The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-05-20

CRoHsrADT.-A town. fortress. and port in the
government of st. Petersburg, from which city
it is Al vcrsts, or about 81 miles distant, it j.
built at the S. Z. extremity Of Kotlin, an island
in that part of the quit % Finland called the
bay ofCronstadt about 16 miles from the month
of the Ncva. on which river it situated st. Pc
tersburgh, the capital of the empire of Russia.
This island, bed of chalk, formerly called Re
tOuZar by the Flanders, is seven miles in length
and about one mile in breadth. At the entrance
of the harbor, on an island opposite the citadel.
lies the castle or fortress Kronchlott built by
Peter the Great.-This fortress and the molcs
bristlc with guns, and the harbor itself is ap-
proachable only by one channel. which is forti-
fed with a double line ofguns; these works cor
shutting Cronstadt "the Malta of the Baltic"
The passage between this place and Cronstadt
is 1000 PAGES in width. and has ample depth for
the largest vessels. Beside its importance
as the great naval station of the Russ; an
feet, CrOnstadt is the harbor of ST. Pc
tersburSh. All vessels proceeding to that port
are searched here, and their cargocs sealed
and such rs are too large for the shallow waters
of the upper Neva unload their cargoes at Cror-
stat. and transport them in smaller crafts The
channel is marked by stakes the whole way.
and vessels built at Pctcrsburgh are placed on
a camel or kind of raft, by which their draught
of water is lesscncd one-half and then foatcd
down the Ncva, and over it's bar. on which there
is often only seven feet water. Cronstadt which
is built in the form of an irregular Triangle is
strongly fortified on all sides. 1t has three har-
bors. lying to the south of the town, the outer
or military harbour. which is entirely surroun-
ded by massive and strongly fortified MOLE
is a rectangle, stretching out into the sea, and
is capable of containing beside smaller vessels,
above IS ships of the line. It is now however
so shallow at low water that many of the ships
are obliged to anchor in the midle harbor, which
is intended for fitting and repairing of vessels
1t contains the slip, at powder magazine, a man.
ufactory Of pitch, tar, &c. The third, OF inner
most harbor; which has space for 600 merchant
vessels. and runs parallel with the middle har-
Dor, admits only merchantmen, for which there
is, beside an excellent good roadstead, immedi-
ately outside of the port which is dcfcuded also
by the citadel, constructed on a rock in the
middle of the sea CrOnstadt. All these harbors
are well secured, but in consequence of the
freshness of the sea water no vessel can be pre-
served in them above 20 years, They are be-
sides detained great part of the year by
the ice in the bay Of Cronstadt, which
prevents vessels from entering after November,
or leaving before the end of April, and some
times even later. Vessels are repaired and built
in the large canal of Peter the Great, which
runs directly into the town between the middle
aud merchants harbor. 1t is 2l69 feet long Sc
wide. and Is deep; the side abutmcnts, &C., are
Of solid masonry, and it is filed with water by
means of sluiccs, which is again pumped out by
steam engines. 1t VS. commenced in l72l and
finished by Elizabeth. daughter of Peter the
Great. Near it are the various docks; in which
ten ships can he repaired at once; the foundry
which supplies annually 1900 tons of bombs,
balls, BE-, the admiralty rope-works, tar-works.
and excellent wet docks. BY the new Cctha-
rinc canal. commenced in 1882, which commu-
Gates with the merchants port, and is 1900 faith
oms long, government vessels are enabled to
take their stores, munitions, &c, directly from
the storehouses. The town is very regularly
built, and contains many fine and well-paved
streets, and several public spares. The houses,
however, with the exception of those belonging
to the Government, are chiefly of one story and
built of wood. The city has three gates and is
divided into two parts, the commandant and
admiralty quarters. which are subdivided into
four districts. Between the Peter and Catha-
rine canals is the old Italian palace. built by
Prince Menchikoff, who took this island from
the Swedes in 1908. The permanent popula-
ton of Cronstadt, exclusive of the garrison, the
pupils of the naval school, workmen. and SAL
Tors, is considerable; during the summer it a.
mounts to 40. 900 individuals, ofvarious nations;
of these. next to the Russians, the English are
the most numerous. The inhabitants derive
their chief support from the feet trade and ship