American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-11
From the National Intclligencer.l
FORT ON SOLLERS' POINT FLATS.
BALTIMORE HARBoR

BAbliM taKBOf'
MEssRs. GALrs & SEAT0v: As member Of
the committee deputed by the City Council of
Baltimore to present memorial to Congress,
asking an appropriation for the commencement
Of the erection of Fort on Sellers Point Flats,
avail myself of the opportunity afforded by
your kind offer of a portion of your columns to
present to the members of the National Legs-
Iatufe some views in connection with the loca-
ton and importance ofthc work. | am induced
TO adopt this mode of imparting information by
the consideration that it has been impracticable
for the committee to communicate, individual
", with all the members of Congress in cxpla-
nation Of the merits OF the claim.
The distance from Sellers Point to Balti-
more, by the course of the channel of the Pa
tapsco, is about seven miles; to North Point,
five miles. From Sellers Point to Hawkins
Point, on the opposite shore, the distance is one
mile and half. The width of the channel be-
tween these two points is three-eighths of Il
mile; and the distance from Sellers Point to
the hard spot in the fats, on which the Topo-
graphical Engineers have recommended that
the fort shall be erected, is eighteen hundred
yards.
The depth of the channel opposite TO Sellers
Point at mid-tide is twenty five feet. The
smallest channel-depth from the point to Bal
timore is nineteen feet; the greatest is thirty
feet. AT the time the first survey was made
in 1871, as appears from Capt. Brantz's map
ofthe Patapsco river, the depth of the water at
the point on the Flats where the Bureau Of En-
gineers propose to build the fort, was thirteen
feet But have been informed that since that
time the depth at mid-tide is only from eight
to ten feet, from the buoy as far up as two hun
bred yards towards Sellers Point-this dis
lance, including the proposed site for the forth
ticaton--and that the depth from the termna-
ton of the two hundred yards up to the point
which, in 1917, ranged between six and fifteen
feet, is not now moro than the half of that
depth.
have been thus minute in the statement of
details in order that might show how admira-
bly, this location is adapted for the construction
of fertilization which would give entire COM
mnnd of the navigation of the river; and that,
when this work shall have been completed, no
ship-ofwar could possibly pass up the river
without first destroying this fort. II members
of Congress will examine the map which the
Baltimore committee has left in the LOBBY of
the Hall Of Representatives. hung against the
partition behind the Speakers chair, they will
find confirmation ofthis statement, which has
been affirmed and reaf1irmed by the Bureau of
Engineers. And surely it will be denied by no
one that the erection of defensive works essen
tial for the protection Of the third city in the
Union, is subject having strong claims on the
attention of the National Legislature But this
work, for the erection of which Baltimore SO
earnestly asks an appropriation from Congress,
is not merely local in its character. II will be
readily perceived that if Baltimore were taken
by an army suddenly conveyed by fleet into
its harbor, Washington would be essentially de-
prived of the support she might expect other
wise to receive from her sister city; the enemy
might approach her almost before she was a.
ware of their having effected a landing on our
soil, and the public property might again be-
come the prey of that ruthless Vandalism which
once laid her Capitol in ashes.
In 1918 the Board of Engineers made care
full examination of the river Patapsco, and hav-
ing selected the point indicated for the erection
of fort, recommended an appropriation of $780,
900 for the commencement of the work. In
the annual report of 1889 the Chief Engineer
Of the United States Army again urgently re-
commended the commencement of this work
and says; "With Fort McTIenry as the only