The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17, 1861.

THE FORLIFICATIONS AT PORTLAND•

WEYMOUTH, SEPT. 16.

The breakwater at Portland, though a most im-.
pcirtant national work, is far from being the only
one which is progressing there. The fortifications
on land equal in magnitude the works at sea, while
both show the importance which will in future be
aqached to this harbour as a great naval station
and depot. It is almost unnecessary to say that
these great lines of fortifications are not intended
for the protection of the breakwater. A break-
water once made protects itself, Such a work is, in
fact, indestructible by either friend or foe, and
whatever ruins the celebrated New Zealander may
stand upon to complete his sketches they assuredly
will not be the rains of breakwaters, which will
even then be in as good repair as if they expected
the honour of the visit, Neither, it is to be pre-
sumed, are the. great works now in progress in-
tended to protect the squadrons of men-of-war in
the harbour, which will be perfectly well able to
take care of themselves. There is, in fact, nothing
positively or publicly known yet as to the object
with which the fortifications are being built ; but,
from the extent of the works and the positions they
command, there is only one inferenCe to be drawn
from their erection, and that is that they are meant
to protect the dockyard that will in course of time
be formed at Portland. The greatest, strongestva_nd
most of the forts is that now construct
ing on the Verne—a height which, like La Roche,
at Cherbourg, dominates all around it for miles.
This is to be the citadel. The Verne, as it is called,
is a position of such great natural strength, espe-
cially on the side that overlooks the breakwater
and sea, that a few guns of position in earthworks
on its rugged heights would be ample protection
for the harbour against anything that fleets could
do. But such improvised defences would be wholly
exposed in their rear, and at the mercy of any
small body of men who could effect a landing on the
south of the island. Wnen, therefore, the fortifica-
tions at Portland were decided on it was deter-
mined to make the Verne the key of the position,
and to c mstruct a fort as nearly approaching to
impregnable as ditches, walls, earthworks, and guns
could ever make it. The Verne is at the extreme
northern end of the island of Portland, and over-
looking the harbour and breakwater. It is a trian-
gular-shaped piece of ground of little over 40 acres
in extent, on the summit of three or four very steep
rounded hills, which rise to a height of some 500
feet above the level of the sea. These hills, though
steep, are by no means inaccessible, except on the
north side, where for a length of rather less than
one-third of the circumference of the Verne, they
are almost perpendicular, so that defences on that
side are not needed. From the south-east and south
are the only directions from which it would be even
possible for a regular besieging army to make any
approaches. But the nature of the ground here is
so rugged and difficult—so broken up by quarries,
and strewn with rough, loose stone and irregular
gaps, that it is taking an almost extreme view of the
case to say the fortress is even assailable on these
points. An attack, however, if made by a regular
besieging army, could have but one result, for natu-
rally in these directions the strength of the fortress
is concentrated, and the guns over the casemated
barracks rise to a height which commands every
knoll and mound far and near.

One of the great defences of the Verne is the dry
ditch, which completely encircles the whole work,
except on the north side we have mentioned, where
the scarped cliff renders it both impossible and un-
necessary. The ditch is one of the greatest works of
the kind ever undertaken round any ancient or mo-
dern fortification. Its floor continues round the
works at an elevation of 368 feet above the level of
the seowitt4,leitfgh is rather over three-quartercaf a
mile; its depth is 80 feet,'and its width 100. Up-
wards of 1,500,000 tons of stone had to be blasted
away to form it. In some parts, as at the angles
of the fortress, its width is nearly 200 feet, and
where there is a rise in the surface of the
ground above there is sometimes a sheer perpendi-
cular depth from the terreplein of the batteries to
the floor of the ditch of more than 130 feet. It is
perhaps needless to say that such a colossal force
as this is almost unnecessary, and would not have
been carried out, but that the stone excavated in
its formation was wanted for the breakwater. A dry,
perpendicular ditch of 40 feet deep, by 50 feet wide,
would have been of unusual dimensions, and more
than sufficient to protect the Verne from assault.
But the Government wanted cheap stone for the
breakwater, and, as that from the ditch round the
Verne was already paid for, they naturally took as
much as they could get, and in so doing made the
fosse of the gigantic proportions we have stated.
No good idea can be got of this enormous excava-
tion till the visitor descends to the floor of the
ditch, and so traverses the length of this grim arti-
ficial ravine. The sections of the geological strata
which form the singular. Island of Portland are
shown on the smooth rocky walls of the ditch with
beautiful distinctness, and what is also most curious
is that afregular intervals of 25 or 30 yards, and
commencing about 20 feet below the surface, are a
series of vertical " faults" or gaps, about two feet
wide, which, as far as can be judged, traverse the
whole substrata of the island from north to south.
All these in the sides of the ditch are to be filled up
with solid masonry. In them have been found a
number of the bones and horns of the reindeer so
beautifully preserved that it is difficult to believe
they can be more than 50 years old. Here, also,
were found some of the ancient British flint-heads
for arrows, and an ancient British gold coin in as
fine a state of preservation, and with its figures in
as high relief as on the day when it was struck.
The ditch, as we have said, commences on the east
sea face of the works over the harbour, and con-
tinues round them to the cliff, where it ends,
having on its outer edge there only a descent of
about 30 feet perpendicular. But at this end the
ground is almost too steep outside to allow access
to it. There are two angles of the works from
which the garrison can enfilade the whole of this
fosse with grape and musketry, and on these are
built, jutting out from the main fort, two bits-
, tionettes, the troops in which can sweep it with their
fire at all points. With such a tremendous artificial
ravine for the assailants to cross, the aid of a
• very few guns would suffice to make the Verne im-
pregnable; yet it is intended to carry no less than
150 pieces of the heaviest ordnance on its walls and

