Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-12-30

1 D. Abbott the Secretary Of the society, l4s
/ Nassu street, New u rk. 81 tss, ssssS assE
ALBANY Argus.
OLD POINT coMFoRT..s aif sa
Daylight found US near Old Point. Thisis
a spot celebrated as a bathing place, but still
more for its extensive Notifications. Fortress
Monroe is an immense work, enclosing some
tsixty acres Of land, and presenting circuit
1 ofwall more than a mile in extent. tits built
of stone, all brought from distance; is laid
tout ON the principles Of modern science; andis
said to be larger than any fortifcaiion in Eu-
rope, which does not enclose a. town or city.
it's surrounded by wide and deep fosse, fill
ed at all times with water. II will smountsa-
bout 400 guns. In the area are officers 'h0us.
les, long ranges Of barracks, store houses; sc.
and in one quarter, extensive workshops, be-
longing to the ordnance department.. Tho
works are finished, we believe, except the pa
Irapet, but only a small number of cannon are
mounted In time OF war, not less lhamoight
Thousand men viii DO required TO garrison H.,
We saw no soldiers, the garrison being atpre-
sent in Florida. About five hundred raw re-
lcruits were collected there, and great exeTtions
were used to bring them into state of discip-
line as speedily as possible. They werc rough
land we could scarcely credit the assurancesof
o!fcers that, in three or four months, the erect
Iport, measured tread. and martial bearing Of
tho soldier could be, by the most indeiatigablo
drilling, induced npon such men. So long as
voluntary enlistment is relied upon, and the
demand for labor continues, our army can me-
yer be supplied with materials Of q bcltcrde-
Iscription. ..a -ssss5s
In digging the foundations of the fort, ws
; learn that the remains Of brick. forti6catioh
: were discovered; entirely submerged by the
sand. 1t was regular work according 10 the
old system. The date Of its erection was. it
is presumed, long anterior to the revolution
: possibly in the early days Of the colony. We
are told, however, that no alluson to any such
: fort is found in our early histories, or in the
public archieyes. Our antiquaries should look
I to this. .. M VI. u.
= RIP RApS. ,.,t sssss tsa2
y The works on Old Poin, do rot comprehend
: all the defences Of Hampton Roads. On tho
: opposite side Of the channel, and at distance
:, of nineteen hundred yards, are tho Rip, Rapp
J ---an artificial island, created at an immense
= expense---u which a work of the most Tor
{ |midable character is now in progress. The
: creation Of this island was begun nearly twen-
y ty years ago, under the auspices Of Mr. Cal
: lioun, then Secretary at War, whose name She
le work will bear. Ii will be recollected as Tho
" theme Of party reproach Of that day. Inc idss
q of making an island Of such extent, IN watel
g Of considerable depth, was bold one, and ~
lreauired the expanding of many hundrod11Ol
n thousands Of dollars to realize it. Il has be-
~ accomplished, however. Some years ago It'd
IL Notifications were commenced, but aitef the
OF walls were raised to the height Of five or 1ij
feet, they sunk to the waters edge, IN consS
auencc Of the settling Of the stone fortningflja
isIand---or possibly Of portion Of tho founda
" tion.--.he bottom being, in one place, unf0sta
Il. nately, an inclined plane. The binding ~
f. Ithe, suspended, and for long time skeyhsv,
)been depositing stone upon the islandssto sub
object it to as great pressure as 1t will beH6ll
r. ed to bear. In this way, upwards 0faixty
thousand tons Of dressed granite --snose sthal
+ epouch to erect the fortress---have beenc0lleGf
ID ed; and, it being ascertaincd that the subSl
" dence has ceased, the building Of the fort ha
&, been resumed, under the direction Of Csptai
70 Eljason, Of the Engineers, who has betsee
.e two aud three hundred men employed onth
island, which presents a singular scans Of u
y ltiyity and bustle Tho work viii bos ysrye "a
IS tensive; technically speaking, il will be CASI
MATED LuNETrE---two long paraleilogra1n1
'. Joined at an obtuse angle, with the cornsr
I'd tout0cu. ~ VIII I'be1cu' loutsscI~ ~ SoA::s.N
q is intended 10 mount about three hundred pa
ces Of the heaviest kind. VI sess ssa
These two works will most eifectnaliy Pro.
ttect Hampton Roads. Its calcniaied ~
400 guns can be made to bear npon Z. neet -.
tempting 10 pass. Win good winds lwoo lls
be exposed 70 the ireofall those ,.lease.wsa.
u-lty minutes, within point blank dlstances-ss
ID ordeal which, it il needless to say, nc
t-1conld sustain. New theories are mem ~ -
Latter days, and among these is that o. ne e.
te lessness Of Notifications. but we are not 9.
usna ina o and equipment Of hssa
ID ID magniiicent works, which will give sccurity
4 10 James River, our largest naval depot md
III The fines, roads:ead in the woridss @sss ~
=. - =, ~ 1. rs s7 fredericksburg ArenAsas
"a DuEL..--We have heard that am affair bfkthi
character, which, has been for some Sine inusi
- = II. Ac( -.1