The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-19
EhP 9ai1gg >Ne'ppa s.
MONDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 10, 1866.
The sicgo OF Battery Wagner on Norris
Island.

The following notice OF tho powerful calcium
lights which cro.uscd by the Federal forces ut
tho sicgo of Battory Wagner, below this harbor,
will bc of interest to our readers. While these
lights probably no doubt valuable aids in
the reduction Of tho fortification, wo havo heard
the opinion expressed that tho decisive feature OF
the contest was tho terrific firo OF tho fleet tho
broadsides of the steam frigato nonsides being
truly fearful. Tho defence of this position was in
all it's features characterized by tenacious bravery
and the fort was only yielded after all the means
ut command wero exhausted. On tho other sido
it is but fair to that General GuLMonE, in con-
Quoting tho attack displayed tho qualities Of n
most able engineer ofieor, and tho yicldcrs under
him unflinching courage in the performance of
their Duties
Professor HENRY MORTON, in recent report to
tho Philadelphia Franklin Institute gave the fol-
lowing description of the use Of the calcium light
during the siego Of Fort Wayne, on James Island,
opposite Charcston
Tho front Of Fort Wayne, toward which the ad-
yancos Of tho United Statos forces wore mado was
approaching. saps were confined to u narrow strip
Of solid land about fifty yards across, tho rest of
the fort being covered by swamp on ono side apd
hundred and fty yards of the fort, further s%G adj
vance was rendered impossible because tho zig
by tho guns at the extremities Of tho fort
1t wns under thcse conditions, no advance having
been made for several days, and the loss in tho
were first tried. Two of these, with jets one
eighteenth Of m inch in diameter, burning about
fourteen cubic feet Of gas per hour wore sot up Mt
the extrome left of the second parallel about
hundred and fifty yards distant from the fort.
These jets were supplied from large reservoirs fif
teen inches by eight feet each capable of holding
two hundred and fifty cubic feet. Both tho gases
we're made on tho island in laboratory established
for the purpose, wherc detail of twenty soldiers
and twelve negroes was constantly employed in the
manufacture and compression of the gases for
in various ways connected with tho military opera
tions at this point, such as the prevention of
blockade-runnnga at night, of sonding supplies and
troops to Fort Sumter, &c.
Tho two lights above mentioned wcro 80 mr.
ranged with parabolic mirrors as to throw sectors
Of light over one half Of the fort, and the other
the remainder tho field of light being sharply
out by the diaphragm, 80 as not to reach below tho
edge of tho p9rapet. The effect of this was to
make every motion and each figure on the rebel
works perfectly clear to those in tho trenches,
while the space below, from tho ditch of tho fort
to the saps and parallels, was hid in impcnetrable
in fact, were able to leave the protection Of thor
works with mpunity, while on tho contrary all the
'fzqnners in the fort were exposed to deadly fire.
The consequence was that within twenty minutes
after starting the lights the fort, from which con-
stant fusade had been kept up evor since the dark
ness set in, was absolutely siienced and remained
80 during the night Advantage was of course taken
the end Of the second night such progress p. hod
been made that the eastern angle of the fort was
entered, and the work, becoming no longer tena-
BILE, was abandoned by its garrison. or course
lights from the neighboring batteries, but these
dazzling points seem to have been very hard OBJ
jects to aim at for though some Of the reservoirs
dents 30 inflicted the apparatus meyer serious
fy damaged