curtains. It is quite unnecessary to say, even if it
were judicious, where there are to be Armstron gs,
where mortars, where cupolas for filling the shells
with molten iron, where furnaces for making red-
hot shot. It is sufficient to state that in these mat-
ters the armament will be all that the skill and
science of modern gunnery can make it. The Ord-
nance branch of the War-office will look after this
matter, and than this, department there is none
which comes so near to giving the public 20s. in
return for their pound.

Inside the Verne casemated barracks are being
built, which if needed can accommodate a garrison
of 3,000 men—the number required to defend the
thein
ditch,
event ofand a regular
great
siege.part
fThese w
obrakrs-
ra worksoks
likethe
on the Verne, are the result of convict labour. One '
range of barracks has been built by regular free
masons and bricklayers, but there is not the faintest
difference discernible in the quality of their work
and that of the convicts. The same, or even more,
may be said of the carpenters' work. The casemated
barracks are beautifully built. There is nothing
more difficult in these domestic fortresses, if we may
so call them, than to keep them free from damp, and
give a proper allowance of light and air without
interfering with the security of the inmates. These
almost irreconcilable conditions have been admir-
ably fulfilled at the Verne. The wide skylights over
ample light, a raised floor secures
theth e
soldiersdoors g
give
eainst damp, while a corridor, running
the whole length of the back of the casemates, and

