the
unserviceable guns have been dismounted, and will
be removed to Woolwich, where they will either be
revented or brplren up. Captain Dyer has com-
menced the examination of the guns at Tilbury
Fort, New Tavern Fort, and the other forts and
batteries which defend the Thames.

The party of Royal Engineer non-commissioned
officers who have been for some time past under
training At the head-quarters of the Royal Engi-
neer establishment, Chatham, to qualify themselves
for appointment as instructors to the various En-
gineer Volunteer Corps, under the regulations laid
down by the Duke of Combridge, having completed
their course of instruction, the first appointments
have just been made at Brompton-barracks by the
Secretary of State for War. Instructors have
accordingly been sent to the Bristol Volunteer
Engineer Corps ; the Ist Lanarkshire (Glasgow),
the Ist West Riding (Sheffield); and the Ist Cum-
berland Volunteers (Cockermeuth). In addition to
h
the above, six others instructors have been selected,
and wilfshortly proceed from head-quarters to join
Engineer
fortification
the several corps to which they have been ap-
pointed. The whole of the instructors are
qualified to impart to the Volunteer
Corps i stru
acnt ido niniinl i
teverymilitary
e engineering,
ge
na
er
et
rmi
ne
gn
ino
addition to which of
practicalthey have gone through a com-
plete course of squad, company, and battalion drill.

TREASURE IN REAVEN.—The following inscrip-
tion, it is said, may be found in an Italian graveyard :
it Here lies Estella, who transported a large fortune to
heaven in acts of charity, and has gone thither to enjoy
it."