The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-07-30
THE BREAK.wATER AT PLYMOUTH

r.
las our American Congress has Just made a
Il appropriation Tor the construction of a break
water at the mouth of the Delaware, our reac
ers may be interested in the following descrir
Ton OF a similar work in England
Christian Spectator
Extract Of G letter from an .fmerican yesidin
an England
Mt: NJ, having some business to tran
sact IN town, Miss E and myself wen
down to the Break-Water. The sea bein,
smoolh at v-~Iime, we were able to sail alon,
BY the side Of this prodIgous work of art. con
tempiaung 1t through its whole extent, an
70 ascend to the top by means of the step
wnlch conduct to it. The object of the Break
( wafer y to make safe harbor Of Plymouth
oou.q Tor ships of any size, where they ma,
run N ana lie at anchor secure from winds ant
storms 1t Is constructed about three mile
down the channel and extends half the distanc,
across the latter; or otherwise it is nearly on,
!nlle In length. 1t measures at the base twc
hundred and ten feet, and thirty feet at the sum
mt The depth varies, but it is in general thir
feet below. and ten above high water mark, s.
1.that the whole depth is forty feet The sIop,
outside or rather next to the sea, is more grad
ual than on the other. 1t was commenced BIZ
cropping blocks of stone, weighing generally
from one ton to two, into the water in the line
80 ssF4A~A ~ W d. TO leaving them
TO ind their proper place, and SO continuing the
process till the mass should appear above the
surface. The first stone was dropped in 1872
ana although many hands are employed upon
1t, 1t will not probably be completed before tae
year 1880. Two millions of tons of stone have
already been used. The work however, was
retarded in its progress by tremendous storm
IN the fall of 1924 which broke Up great part
OF the Top. It is almost incredible to witness
the ravages which the raging elements occasion
cd at that time. Immense masses of stone Of
tour or five tons weight were torn up from one
side and thrown upon the other. Indeed the
whole work seems to have been shaken to its
very foundations, and the part which still re-
mains unrepaired is perfect chaos. A large
number Of men were employed in replacing
these stones and covering the surface with
hewn blocks weighing from two to three tons.
1t interested me much to observe the manner in
which these blocks were transported from place
to place. They are brought from the quarries
IN vessels, which are moored at the side of the
Break Water. From the latter platform ex.
tends out in a line with the vessel, on which
platform railroad is constructed. The blocks
having staples and rings attached to them, are
hoisted upon the platform by means of large
cranes They are then conveyed on wheels
over the railroads to any part of the work.
Va S4i Viz SbupCiluOUS ldUDT5 WHICH nave DGen
undertaken in modern times, this is one of the
greatest. At least have not seen or read of
any which think superior to it. The mind
can scarcely conceive any thing within the linz
its OF human power, moro daring or arduous
What mass Of physical siren 9Th, aided by me-
chanical contrivances, must be applied and
what sums Of money expended, in blasting,
hewlng, and Transporting so many hundreds Of
thousands of rocks The sight only of the
work, know, can convey an idea Gifts magni
tude ,apG Importance. | know not but the
W69dy1lnQ. our oyn AllaGhanv into
as the undertaking which is here described
Yet Englishmen have commenced and nearly
finished it, and the Break Water now rears its
sullen head above the sea and seems to bid de-
fance to every element. Ships of the largest
class may enter at either end and when within
its protection may reasonably be supposed to be
safe from tempests
HORRIBLE ADVENTURE. At the period
when Murat was about to Invade Sicily, the
Chevalier R, paymaster general of the
Neapolitan forces, was travelling through
Calabria for the purpose Of joining the ar
my, having been to Naples to make arrange
ments for the transmission Of quantity of
specie He had sent on his servant before
him, to prepare his quarters at the town
of -, expecting to arrive there by night
fall; but the day being very sultry, he had
loitered on the road and at nine o'clock in
the evening, found that he was still at a
considerable distance from the proposed
end of his journey. He was so much ha-
raised and fatigued that he determined to
put up for the night at the first convenient
house. He at length entered an old ro-
mantle building on the road side, Inhabited
by a man and his wife, the former stout
muscular figure with swarthy countenance
almost wholly shrouded in mass of bushy
whiskers and mustachios. The traveller
was received with civility and, after par
taking of hearty supper, was conducted
up crazy old staircase, to his apartment foI
the night. Not much fancying the appear
ance Of the place, and finding no lock on
his door, he fixed u chair against it; and
( after printing his pistols put them carefully
under his pillow. He had not been long in
bed before he heard noise below, and Of
persons entering the house and some time
afterwards was alarmed by the sound of a
mans footstep on the stair case. He then
more oivod q III lat through tho ornrioo of tho
| door, against which the man gently pressed
! for admittance, but finding some resistance
he thrust it open sufficiently to admit his
hand, and with extreme caution removed
the chair and entered the apartment The
Chevalier then saw his host, with lamp II
one hand and knife in the other, approach
ing the bed on tiptoe. The Chevalier cock
ed his pistols beneath the bed clothes, tina
the noise Of the spring might not be heard
When the man reached the side OF his be-
| he held the lirht TO the Chevalier's face
who pretended to be in profound sleep, bu
contrived nevertheless to steal an occasion
nj glance at his fearful host. The man 500
turned from him, and after hanging tn
lamp on the bed post, went to the other en-
of the room, and brought to the bed side
chair, on which he Immediately mounted