Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-08-15
F%om fAe Ha,a ngtoa Giote.

mel which leads in from the Cspts OF Virginia To
Hampton Roads, is, at Old Point Comfort reduced
TO very narrow line. The shoal water, which,
under the action Of the tea, and Reacted upor by
the bar, is kept 10 unrcmitdng trple, has given
the name of Rip Rsps 10 this place. When the bar
is passed, Hampton Roads, which extend to Nor
folk, abou. l6 niles distant, into which James RI
yer, Elizabeth River and Nansernond Mouth emp
ty afford the The finest anchorage in the worl , and
in them all It's paycs might riJo with perfect safe
". With a view Of making this secure retreat
for ships Of war and for our commerce ia any fn-
ture contest with naval power, Fort Monroe was
built the point, on the right side Of the channel,
at the entrance OF the Roads-aud the castle OF The
RIP Raps is directly opposite this point al the dis
lance ct about 1900 yards. The two forts Will com
plctely command The channel and 1t will be impos
able for single ship of wnr to pass without the
permission Of the power holding the iortresses
They are so constructed, as to present immense
batteries Of cannon upon approaching ship,
from, the moment sho comes in reach, from the
Capcs, and throughout all the bcndlngs Of the chm
nal il mus, still be under the power of the cannon
for the forts present new aspect at every turn an
in all probability the nterdlctcd ship would be
wreck, or a con1agratlon from the hot shot thrown
into her. before she completed half the circuit of the
channel
There is much sslutary experience, bought how
ever dearly in the lessons Of The late war. These
waters were then the resort Of the Brush fleets and
while oil American vessels were either driven
from their own hnrboty, captured the enemy
made hinscifat home here-sent deachmens TO
Baltimore and Washington the shores
Of the Chesapcakc-burnt our Capitol and Navy
Yards, and laid The whole county under contrbu-
ton The erection Of the two Forts al this central
point of our scebonrJ, gives refuge 10 our naval
force, If driven IN by superior numbers and will,
in effect, not only oecude Hampton Roads TO The
enemy ans shut him out from james RIVER and
Norfolk, our naval depot, bat must deter INN esei
venturlng up the Chesapeake Bay. lfsuch ana
temp, were made, the FIRST calm would put the most
powerful fleet of an enemy completely ut the mer-
cy Of few s,enmfrigotcs or steam battefl cs which
by means Of their scli-moving power, would be en-
abled 10 take such position rs suited them and to
set FIRE TO the ships of Tho enemy with hot shoi, or
cut them sf IN detail The shelter of these forls,
too would enable few ships lying IN security
under their guns to sally out and Ike advantage
OF any storm which might separate blockadng
force, exposed to the accidents of an open sea
These circumstances give great importance to
the works which ore 10 form the & ties at Hampton
Roa1s-and as consequence, IN great degree TO
the whoe Chesapeake Bay. Fort Monroe Is nj
ready finished, and is a, this moment IN admirA-
bic condition., II ',s armament were completed
The RIP Raps, where the President has fixed
his quarters, ior the benefit of the sea ar and bath
ing, Will trust before long become noble st,uc-
ture. Whea finished, il will be u n onument wor-
thy ofthe people who have laysEed their means IN
It's erection, and of he genus OF the Engineers by
whom IT planhed, The area of the structure,
as originally stuked Off inclnd five acres great
part of WHICH % feet Glow the surface OF The
sea, and that nearest the surface Is feet 10 get
foundation sbove water for the Fort or Castle, III
Island has been raised, by throw ng roobs l'to the
water, until BY gradual accumulation, II has enirr-
led above the It'd s. The rock of which this Is
land is formed has been brought lton great dstan-
ces. AID al a vast expense.
After foundation was obtained for the Cas-
lie above high water the bnlding OF the castle was
Ieguu and carried up SO as 10 form the hrs emhra-
spres II was found that the setting OF the slth-
cal nonni OF stone cracked the walls. The bull
dag was, therefore, discontinued Tut immense
masses OF granite have since been brought and oj
ged upon the lines Of the work that the weight ef
the material, designed for is iaal completion,
might be employed IN coasodatt NJ lis foundations
For some yeas thi9 marine pyramid sunk be
tween SIX and elg.a inches du,ug The las year,
alhou4h pressed with the weight of all the taaterl
al gathered fsr the supersructurc, 4 settled about
three inches. Il is the Presidents opinion that the
erection oftbc Castle may now proceed with safety,
and Il is probable that he VII direct It's smtdaIe
completion.
The present aspcc. of the place is rough and sa-
wage, ADD when the surge rushes in among the hol-
lew piles Of granite, and the wind whistles among
the naked spars, which planted round the
walls for The support Of the scaifoding, the music
OF the surrounding elements of and air, Is
quite IN keeping with the dreary, desolate spot
which, al a distance, looks like Gibraltar beat
en- down by cannonade, and fallen PROSTATE in the
see.
Nothing could add more to the grandeur Of what
hay been jus ly call ID the american Meduo7raneIn.
than the elevation of the Castle al the Ri Raps-
the rising Of this giant of the food from the waves
3 as contemplated by Commodore Warrington, Com
b,modore Elliot, General Armistead, General Ber-
/ rard, General Swift and Major Mckee, the Com
mssoners s. Engineers, in whose design the work
originated The ancients tell US that Venus rose
from the but il would seem, much filter element
to give birth to the god Of War; and never was
there nobler scene, noblcr temple, than that APP
TropIia,ed for his cradle, by The American people
at the Rip Raps. He will appear here, not like
the goddess Of Love, borne in shell upon sun
mer's sea, but upon tower OF strength amidst the
noise Of restless surges,- fit emblem OF the Anne
ycan people, whose martial strength belongs alike
70 the land and to the ocean.
II isa circumstance, worth notice, that the mate
rial for the structure Of the Castle ofhe Rip Reps is
drawn from most of tn. commercial States OF the
Union. In walking over the piles with the Superin-
tendcnt. day or two since, he pointed out to me
the .drsb grey granite o: Mane--the wht'sh blue
and the black speckIed granite Of Conncctcut-thc
red fiecstone of the same Statc--the sky blue gra-
mite from near West point, New Yolk-the iron
stone for break waters, from the same Sate-ihe
pied granite Of tie Susquehanna--,hs deep blue OF