communicating by broad pipes with the fosse out-
side, not only gives ventilation, but a very consi-
derable draught, when the wind blows, as it is
always blowing, over the heights of the Verne.
The roofs of these barracks are, of course, bomb •
proof. They are . made of add brick arches nearly
four feet thick„ over whichs again, is a layer of
concrete and asphalt 'two feet thick, and over
all eight feet thick of solid titade earth. Apart
from the two ranges of barracks is an bospi'sal simi-
larly built, and protected' with detached storehouses
which are also shot and shell proof. There are five
expense magazines, each to contain 100 barrels of
powder, with one reserve store that will hold about
3,000 barrels, enough, in all, for incessant firing
from all the guns for three or four months. All these
are protected, in addition to their massive walls of
solid masonry, with an outer covering of earth 18
feet in thickness. On the south-east face of the
works there is a double flank—an upper and lower
—which sweep down the valley leading to the little
village of Fortune's Well. It was at one time
thought possible that the fortress might be shelled
with comparative impunity by a mortar-vessel in
the inlet in which this valley ends. The precautions
therefore taken against this eventuality are on much
the same scale as is shown in the' size of the dry
ditch ; and on this face of the fortress there are to
be no less than three tiers of heavy guns, the lower
,a regular casemateci - granite battery, faced with
earth ; the two upper tiers mounted at embrasures
on dwarf traversing platforms. All the stonework
of these defences is to be faced with earth of the
same thickness as if they were ordinary earthworks.
The Verne has no water supply of its own within
the ditch of the fortress. All attempts to procure the
supply by boring have been vain. Tanks are
therefore formed for the collection of rainwater be-
neath the casemates, and, in addition to these,
three reserve tanks have been sunk in the rock, 80
feet long by 56 feet wide. Bsick arches and a
thick covering of earth close these in completely.
Each of them holds a three months supply of water
for the garrison, at the rate of two gallons per man
a day. These tanks are to be kept, like the re-
serve magazines, always full, but never used till
the emergency of a State siege arises. The
ordinary daily supply is drawn from Chene, a
little village about three miles from the Verne,
where there is an ample supply, which is pumped
by a 30-horse power engine, through underground
pipes, into the fort. This engine-house is only
vulnerable to a stray shot from the sea, so bomb•
proof walls and roof are covering it in on all sides.
By this engine, in case of a siege being imminent,
not only the reserve tanks on the Verne could be
filled to their utmost, but all the rain-water tanks
as well. This would give a year's supply to the
garrison, exclusive of the rainwater which would
fall during that time. Beneath the north-east face
of the fort, and under the scarped cliff overlooking
the harbour, are a line of works called the East
Weir Batteries. These, on a small scale, very much
resemble the chain of earthworks which were thrown
up on the heights of Balaklava. They are cut in
the steep slope of the hills towards the water, at
elevations varying from 50 to 150 feet above the sea.
There are to be eight of these batteries in all, and
of this number five are already completed and armed.
They are earthworks of the most solid description,
with ditches in front, and the usual expense and
reserve magazines, and bomb-proof places to pro-
tect the men against the effects of a vertical fire.
The rear of each work is left open, for they rest
almost on the steep precipitous heights of the
Verne above, the garrison of which could Effectually
protect them by volleys of musketry against any
attempt to take them by a coup de main. Each of
these batteries will mount from 6 to 12 guns or
mortars of the largest kind, about 60 in all ; and
quiet, and inoffenpjx9as Feat green lines of
parapet and glacis appear frOln the water, looking
at first as if it was intended to lay out the heights
of the Verne in terrace gardens, these massive bat-
teries of the East Weir would be quite as formid-
able to ships attempting to enter the harbour as the
great works of the Verne itself. From their varied
elevation every part of the harbour both within
and without the breakwater is under their com-
mand, and, like the Verne, they can cover with
their fire the circular fort on the north end, from
which in a straight line they are only about one
mile distant—very little more than point-blank
range for a long Armstrong. These batteries may
be considered as among the outworks of the
Verne, of which there are to be many. Thus
a regular glacis will be thrown up all round
the outer edge of the Verne ditch, and beyond this
on the south, south-east, and south-west faces will
be five smaller batteries sweeping the various ap-
proaches up to the north end of the island. These,
of course, would after a time have to be abandoned
before a regular besieging army, but, though given
up, they would be worthless to the assailants, as half
the guns of the Verne citadel will look down into
them. The two main outworks will be at Easton
and Weston on either side of the island, and distant
about a mile from the citadel. These will be very
strong works mounting about 30 or more guns each,
and the positions chosen for them are so strong and
so commanding that their reduction by a regular
siege would be necessary before anything could be
attempted against the Verne itself. These outworks,
however, are not yet begun, and it will be two years
before even the Verne itself is completed. Five of
the East Wier batteries are finished, and have their
guns in, though not mounted, and their shot and
shell in store. They only want powder to be ready
for instant action, and this necessary could be given
to them from the guardship Colossus in a single hour,
if wanted.
These are the main features connected with the
progressing or intended defences on the island of
Portland. Like all other strong places, however,
these works have their weak points, about which
we need not have the smallest hesitation in speak-
ing, for the danger is now seen, and will be effectu-
ally guarded against. It is no less than this—that an
enemy's mortar-boat, keeping to the true northern
extremity of Chesil-bank, could throw shells over it
into the harbour and docks (when built) with compa-
rative impunity. It is true that some of the guns
of the Verne command the sea face along this bank,
but Sir William Armstrong himself would shake his
head if he was told his guns were to engage at up-
wards of three miles with a small gunboat always
on the move, and shifting its range. This trifling
deficiency in the defences has, however, been fore-
seen, and a remedy will be applied which will make
any enemy's vessel give Chesil-bank a very wide
offing indeed. The northern extremity of Portland
Roads is bounded by a high ridge or spit of land
called the Nothe, which, running out into the sea
for some half mile or more, separates Portland pro-
per from the beautiful bay of Weymouth. On the
sea extremity of this Nothe a very powerful fort is
being erected. Its armament is not yet decided on,
but it will be both numerous and heavy, probably
carrying in all not less than 60 guns and mortars.
This headland is now being faced with stone of im-
mense thickness to a height of 50 feet above the
water. In many parts there will be double tiers of
ordnance, though none will be placed in casemate
batteries. Here, as at the Verne, all store-houses,
hospitals, and buildings for the garrison will be
bombproof. This work is distant about two miles
and three-quarters from the East Weir batteries,
three miles from the heights of the Verne, and about
a mile and a half from the circular fort on the north
end of the breakwater--all distances well within
range of the long Armstrongs. On any hostile
squadron or fleet bold or unlucky enough to enter
the harbour all the works could concentrate a fire
of upwards of 200 guns of the heaviest description,
and all so elevated as to be practically out of reach
of the guns of a fleet. It was at one time suggested
to form a breakwater island about a mile from the
north fort to be built on the extremity of the pre-
sent breakwater, and on this island to erect another
circular granite fort of three tiers of guns, like that

to be built at Spithead. This idea, howerver, , has
very wisely been abandoned. Apart from its stupen-
dous expense (it would cost nothing short of a mil-
lion), it would as a defensive work be utterly super-
fluous and unnecessary. When the present and
intended works are all carried out, Portland and
Weymouth will be as strong in their way as Gibral-
tar, and additional towers of this expensiv e kind
would be as truly works of supererogation as if it
was proposed to cover Gibraltar itself with. 4-inch
plates of iron. What has and will be done is not only
enough to render Portland harbour secure, but abso-
lutely invulnerable from sea and land. The inhabi-
tants of Weymouth might now sleep secure, even
if Cherbourg was only seven miles distant from
them instead of 70.

