Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-01-26
FORT SIIMTER

The Fort in which the Government troops have
now concentrated, is FIVE miles from the Charleston
Battery. 1t is thus described by the Charleston
Mercury:
Fort Sumter is built upon an artificial island at
the entrance Of our harbor The foundation being
OF stone 1t must be Of the strongest nature. That
portion of the fort above the water line is of brick
and concrete of the most solid character. Its plan
Is truncated pentagon, with one side parallel to
the adjoining shore thus presenting an angle to the
channel OF the truncated angles the eastern,
western and northern are simply formed into pan
compees, whilst the other two are formed of two
small faces, making angle of about fifteen degrees
with the sides of the pentagon. At each intersec-
ton OF the small faces is say-port The height
OF the parapet above the water-line is sixty feet
On the eastern and western sides are barracks for
the prvates, mess hail. kitchen, &c. On the South
ern side are the officers quarters which are finish
ed in very handsome style
1t. is mounted with the heaviest guns, of the
United States service arranged in three tiers, the
two lower being Classmates and the upper Barbette
guns. The Casemate guns are those which are fired
from an embrasure in the Scrap Walls and are pro-
tected from the enemy's shells by an arched bomb
proof covering overhead the Barbette those which
fire over the parapet which exposes the cannonniers
to the fire of the enemy, although in this instance
the height of the ramprats is great that there is
comparatively no danger from the shot Of an enemys
fleet The armament consists of 40 pieces, placed
in the following order: The heaviest guns such as
the 80 and 81 FOUNDERS the first tier; Column
baids Is and 10 inch) and heavy sea coast mortars
on the top of the ramparts.
The heaviest pieces are turned toward the harbor,
the lighter toward the land side; which side is
further protected by musketry, for which loophoes
cut in the Scarp Wall. The number of each
kind of gun is about thirty 64-pounders, the same
number of 32-pounders forty 24pounders ten of
each calibre of Coumbiad, ten 13-inch and ten 10
inch mortars capable of throwing about four thou
MN l. IN
hundred a ,300) pounds of shell at each discharge
On the terraparade plain situated two furnaces
for heating shot The magazines are situated on the
inner sides of the sally ports and contain at present.
&C, 600 pounds of powder, and a proportionate
quantity of shot and shell. The landing to the
Fort is on the southern, land SIDE and is formed
by a wharf projecting towards the Shore and also
extending the length of that face
This fort would be nearly impregnable if finished
and properly manned. 1t is at present SO far conf
pleted that with little temporary work, it could
be made so strong to defy any attack by fleet of
large vessels. Its weakest point is the South
side, of which the masonry is not only weaker than
that of the other sides, but it is not protected by
flank fire, which would sweep the wharf Once
landed entrance may, at the present state of the
construction, be easily made, for the blinds of the
lower embraSures, though six inches in thickness,
may yet be easily blown away, and even if this was
impossible, scaling ladders reach those of the
second tier which are not protected in this manner
This concludes the brief sketch of fort which is
most perfect specimen Of civil and military engl-
neerng. The whole work has been conducted in a
manner that reflects the highest credit upon the en-
gineers and is worthy to occupy the prominent
position that it holds. In conclusion we take occa-
sion to allude to point of especial beauty-the
construction of the arches-of which there are
nearly every variety-the Full Centre" the "Seg-
ment" the Groincd" the "Askew," and the
"Rampart"-and to add that the walls at their base
are II feet thick, and at the top 81 feet thick.