The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-04-13
CHARLESTON AND ITS DEFENcEs.

The news Of the bombardment of Fort Sumter by the
Confederate forces which publish this morning, in
duces US to give full description of the scene Of opera
tions embracing the city Of Charleston, its harbor and
forAcatons The plans Of the forts and batteries show
ing the stronghold Of Major Anderson and the position of
the attacking forces under General Beauregard canuot
fail to interest our readers.
FORT sUMrER-THE STRONGHOLD OF MAJOR An
DERsoN.
Fort Sumter is modern truncated peutagonal fort,
built upon artificial island the mouth Of Charleston
harbor three and threeeights miles from the city Of
Charleston The island has for Its base sand and mud
bank with superstructure, may term it, of the
refuse chips from several Northern granite quares These
rocks are firmly embedded the sand upon them the
present forhcation Ia reared The island itself cost
half million OF dollars, and ten years in construc-
lion. The forlcation cost another half million dollars,
and the time Of its occupancy by Major Anderson
% nearly completed TO admit the introduction Of its
armament The walls OF solid brick and concrete
masonry built close 10 the edge Of the water and with
out o BERN. They sixty feet high, and
erom eight TO twelve feet In thickness, and
are pierced for three tiers OF guns the north, east,
and west exterior sides. Its weakest point s on the
south side, Of which the masonry is not only weaker
that Of the other Sides but IL not protected by any
dank hre, which would sweep the wharf Once landed,
an entrance may at the present state Of the construc
n easily made for the blinds or the lower embra
sures though six inches in thickness may yet bo easily
blown away, and II this was impossible, scaling
ladders can reach those or the second tier which
protected In this The work designed for
armament Of hundred and forty pieces OF ordnance
Of all cabres Two tiers OF the guns are under bomb
proof casemaes and the third or upper tier open,
| or, in military parance, bdrbats; the lower tier
Tor forty-two FOUNDER paxhan guns; the second
tier for eight and ten.inch coumbads, for throwing
solid or hollow shot, and the upper tier for morlars
and twenty four pound guns The full armament OF the
fort however had not arrived there when Major Anier
son took possession but s occupancy by the pre-
gent garrison efforts have been spared to place tho
work efficient state OF defence by mounting all the
available guns and placing them in salient points As
before remarked the full armament of the fort s not in
POSITION az only seventy.Gve OF the one hundred and
| forty guns required for II are now mounted Eleven
| paixban guns are among that number nine OF them
/ commanding Fort koutric which s within easy range
| and the other two pointing towards Castle PiacSney
which well out OF range Some or the sslunbiads,
most effective weapon for siege defensive operations
| are not mounted -Four Of the thirty two pounier bar
/ bette guns are on pivot carriages, which gives
i them the entire range of the horizon, and
| ,thers have horizontal sweep Of nre Of
i $50 degrees. In addition to these welghtier pre-
parations for defence the walls are pierced every
shere for muskes Of which there are endless number,
ready and loaded The magazine contains seven hunsre
barrels gunpowder and ample supply OF shot, pow
Ter ana SHELLS for years. siege and large amount u
misct anecps artillery stores Tho garrison Is amply
,opple wph raier from artificial wes wsich are cup.
Piled BY 10 frequent showers or rain 10 4 de'srsy,