The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-30
BRITISH DEF ENCE.

How the Mcrsey In Fortified "A Riust Invasion.
From the Liverpool Albion, August 24Al
The deiences OF the Mersey are just now rs fol-
lows
Atcar Battery-an earthworK: armament, twelve
thrty5wopounder slnooth-D0rs guns. Would be OF no
for defence even II armed with rifed guns the dis
lance to the main channel being about two miles, and
the Formby Channel about O mile and o quarter
the latter being navgable only for vessels Or light
draught. " Is used Tor volunteer practice only.
The Rock Fort on the Cheshire side, IL In shape
nearly an 0blong, With corners rounded; built OF
sandstone and armed with eighteen guns comprts-
Ing one one hundred-pounder rined Armstrong, five
sixty-eghtpOnnders (ninety.ave hundred welght),
five thirty-two FOUNDERS, four twentyfour Founders
ana three tennch smell guns, all smooth bore Com
mands rock and main channel. The present arma-
nent would be OF little against an iron clad
main channel, Of rom one Thousand two hundred to
one thousand yhree hundred yards On the contrary
vessel armed with heavy ried guns could make
sandstone, and soon reducei 1t TO ruins The vessel
having passed the fort not more than three four
guns could be brOughe to bear on her. and these
guns might innct as much damage to the dock pro
perry as to the iron-clad A battery placed on the
Hill above New Brighton and property armsd " ould
be much more formidable than all our forts put
The North Fort, Liverpool Side. is built or sand
stone. It's present armament consists OF fourteen
smooth bore guns-yiz., ten S2-p0unders aud four
S-inch. IL Is not capable Of turning It's fire up the
river, except from one gun, mounted on the
an irOn-ciad to eny serious extent. Tho
enemy'S fire would soon make II too not for
ueIenuerS, LOT the DArrackS 1lumeulateIy III rear
would act az u back stop for al the shot and
shell that cleared the parapet rhe shot would
either rebound upon the battery lodge in tho soft
sandstone, OF which the barracks are built and
splinter the stonc to the serious danger OF the men
working the guns. Shot or shell, passing over the
barracks, would fall among the shipping.
Liscard Battery, on the Cheshire side, ana nearly
opposite to the North Fort s earth battery with
sea wall 0l stone Its present armament consists
OF seven smooth-DOre guns mounted en- barbctte--
that 10, without emhrasure;and sists Of an
upper and lower battery, covered way, leading
from one To the other. The upper has four ten inch
shell guns and the lower three sixtyeIght-
either w or down the river but nrlug across the
river would nkely 40 much damage I.
the dock property as to the enemy
IL VIII thus be seen that Notifications are use
reen-inch mortars could lay 01 Srom three Ia fOu,
thousand yards and send shells into The
docks and shipping with comparatively lttle
danger from the present forts. Ii Ia I'm
possible ~ conjecture why they were butt
seeing that, II ironclad vessel entered the Mersev
nearly all the guns would be utterly ineffective anu
the forts prove saughterpena for the garr!sons and
IN action could not fail to do damage on both sdes
OF the Mersey. 1t Will scarcely be believed that al
the North Fort. on the Liverpool side. The north case
mate IL SO constructed that shell entering the porI
would slaughter ali The gunners or II perchence ii
would be In danger as II 10 only three or four pace.
to the Of the caseniate and wOuld Dr. struck
every shot or shell which passed through Ii la.
been maintained that an enemy could easily be pre-
vented from entering the Channel py the removal o.
the lights and bnoys by torpedoes aud by the sinh
OF cutting Off your nose 20 spite Jour face az the
carrying out OF such measures would prevent YES
sells rom getting to sea, aud 80 ptlt end TO gu
commerce during the war.