The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-12
Visit to Fort Scanned, and Olam-Bak

Visit to Fort Scanned, and Olam-Bake.
Pursuant to previous arrangement, the Con-
gressional Committee, with large party OF
ladies and gentlemen from this city and other
parts of the State, made visit of inspection
yesterday to Fort SCANNED. The party left
Custom House Wharf at any time from eleven
TO twelve o'clock, the place of rendezvous be-
Ing some hundred yards more or less OIL In
the harbor, where the cutter j. Z. Doboin
rode at anchor in the stream. The cutter was
sandwiched between the steamers Tyro and
Marcena johnson, the party filling the decks
and saloons of all three, and thus side by side,
dashed together. they proceeded to House
Island, on which is situated Fort SCANNED,
with its bdrbette guns of various sizes, from
twelve Founders up to the 15-inch cabre of
the latest issue.
AS the party filed up over the parapets they
soon discovered on the low ground near the
water, facing the Cape shore. caldrons of
chowder in process oil cooking, large boilers
of steaming coffee, crates of ware distributed
on rough tables, and various preparations all
easy Of explanation to even the animated, ex-
cept large fire burning spon pavement of
round stones that was a mystery. The
altar was plainly erected and the fire kinded,
but where and what was the Offering? Curl
osity drew the crowd to the spot. Soon the
mystery was solved.
The burning brands we're raked off, the
heated stones were covered with wet sea-
weed, freshly gathered, and upon this, through
which the hot steam assembled, baskets of lice
Holsters were emptied, these were completely
covered by cart-load of newly-dug clans,
more sea-weed was added, ears of green corn,
baskets Of new potatoes, boxes of eggs, etc,
were placed upon the pile, the whole was COW
cred with canvass, then more sea-weed was
piled on top, and the heap was left for half an
hour to steam. This was clam-bake, Yam
kee institution, imported into this state from
Rhode Island, new to large numbers of those
present, especially from the country and gen.
flemen from the far West and Southwest.
When it w@s referred TO as a Yankee inven-
ton, Gen. CAN'T, who was present, remarked
that be believed it was fashionable now TO
consider everything Yankee that was OPP
posed to JEFF. Davis.
The "Bake" was opened and was found to
be done in the most perfect manner, and for
half an hour, from The appearance Of the
crowd, a stranger would naturally infer that
they either had eaten nothing for week, or
that they were extremely solicitous TO know,
from actual experience, how edibles prepared
In hat or ha ta4o
The judgment was unanimous, and the
"Bake' was voted A l, the chowder do, and
the coffee "A |. Thus ended the clam-bake ;
thus disappeared the bi-valyes, and doubtless
in all that crowd there was none of the
Creators works which lay nearer their hearts,
for the next few hours, than that truly con.
sentative and democratic molusk-the clam;
conservative in that he never changes his po-
sition, always sticks to the ways of his ances-
tors, eschewing all innovations, and demo-
cratic In that he cares not tinker's anath-
ema whether big fish flaps his fukes in his
face or the minew tribes play their small
pranks under his very nose. None of these
things move him; be looks with equal favor
or equal contempt upon all.
The afternoon was spent in nationally sit
ting upon the grass in the shade of the build
ings, 10 walking about the parapets, in look
ing into the big guns and wondering how big
man could crawl into them, or in listening
TO the thrilling notes of the Band of the 18th
Infantry, or In tripping the light fantastic toe
on one of the floors extemporized for the oc-
casion Meantime the members OF the Con-
gressional Committee went on board the frig-
ate Sabine, and at an early hour the party
were taken back 10 the city in instalments by
the small steamers. 1t was a delightful day,
and all seemed pleased with its pleasant recre-
atoms.
In addition to the distinguished gentlemen
who went down the harbor the day before, we
noticed Secretary Fessenden, Gen. E. W.
CAN'T of Arkansas, Mr.. Halstead of New
Jersey and others whose names have escaped
our recollection. A large number of editors
of papers in this State were of the party, and
representatives of the Boston Daily Adver-
tiser, New York Evening Post and Journal OF
Commerce, were added TO those who repre-
scented papers outside of the State ON the pre-
vious excursion.
At s O'Clock this morning the Committee,
with others who have been invited TO make
the excursion, viii start from Atlantic wharf,
visit Fort Popham, proceed up Sheepscot
river TO Wiscasset, and then return to Bath,
where they will stop tonight.
On Saturday they wild proceed from Bath
to Bangor, touching at some points on the
route.