The Sun.
London, England, 1807-10-09 00:00:00

REPORT

. . .
That the Secretary at War, with the whet, tiiit.
missioners of; the ,United Stketi have determined
not only to enlarge and make durable the works on
Governor's ',land,- but, are now about erecting a
very strong and powerful marine battery on the
North-west point of the Leland, to extend on the
reef, beyond low water mark, into the River. The
. works on Island are to he extended, and
the number of gunsand.weight of the metal greatly
increased, It is also determined by the general Go.
vernment to erect a strong fort, with two or three
tiers of guns, to extend beyond the present. batusey
in front of the tiag-staff: also to build a -block in
the Not th River, at the toot of Duane-street, of 100
feet square, and to ere& a battery thereon. When
these works are completed, it is understood they, will
be able to bring 120 guns to, bear upon any point in
the bay, between Bedlow's Island and the city. The
Commissioners.have also fixed upon the. old Portbr's
Field, as a proper plane to' crew the laboratbries auci
:arsenals, for depositing and repairing 'arms and tnilik
tarystores. The several scites where these works are
.to be crated; and which are within the jttrisch6tion
of this Board, your Committee have uttered, on the
part of the Corporation, to cede their right, as soon
as a survey can be made to designate- the proper
metes and .bounds..'
Although the works which are ereCting under the
dircdtion of the United State 4 are proper,, and may
be considered very useful, as part of a general system
of defence, they are, however, deemed nut sufhcient
in-themselves to afford that, prcitetaion against a ma•
ritime force which will insure us safety in case of an.
attack. • !Your' Committee have deliberately consi'
tiered the several plans for the defence of the bar.
bout:thathave been; published, and others that have
been handed to them ; they have also,caused several
'soundings to be made of the harbour, from the Ndr-

rows tolledlow's bland,'and find the shoalest water
to be in alinebetween Red Hook and a reef of rocks
on the' west fiat, about half a' mile below Bedlow's
bland and from ,the various information obtained,
have thought it most advisable to recommend the
following plan.
. TO beffin at a reef of rocks that is bare at low-
water, about half a mile to the south of Bedlow's-
Island, and run a course .east -by south) to the sou-
therly point of Red-Hook, on Gong-bland. The
distance across, on this line, is about 3000 yards, of
whiCh, near 400 yards, the' water is 60 feet deep at
low-water, and the remainder varies from 40 to 16
feet in &int). A considerable part of the distance,
say about. 700, yards, does: not exceed 1G 11... et at low.
water.

To secure this place against the passage of ships
,:whose draft of water exceeds 16 or 18 feet, it is pro-
-posed that blocks be sunk, to consist of timber and
stone, in the manner the piers of our wharfs 'are
made the size of which to be in proportion to the
depth, of the water, and to secure their standing
iirm,`to have the base always greater than the height.
These blocks, to be 50 Wet wide in their position,
across the river, and to approach, within 10 feet' of
the surface of the water, at low tide, and to leave
space between each block of 50 feet. To commence
sinking the blocks at Red-Hook, and to Continue
them until they come within 200 yards of the reef
of rocks on the flat before-mentioned. If it should
be feared that ships might pass between the blocks,
where the space left is 50 tees, that could be retne-
, died by projeding 3 or 4 large timbers obliquely, on
F the upper part of the blocks, with their points faced
with iron, in the manner of a chevaux de frize;
these might extend from each block to feet, whim
would then leave the space but 30 feet. These ob-
structions, being thus placed; would compel all ves-
sels, chiwing more than 16 or 1 8 fret of water, to
g
pass within th-- space of 20Q yards,' next the reef of
rocks. At that place a fort of such strength might
be erc;:ted, with two or three tiers Of guns, as should
be judged sufficient to defend this passe e against
any hostile 'fleet. The tbrt could be erected wi;hoot
difficulty at ,this,place, there being several acres of
ground bare ai low-water, which is hard :nine tirm.
But. as an. additional security against a fleet passing
the fort, a number of chevaux de irize might be
madei and at hand. In case of a ltosilly tietA ap.
gearing, they could be placed in the passage in a
short tune. These might be removed' when the
danger disappeared.
_•

A tb: titer security .against forcitrg this passage by
an crier*, would tie by plach.g• in it a bo.im, con-
stru.ted in on angularform A, with 'the polut out-
wards, to be moored with a number of grupplii)gs
and anchors: 11, however, it should still be be-
hoved possible that these obstructions may be re-
moved, and a fleet pass through the passage
tended to be lei: ,open, it is proposed.; that at the
distance of two hundred yar,!.: to the Southward
from the line-of obitruetion ,
and the reef before men-
-tioned, four or five.utecks be sunk, commencing
irnm 'the lit bovdefs the west side or the
r.hatincl, to. extend into the channel two li.indred.
yards, Ea as to be parallel to ;he last block of the
range extending from Red fioolF, and to connect