The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-01-21

twenty Of eight and ten cabre presenting
complete and compact battery. There have been no
alterations made this fort during the past year, nor
any known 10 he contemplation. The entire strength
OF the three forts on Island IL one hum
dred guns with garrison Of nearly four hundred
and supplies OF ammunition and other stores equal 70
any emergency.
on BedIoes Island, holds better position for offensive
operations than the forts on Governors Island Uulike
the latter tapped they by the outstrechtng
of New York and Brooklyn, Il has an uBobstructad
sweep Of me nsIoor ana armed with long range rsd
envy attempting 10 force the passage Of the forts lower
down. Its guns % the number Of twenty all
mounted in barbetts Of different ranges OF cabrc and
OF various desngR The garrison Is over hundred
men, under the command Of Colonel Hayden
FORT HAMILTON.
This fort when FIRST projected was considered 10 be
work OF great offensive and defensive capacity admra
bly, placed, and holding tho fate Of New York In it's
efficiency. and It's present construction is found made
qnate 10 the requirements Of modern gunncry II Is
the intention some time this year 70 throw down the
'front.' wall OF the fort and forward TO the outer
parapet, thereby giving more COMMANDING position to
the guns for impact and plnnging fire. Tho fort 10
powder magaxipee furnaces for heating shot, and an
ample In the centre for drill There sixty
guns mounted in casemate and barbette-all twenty
and thirty pouDders OF the ordinary pattern These
by comparison with the htceninch Rodmans appear
mere pc pguns and dvested altogether Of terrible
out confined 10 the extension Of tho water battery
In front of the foa work Of infinitely effective
fort itself This battery. in length about Eve hundred
yards extends along the water front Of the fort at
elevation OF about sixty feet above the level rises
upwards nj steep incline from carriage way skrting
the Shore and presents 10 tho eye ponderous OF
compacted earth, with a revetment or backing OF
carriages that swing upon granite platforms,
placed long OF truly terrible engines OF desruc
tion--the lfteen-inch Rodman guns These, TO the
hrv tho paavn lo NJ
In the dcfences Of the place II considered
sight the part Of the to omit at the time
OF the original purchase OF the ground 10 include the
land for least thousand yards west Of Fort Haml
ton, MS II comprises strip OF hill which commands the
ship enamel and at comparatively small amount OF
labor and could be graded for the purposes OF
water battery There fourteen feet Of water at low
tide in the channel between Forts lafayette and Ham
ton Through this channel s believed 10 be possible FOR
fast sailing ironcIad up running the risk OF the
crossGre from both FORTS bnt trusting TO her speed and
plating and the limited front Of the water battery TO
survive the ordeal BY extending the water battery TO
three times its present length and increasing it's arma
ment Of heavy guns in proportion, y would be
craft that dared TO face its multiplied thunder
The only other the fort commenced
lass year. in the excavation and building OF large main
magazine 70 supply the water battery Every four or
i've guns has service magazine containing just sni-
Client ammunition for immediate wants The main
magazine In the old fort beng limited IN SIZE and 100
far removed to the rear, it was deemed necessary 10
Of extensive dimensions In front Of
steadily and may be- completed before the summer il
has capacity for slowing away nearly one million
pounds Of powder It twenty feet in depth and exea
waited in series OF galleries The twenty,noh Rodman
gun Is one Of the Hons Of Fort Hamilton; u occupies
salient 10 ise and weighs over 600 pounds That
any floating tb ing reared by human hands could with
stand the momentum OF projectile issued from the
throat Of this iron maslodon OF the artillery Species
seems impossible There y one defect however which
and that consists ip The slow process Of loading
and firing Owing 70 tho awkward and primitive plan
plan adOptedthe unc0uth system Of ropes and wooden
leveTs-twenty minutes copsmed In the operation.
