Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-01-18
FORT SUMTER.

Fort Sumter, a work of solid masonry, oc-
tngonal in form, pierced on the North, East,
aud West sides with double row of port holes
for the heaviest guns, and on the South or land
side, ia addition TO openings for guns, loop
holad fen rnusketry, stands 10 the lniaaIaof the
harbor on the edge OF The ship channel, and is
sail to be bomb-pFooI. 1t is at present without
any regular garrison. There is large force
Of workmen-some one hundred and fits ia
all busilY employed 10 mounting the guns AND
otherwise putting this great strategic point in
order. The armament of Fort SumpteT con-
sists of 140 guns, many Of them being the for
midable ten-inch "Columbiads," which throw
either shot or shell, and which have fearful
range. Only few of those are yet in position,
and the work of mounting pieces of this calibre
10 the casemates is necessarily slow one
There is also large amount of artillery stores,
consisting OF about 10000 pounds of powder,
and proportlonate quantity of shot and she'll.
The workmen engaged here sleep in the fort
every night, owing to the want of any regular
communication with the eny. The wharf OF
landing is on the south side, and is, of course,
exposed TO a cross-ire from all the openings on
that side.
The Fort abandoned is thus described
FORT M0ULTRIE,
s an inclosed water battery, having front on
the south, or water side, of about 800 fee,, aud
depth of about 240 feet. 1t is built with
salient and reentering angles on all sides, aud
is admirably adapted for defence, either from
the attack of a storming party or by regular
approaches.
The outer and inner walls are of brick, cap
ped with stone, and filled in with earth, making
solid wall 6fieen or sixteen feet in thickness.
The wosk HoW in progress consists in cleaning
The sand from the walls; ditching it around,
and erecting glaCis; closing up the postern-
gates IN the east and west walls, and instead
cutting sally-ports, which lead into strong out
works on the southeast aud southwest angels,
in which twelve FOUNDER hoWitzer guns will be
placed, enabling the garrison to sweep the ditch
ON three sides with grape aud canister. The
northwest sDgle of the fort has also been
strengthened by bastionette, to sustain the
weight of heavy gun which will command the
main street Of the island. Tue maiu entrance
has also been better secured, and trap door,
two feet square, cut 10 the door for lngress and
egress. At this time the height of the wall,
from the bottom of the ditch 20 the top of the
parapet is twenty feet. The ditch is from twelve
10 fifteen teot wide ut the base, aud fifteen feet
deep. The nature of the soil would not seem
to adult of this depth being increased, quick
sand having beeu reached i'll places.
The work on the south side is nearly finish
&C. The couL,erscrap is substantially bulls of
plank, and spread with turf. The glacis is also
finished. 1t is composed Of sand, and covered
with layers Of loan aud turf, all of which is
kept firmly in place by the addition Of sections
OF plank nailed to uprights sunk in the sand,
aud crossing sach other at right angels, making
squares of about ten feet each. The purpose
of the glacls, which is an inclined plane, is to
expose attacking party to the fire of the guns,
which are so placed as to sweep it from the
crest OF the counterscrap to the edge of the
beach On the north side, all the wooden gun
cases have been placed close together on the
ramparts, apparently for the purpose of secur
ing II against an escalade, but possibly as
screen for battery Of heavy guns. good
many men are engagedin clearing the ramparts
OF tars aud earth, for the purpose of putting
down a very ugly looking arrangement, which
consists of strips Of plank four inches wide,
one inch aud half thick, and six or eight feet
long, sharpened at the point, and nailed down,