Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-11-09
FRENCH NAVAL STATION AT cHERBouRG.

i FRENCH NAVAL STATION AT cHERBoURG.
| An observant, though probably too sensitive En-.
glshman, who recently visited Cherbourg to wit.
ness the grand review Of the French fleet by the
President of the Republic, furnishes the following
graphic account of the extensive naval establishment
at that place. He writes from Cherbourg under
date of 10Th September last:
In leaving this port, deserted BY nearly every English
flag, may be pardoned make few remarks ON ,he place
itself and the fleet which been assembled here 40 long
With the exception of wandering yachlmen and few nquisi
tive naval ocesor the service possesses some officers who
look the of France sometimes and do not forever re.
gard the shores Of India and Amercathere are not
Engshmen who know that within siatysix miles of Ports
mouth there is French port in which the most extensive
works have been for years carried on till nature has given
the of skill and infinite art and the sea and
land alike overcome have yielded our ancient foe one great
naval entepo placed in direct line with greatest dock
yards, fortified at cost till it is impregnabe to
every thing but desperate daring and lucky hardhood in
creasng day after day in ce and power accessible from
point OF the compass and at all Of the tide to
friendly feet capable Of crushing beneath almost irres
BILE fire the most formidable of hostile armamensn one
word the eye watch and the strike the ancient
enemy" There is geographical necessity for such port
oppos to coast. The commerce of France does not
man but not Bres, Rocheoit Touon is nov, so
much regarded looked upon of such Importance Our
neighbors well remark that they justified protect
ing place which has already felt the force of arms and
that they bound protect Cherboug from such conn
gency that which occurred in the last century, when Ad
mral Bgh laid il in ruins but Admiral Bligh would not
have attacked Cherboug had not been menacng warke
station and talk they mays there be doubt that
the whole of these immense works prepared for with
England, and with England alone. When say this, of
do say that France will take any unjust
advantage of her position but ought shut eyes
TO the fact that such place within eight hours
saA OF England and that French feet leaving in the
ng with leading wind could be of Portsmouth morn
ing and could lombard any of towns the southern
coast o
Cherbourg is, them port" and not only that, but
is English warpor, and the first event of hostile
character which takes place. any unhappy disturbance Of
our friendly relations with the republic should occur will in
all probability be connected with that important and
mauding station It lies of bay into which strong
ard deway formerly from Cape La Hogue, to
neutraze the advantage that coast Of deep and
excellent mornings To raise the character of safe
harbor has been the effort of many French kings
since the days of Louis XIV and many ingenious engineers
have propounded plans for the successful construction of
great breakwater the bay Year after year this break
water has up piled by the ceaseess abors of thou
sands of men, from the very bosom of the otentmes
the gale Of night would break up and destroy the work of
many months scattering great rocks like sand and drowning
whole troops of soldiers and workmen. At last Napoleon
visited the place, and took in glance the importance Of
its position regarded his unreenng foe. With his usual
Titanic energy he hurried the works till speedily they
in ponderous above the waters but with the imbece
Government that succeeded him they allowed stand
still and to Louis Philippe belongs the credit of having
advanced to state bordering completion this
undertaking. 1t is far greater than the Plymouth breakwaer
being about two and three quarter miles long, nearly
halt again broad and onehrd again deep that noble
structure. At either end will be placed heavy fors towards
the erection Of which progress has been made and in
the is large battery with lighthouse which is nearly
of its guns
mounted and in the embrssures. This beakwater called
the Dgue, is about two miles from the interior harbor In
side and out there deep water and the passages leading
by either extremity capable Of being used by the largest
of-war all times of tide. Commanding of these
is the Fort Homet, placed projection of the
shore, and mounting less than ninety heavy guns,
mated On island placed the other entrance the
Fort La Peee which also mounts ninety heavy the
fire of of which the fire Of the guns of Homet
right angles the roads At another point commanding
the entrance is another -Querqueve which sweep
the roads with the fire Of forty 32-pound shell guns As if
all this not enough the arsenal walls casemated and
mounted with cannon, and every height the town is
commanded by fort, while the walls present all the
features of regular forcaon and pentuy provided
with cannon and casemated edoubts In fact attack BY
open day such place would be madness These bate
could blow fleet out whitewater and, even the forts
were carried by updeman-a thing in itself almost to
be despaed ohe vctors would be molesed their dearly
defence by shells from the heights above Should this
great arsenal be attacked success must be final and
speedy, awful lesson will be taught the asaians As
the French themselves say it will be very easy to get into
Cherboug, but in the roads, if enemy, there are
terrible chances against your getting out.
The itself offers nothing remarkable the works which
defend not yet finished but appear to be in couse of
completion Inside the piers 10 the west the arsenal
works The dockyards do offer any very remarkable pic
Of activity who has great establishments
at Woowch and Portsmouth, and struck there
want Of power which told against the apdity of the
turnng cuttng and msst-making operations The yard is
entirely surrounded by strong wall The most striking
works the great basins inside carved out Of the solid rock
hrywo feet deep at bU cate, and capable Of containing
twenty sail of the line alongside third, Of greater dimcn
sons is formng that Chebourg will contain basins able
take in than thirty first class vessels with perfect
ease There six building Slips which thus occu-
pied Nos and by the Canada and the Internal, first
class No. by the Austerz, l00 No. by the
Resoue 40 No. by the Tlsit, 80 No. g. empty. When
visited the yard there works in progress, but
rally there is difficulty in respectable stranger obtaining
admission, the time of work. application to the author
ties. They do build their seam-engines here indeed,
the French steamers provided with seamengnes
from Holland, but all other naval works carried to
great extent at Cherbourg.
And now one word the feet believe only echo
the opinions of all the naval officers present when say that
France sent finer armament the waters. Every
improvement of which ships capable has been tried with
them, and to such points and very excellent
stops the cables has the mnusss attention been paid
The officers all excellent theorists quick and intelligent
men, aud full Of mathematics; the for the part
young, with of weight and eabeef" abou, them, but
smart active, and snewy. some OF them conscrpts,
but tha, does hinder their being jealous and obedent