II s 10 be expected ingenious apparatus win
ton conssts Of two companies Of the Fjyst arifory,
numhavng 200 and Of1CerR Colonel V04dos 10
:hs senior Officer in command and under n@ ar, are
post enjoys good health ~ instance Of
whcn only one or tvo names have appeared % me hos
pisaf roll for considerable time.
No IMPROVEMENTS hAve been made in this fort during
ssc,ed .coo.dns q some would Ss 70 sSosS he ola
fort aitoesther However, oshsn bceve his yet able
70 render . good account Of isssf The wsils Of .
and form . nve sided figure OF tho antique order
Of fort6catons. It's armament consists Of ten
100 FOUNDER PARROTS, IN cassmaies; 10 barbetts,
nfsssn 4poundsn The garrison consists Of eighty.
three men and two ofncers-Major naynadsr conma.d-
furnaces s standing that 70 supply the sport
40 dearly priced in past age Of pspperng wooden ships
The few prisoners who are now in confinement At this
anondam Bastle for refractory secessonists and menda
cous bounty COMPRISE cncny nmc
States Army Tho suggestion has been made 70 substt
the present fort enormous revolving turret
OF wholly impcnetrabe armor, and OF placing therein
guns OF gigantic bore calculated at discharge TO
drive either UP down the mgbtiest thing that noats
or as II s more Familiarity called Fort Richmond, stu
ned under the shadow ofs prcmonory Of Station Island
rs splendid piece Of masonry work, which Il seems .
70 allow 10 remain In s present state o! neglect ana
incompleteness IL Is partly diamond shaped fortihca
ton. with capacity fortwo hsndred guns in three tiers
of classmates, and one or barbette, or outside
tier on top The barbe,tc guns Of . medium csbro
in position and several also mounted In the case
matesn all about forty pieces To the unini,iated eye
this work wond possess all the qualifications of
impregnahle forthcation-in structure, position,
arpamens and masonry; but the revolution in artillery
and naval science renders even this seemingly powerful
liable suspicion attaching TO all stone
srucions for defence The only work done upon Fort
wadsworth during The past year was the building OF
flooding with 10 the depth OF sixteen feet Like
other forts that were projected good many years ago.
reconstructed snt the improved ordnance OF the
present day. The guard house is OF limited sze II
when the fort itself may happen 10 get entirely finished
is matter Of conecture though, from present appear
ances there little reason to hope that such desirable
surrounding Fort wsdsworb-some OF which have only
been recently eompetedthat give 10 that fertilization
in character for IMMENSE strength. North Ckn bat
terry the west side, nessling under overhapgng
hill, is intended 70 mount about sixteen heavy guns
the huge body Of Fort wsdsworth from the view OF an
enemy approaching the inner harbor South Ciin bat
tery, the other SIDE n finished, and holds twenty
Two hfteen-nch Rodmsn guns In position. Extending
FROM this In q curve around the promontory 10 the Hnd
battery, with forty pieces OF similar bore and on
the site the lighthouse which stands 81 the end OF the
island redoubt will be erected 10 complete the link OF
Defence These Just mentioned are all water batteries
shrpwn mp along the shore at moderate elevation The
Dtnde Of operations around this point 10 on scale
with the great natural advantages for de-
fspsvs works which the ground posse@ce Almost the
entire water face " tbe bill, from base to summit 10
scanned and GRADED with slopes Of different angles
and incltnations, after the most approved
method of scientific engineering. traverse
magazine for supplying the battery Of North Gill was
finished last year. On the brow Of the HILL little east
Of the fort two-gun battery was completed and 10 the
spring mounting party sxpected 70 put up the arma
,ment both here and the North Clif battery. TINS
magazine ~ this post 10 Of very extensive area II
has entrances leading 70 galleries that anify In all
directions under the hill and present enormous capacity
for the storage Of powder Last year the works ut this
point employed over three hundred men. AZ present,
owing the severity Of the weather. only small forte
Of foray men Ia kept engaged.
The appropriations for the water batteries and the