.PORTLAND BREAKWATER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—ln the notice of these works contained in
The Times of to-day it is stated that the progress
has been mainly owing to my system of laying out
the works. As this remark may be considered to
apply to the principle of construction by means of a
timber stage I will ask you to allow me space to
say that this method of construction originated with
the late Mr. Ren del.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,
JOHN COODE.
Engineer's-office, Portland, Sept. 14.

THE NeIVI.

Valetta, Sept. 9.—Her Majesty's gunboat Assur-
ance, 4, Lieut. Luard aommanding (Cora. Aynsley
being again in hospital from a severe attack of
rheumatism), took her departure on the night of
the 7th inst., after the arrival of the overland mail
from Marseilles, with despatches for Vice-Admiral
Sir W. F. Martin, K.C.8., and a mail for the fleet
at Naples. She took up as passengers Captain
Dudgeon and Captain Vesey, both of the 22d Regi-
ment, stationed at this garrison. The sloop Scourge,
6, Capt. W. J. Jones, having on board Lieut.-Gen.
Sir W. Codrington, K.C.8., and staff, left port the
following day for Gibraltar, and is to touch at Algiers
and several of the Spanish portsin the Mediterranean.
Her Majesty's gunboat Surprise, 4 guns, Com.
W. W. Whyte, arrived on the Bth inst., under sail
from Plymouth 24 days, and Gibraltar, 12. This
vessel and the Wanderer, which had started from
England and put back, are to relieve the Mohawk
and Assurance, of the same class. On the same
day arrived the French transport Sevre, Capt. Oli-
vier, from Alexandria, with 178 seamen on board, for
Toulon. She left the same night. Her Majesty's
ships in port are the receiving ship Hibernia (flag
of Rear-Admiral H. J. Codrington, C. 8.) ; San s-
pareil, 70; Melpomene, 51; Medina, 4; Mohawk,
4; Surprise, 4; and tug Hearty. The Rangoon/
having on board a section of the Malta and Alexan-
dria telegraphic cable, is still in port, the _Malacca
with the other section not having yet made her ap-
pearance. The cable is undergoing daily tests.
The screw steamer Renown, 89, Capt. Arthur
Forbes, was placed alongside the dockyard at Devon-
port yesterday morning to be dismantled. Her crew
will be paid off shortly.
The sailing yachts, tenders to the guardships in
Plymouth and the other ports, are ordered to be put
out of commission, where necessary steamers will
be substituted.

The screw steam gunvesgel Arrow was removed
yesterday from her moorings in Hamoaze, and
placed in No. 4 dock at Devonport, to have her
copper stripped off preparatory to her being sold
out of the service.

The Supply screw storeship, Master Commander
Balliston, sailed from St. Helen's Roads, where she
had previously put in from the Channel for shelter
from rough weather, at 8 a,m. yesterday with stores,
&0., from the Mediterranean.

The Juno, 26, sailing frigate, at Portsmouth, has
been purchased by the authorities at Scotland-yard
from the Admiralty, and will be fitted for the recep-

tion of the " water police" in Portsmouth harbour.
Their present quarters, the Champion, sailing sloop,
built in Portsmouth in 1824, from designs by Capt.
Hayes, R.N., will be handed over to the dockyard
authorities, and broken up in dock.

The fitting of Jones's target at Portsmouth for
renewed trials with the Armstrong gun has been
completed, its face now occupying a vertical posi-
tion, and its bed being placed at an angle from the
deck of the Griper, supported by stout timber props
which are in turn strengthened by a number of
massive iron knees, to enable it to withstand in its
new position the hammering to which it will be
subjected from the Armstrong 100-pounder. The
trial, it is expected, will take place in the presence
of the Iron-plate Committee.
The following, out of 29 candidates, have passed
their examination on board H.M.S. Victory, at
Portsmouth, as assist.-clerks :—J. Bowles, W. A.
Kilmer, B. H. E. Drayson, F. A. Smith, P. J.
Mould, E. B. D. Iffanger, H. Aylen, F. Robert, J.
Tatlock, and W. W. Gibbard.

The following appointments were made yester-
terday at the Admiralty :—T.Pounds, master, to the
Medea ; H. P. Pardon, midshipman, to the Aboukir ;
J. Wotton, paymaster, to the Medea; Alfred Boys
assist.-paymaster, to the Victory ; and W. H. E.
Mitchell, assist.-paymaster, to the Medea.