The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-03-30

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chant 70 n nrSsher In FhiisdelphiS.
L CRARIRsrox, y. G., March IA, 1861. i
| I promised yesterday V cay word or two
about military matters in This harbor. - ~
Z I believe all the newspaper, correspondent
here have given this thing the benefit Of no.
tice. Not one Of them, whose account I have
seen, has given 2 perfect description of it; and
that perhaps, for the reason that only Z photo
graph can "show it up" / will alluds to two Of
!" prominent features, which have ! not seen
noticed IN any newspaper, viz: the ballast plat.
form and the railroad iron" f'aes W. g
You know that the vessel wouldn't keen
straight in the water. She leaned over, AZ il ct.
lacked with rheumatism on one side !; 90 plat.
form was erected on the other side, on, which
were piled lot of sand-bags and some cannon
balls, TO keep her straight This platform 10
not protected BY the bomb. proof roof, and will
be Knocked OF BY the first shot, if shot 10 ever
fired at it. When It is knocked on, the battery
will tilt over again, and, 40 the guns will then be
on, will possibly upset The ''railroad iron, !" Of
which yop have seen % much in the papers, 10
spread over the front of the structure. II don't
look as If i had ever belonged to. any decent
heads and wagon tires A. I ever saw. To look
at it. you would think that stiirect taxations had
been practiced on all the junk shops in town,
and the proceeds made fast to the uncouth- look
ing vessel.
The Hospital is . sort OF bob.tail to the bat
terry, for the accommodation Of those whose
lcgs, arms or heads shall be shot OF. Il Is .
scow. fifteen or twenty feet wide, and about for
~ feet long, with hunks, or shelves, like berths
in anemigrant vessel. Its whitewashed within
and smeared with coal tar without. The com.
bned smells OF the coal tar and of some bilge
water, which 10 .'below," form perfume which
would not be pleasant to invalid noses. One
shell or cannon ball from Fort Sumter, or any
other fort, would probably settle the Hospitals
hash
The "Lady Davis" is our s'man.of-war," and is
quite smart craft. She was built for tug
boat, to be used on the Delaware, and was called
James Gray. james was the property Of some
Richmond people for while, and few weeks
ago was purchased for $50, 900, and brought to
these waters. Two guns, believe, constitute the
armament Of this boat. The name of Lady Da-
Wis is given to her to please JEFF, the new Pres-
dent, and get him to fix those little matters about
the slave trade all right. $50 ctr
The Nina, she is an old tub, which carries on
y one gun, think, and goes cruising round the
harbor at night, to see that reinforcements don't
sneak into Fort Sumter.
The Light Ship is two masted vessel, with
a bow at each end. She used to ride at anchor
on "Rattlesnake Shoal." few miles northeast of
the entrance Of the Harbor. When South Car
olina extiaguished the lights, she hooked this
vessel from Uncle Sam. Her present use is to
stay in the harbor and wear a Palmetto flag -
Don't know. what they are going to do with her
beyond that. 9 80
Never since sand was made, has it been shov-
eed into such odd shapes as at present, in our
"harbor delenses." The Cummings Point Bat
terry is, believe, the principal one. 1t is GOV.
cred with "railroad iron" Whether the iron
came from the same sources as that on the bat.
tory, know not, but if it is not better article
there will be some great splintering of it when
Sumter's shot strike it. Know ing ones say that
awell directed cannon ball would rip them up
and scatter their occupants
In building these sandy Notifications, the dar-
keys rendered important service. Their patri-
otto massas and missuses lent them for the pur-
pose. They enjoyed the fun, and saved the white
folks, who went there to '.play soldier" great
deal of "sweat OBJ de brow" .y.
close in haste for the mail, and adorn the
outside Of this with q. 8. stamp, which is still
respected here. n. B.