Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-08-18
4@<. PAQUEMINE PARISH OF IBERVIIE La. AUGUST
Glimpse at CrOnstadt.

!
and of Cronstadt, with all its terrors, gradu
ally rises in patchy hummocks, and to the
southwark singular rocky eXcrescences appear
dotted about between it and the main, backeG
by the tall masts Of the liners: these with the
gilt steeple Of the church, which sparkies many
mile, are the most prominent objects. BY
degrees the haze so prevalent in this gulf, and
which wells or distor,s both nature and art
is gradually dispeled, and these rocky excres>
cences assume a more determined shape. To
the extreme right the enormous square block
! of masonry, mounting some $50 guns, is Ris-
bank, looking nothing the worse for the winter,
An additional work being apparent on its south>
ern side. and corresponding flanking battery
on the main for its protection; next comes Fort
Alexander, looking like an i'll conditioned hay
rick. shortly after Peter L., and Cronslot be-
come visible, heslatter Of which it would have
been difficult to improve, with couple of three
deckers moored across the entrance of the
passage, supported by numerous heavy paddle
steamers, apparently under the special projection
of Fort Menschkolf wrich, with the mole Bate
lies. foruIs the ast of the long line of forts on or
near the south shore of the island, which is now
one vast en,renched camp, encircled by detached
eartE-works, all furnished with that scrupu'ous
nicely which we have learnt 10 respect at SevastO-
pol. Oh that "Bono johnny hud abandoned
Silis,ra; and our enemy had never been taught the
value of mud in that sanguiaary siege. These
detached works are carried right across the island
from abreast of Fort Alexander on its south side,
commencing at the spot marked "Kestl Battery
in the old plans, and extending TO the Governors
house on the north, on the town side of which
other hinge earthwork is being constructed, afford
ing daily employment TO about 5000 men. These
detached works are admirably placed, having a
genile slope in front of them, hauking Fort Alex
auder on The souih and on the north protected by
The shoals, submarine piIing and internal machines
All the old works outside the line. as well as Alex
ander Fort are apparently abandoned, and with
Judgment, for the defences of the island against
land attack are rendered more compact, and the
chances ofa successful landing, which las, year was
the most, one of the most feasible operations, is
now rendered hopeless.
One Of our small steamers. when reconnoter.
ing the other day with the French Admiral and
several captains on board, very nearly received
its quietus. She exploded two of these ma
chimes, whether from contact or otherwise is un.
in five falhoms water; as 1T
was, the one exploding under the starboard
bow fairly lifted her out Of the water, bulging
in the side before the paddlebox and ripping of
much copper--at the same time throwing up a
column of water alongside about Ia feet high.
Had it happened in shoal WATER or had the ex-
plosion been taken place more directly ander
her it would have been a similar case to the
' John O. Gaunt," which dare say, your read-
ers recoliect being destroyed by the much
abused Warner off Brighton. Depend upon it
those who first succeed in bringing chemistry
ard science to bear in the matter Of war,
must be the winners. Hitherto it has been
studiously opposed by the authorities, un-
der the Exeter Hall excuse, of being too
certain, or, perhaps too diabolica, means of
getting rid of your enemy. The more certain
The better is the practical teaching of war, and
fancy the prevailing opinion of the moment;
md it is to be fervently hoped that my Lord
Dundonald may have fair trial. He, with
many others, may not succeed at first, any
more than Watt could have built an express
engine for the Great Western, were he resusci.
ated but a, any rate, it is step in the right
direction.
These machines, when seen from vessels
leck, have the appearance Of large cylinders
noored under water, we'll below the surface, |
With funnel rising from the centre to within !
few feet oi the same; and the probability |
8 that violent contact causes explosion, though !
t is perfectly possible, and even probable, that |
hey are fred by batteries from the shore (On !
he vessel identifying herself with their posi-. |
ion) more particularly as neither ofthe explo-
lions which took place were under the bottoms |
and consequently the amount Of
lamage was small.
The energies of our antagonist have been lit-
le less vigorous in the north than at Sevas-
opol, considering the winter, and it is an ex-
operation to state that this year Cronstadt
5 twice as strong as last Then it had vunera-
lie points--now it has none. Something, how
yer, may yet be done; should it be deferred
ntil next year that will be impossible; but the
oIden opportunity was lost last year, when
;ronstadt was as unprepared toresst the COM
ined feet and 10000 troops as Sevastopol,
'as to resist the combined armies. Ia the
leantime where are the batteries and mortar
ats!