Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-09

The Charleston correspondent Of the New
York World writes a very interesting letter
from which we take the following
It is Sunday. The Mercury Office head
quarters of secession, is choked up with eager
applicants for the days bulletin. The side
walk in front of the Office, too, is impossible,
aad there stands many an umbrellaless one,
waiting patiently in the rain for his chance
Of place inside.
The entrance to the hotels are blocked up by
bevies ofmoist gentlemen discussing the news
and talking over plans for the futur. One
Of the moist gentlemen who is of an inveut-
i've turn, has an idea which, il acted upon, be
is certain viii result in the capture of the re-
doubtable Fort Sumter; and his plan isa very
plausible one. 1t is this. Fort johnson is
the nearest land approach to Fort Sumter,
which, as your readers are probably very we'll
aware, stands in the middle Of the channel
Above Fort Johnson the shore sweeps in
ward, retreating, as it were, from Sumter
Very well. Now, al apoint a mile and a
half above Fort johnson, commences a series
of log RATS. Continue this series, claiming
the RATS securely together until it reaches
Ft. johnson. The upper extremity of this raft
should be well guarded with a wall of cotton
bales bound with, and fastened immovably
70 the logs with iron bands. Now, having
secured the lower end Of the raft at Fort
johnson, cut loose the upper extremity. The
ebb tide win now carry the raft slowly and
surely around. When it extends in a straight
line across the channel from FortJ Johnson,its
upper extremity will be Immediately beneath
the walls of FortSumter Now, men pro-
tected by the cotton bales, and standing ready
with heavy anchors, will drip them, and the
raft viii thus be safely moored. Now, the
soldiers may spring from behind their cotton
bales, and escalade the fort. Reinforcements
can pour down to their aid on the bridge that
the raft makes from the mainland to the fort,
and, with the loss Of some FIVE hundred men,
the latter may be taken.
The inventive gentleman grows enthusiast
tic over his plan, and rusbes off to submit it,
through one Of the Governors aids, to the
/ Governor. That it wall be fayorably con-
sidered, though, perhaps, in aslightly altered
shape, there can be no doubt If there be an
attack made on Fort Sumter, it can only
be done by means Of RATS. a sailing vessel
fifteen minutes
1t is now past ten O'Clock, and as the
chimes in old St. Miehaels belfry ring out
the half hour, the deep boom Of cannon
/ comes from the west end of the city. 1t is as
if an entire park of artillery had been sim
ultaheously discharged. The deep boom is
followed by the sound of a single gun. This
is the signal that the United States arsenal
has been taken possession Of by the State
troops. The deep boom we heard was sa-
lute Of thirty-two guns, the artillerists last
tribute 10 the now dissolved Union; and the
solitary gun was in honor of the separate
commonwealth Of South Carolina Now the
only remaining American flag in the State is
hauled down, and the Palmetto hoisted inits
stead.
| am standing in the Testibule Of the Mills
house, usually the quietest Of Charleston
hotel, now fairly bulging out with excitement,
and hear that breastDorks are being tbrODR
up on Morris Island; g point almost i'm
mediately opposite Fort Sumter. hear
| that two war steamers and 600 men have
been sent by the federal government to rein
fooce Major Anderson at Fort Sumter
hear that it is the intention to sink vessels
in the channel, and so prevent the approach
of thess war steamers 10 the fort, leaving only
one passage clear, and commanding that by
the guns OF Morris Island. Ihear that a coun-
Gil Of safety, consisting Of Messrrs. Jameson,
Magrath, Memminger, snd Cmlington, namt
great in mouths of wisest censure, has been
appointed by the convention to assist the
governor in his deliberations.