The New York herald., 1871-09-27
THE OFFICIAL EXCURSION.
Secretary BclAnap Completed
His Tour.
A Brilliant Company Down tho 3ly-scenes and
Inspections at Forts Wadsworth and Ham,
ilton-The Death Apparatus Inven-
tions and General survey.

| The Secretary OF War, General BelKnap, and
! United States Engineer Chief, General A. A.
Humphreys yesterday completed their tour Of In
specton OF the New York forts and haibor deences.
| Az on the previous day, everything was 80 well
arranged that every item the days programme
| was both amusing Aond Instructive to the brilliant
! party accompanying the inspectors. The time ap-
pointed for starting was ten O'Clock, from the FOOT
OF Twenty.thIrd street, East River, at which time
| the steamer Geneva, belonging to the Engineers
Department, was IN waiting. General Newton,
| superintendent OF Works, who had provided the
| boat and planned the excursion, was on board, ana
| received the visitors Us they arrived Generai
Irwin Mcdowell and daughter, Mr.. and Miss Par
| sons General II. q. wright. General u. q.
| Tower General Foster, Colonel Mansfield and
! Colonel Campbell were first on tue boat
Following these were Secretary Beihnap, accom-
panied by his sister, Mrs. Bowers, and Mrs. Marsh.
The morning. however, was not promising; the
wind rose considerably ana the comparatively
heavy swell on the East River caused the steamer,
which IL or the tOwb0at description, TO roll from
side TO side as though she was outside Sandy Hook,
and gave rise to very unhappy prcsentiments
| 70 the ladies' especially as 1t was understood they
were to proceed down the bay to the forts at tho
mouth OF the harbor, where real swell was immi.
| nent. The first stoppage Was ut tie WORKS on the
New York shore or
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE,
where the caissOn for city side parapet IS being
| sunk Here the Secretary ana his friends leaped
-'''~ "~~" masses of timber that were being laid
| y, ,rsrsc,oa the interior Of tho monstrou7 So
'-' -, noss,,',a and listened TO the mssoiy
ture as 'ssi'4c 49," Neen done, from
| or The work, 50 far as t has
the designers and constructors, Colonel 49,.
/! and Colonel Roebllng, who were subsequently
| :ayed to accompany the party down
| the bay. The latter gentlemen described the din
| cullies attending the undertaking. The founda-
ton whereon ultimately the caisson win rest Is
eighty yfve feet below the bed Of the river and be-
fore the rock he reached thousands OF tons OF
quicKsand will have to be removed the excava-
ton of which will have to be done through the air.
tight interior OF the caissOn, from which the water
will be displaced by means OF air pumps so as to
enable the men WORK. The sensation down in
this structure while the air is being forced In so
terrible on the nerves OF the head that the blood
will now freely from the nose and ears, and every
sOund-the tap OF a hammer the movement OF
piece of tmber-strikes upon the ear as though
pound OF nitro glycerlne had exploded in one's
head.
With the addition above stated the party pro
ceedod down the bay. The rain was failing IN tor.
rents, and the
NASTY LITTLE JOLrING WAVES,
were for the time knocked down until the water
quiet as that OF an inland lake. Nothing could
prevent of the ladies from being seas:ck, how
ever, the assurance Of the Secretary Of var
thai the onlcer of the Weather Bureau must nave
made some mistake In his report on the previous !
day, and that 1t eventually "must" be fine Things
began to look serious. As the rain abated Its viO-
lence the chopping seas rose higher and higher
the ooat proceeded and an unpleasant misty aspect
hn tnrn At tha lhAr.,
was nothing Tor IT but TO tackle the cheering liquids
provided by General Newton, and the gallant OH.
GERS accordingly assisted their friends and them.
selves, and discussed politics and drank peace ana
prosperity to the nation un better weather should
favor their operations. Arriving at the landing
stage at Fort Richmond the Quartermaster's
steamer Henry Smith hove alongside. having on |
board
AN AUXILIARY COMPANY
in the persons OF General Gilmore Superintendent |
OF Works at the new forts; General Alexander Gen.
eral Marcy and Colonel Dodge. of the Regulations
After the threatening clouds had emptied their
contents ana passed away, leaving brighter and
more cheering prospect for The surveyors H. was
land and Inspect the works OF Fort WadswO-th. on
the wharf they were received by Major KING, Col
Onel Frank and Colonel Patterson, who are for the
time being attached to the post
The first thing was to provide mode OF convey
ance for the ladies' and for these buggy was char.
tered ana MISS Mcdowell was entrusted with the
reins 70 drive up the steep inclne-a task of whicn
she well acquitted herself
The gentlemen now began to wade through the
lnterminable red mud two steps forward ana three
backward, as they assembled the hlll. Their Efforts
were soon rewarded by their arrival al the top OF
the new glaoe. when Is the outer part OF the new
FORT.
From this ennencc splendid panorama met tho
gaze. Looking awav to the south magnificent
view OF New York Bay Is piesented: and as the eye
wandered IRON the countless white sails, like SO
many spotless, majestic swans riding the rppled
waters, TO the landscape on the New Jersey coast.
ana the scenes of the opposite side gradually draw
ing the attention OF the admirer to the broad ex-
pansc OF waters to the north
BORDERING ON THE BROAD ATLANTIC,
the mind could but be enchanted. vieweds from
1,n.n OLE md .tnurp sha all
clipped grassy slopes hundreds Oi feet below, the
well arranged batteries OF hlteen-lnch smooth bore
cannon forming the Hudson Battery looked splen- |
did and elected many remarks OF admiration from
the generals and their associates.
General Gilmore now led the way 10 the massive
stone structure forming the 'front.' walls or breast
@ works rs. OF Fort Wadsw9rta grand contrast Win
ments and lrownlng, angry artillery face the Mar.
The guide led The way into an immense quad.
rapge, having q 'front.' face Of about forty feet
deep undermined by arches ami immense covered
store cellars ana quarters Tor troops and wing IN
It's centre steam machinery OF various kinds for
raising the nuge blocks o stone anu making tile
6etOn cOty0es cement and other material required
IN constructing the fort. When completed IL will be
the hnest In the State, but, though II was CON-
menCed several years since Its completion seems To
be matter for the distant future, unless the esti
mates slomitted TO Congress are more literally
treated. All the land side gacees and earthworks
appear 10 be dnished, but no guns viii be mounted
until the more important parts have been DONE
The secretary inspected every accessible portion
and then proceeded to inspect the last and greatest
piece Of mechanism connected with tue national
defences VIZ,
THE CoCSTERPofSE Gun CARRIAGE
in process OF construction by Major King: THIS
appears to be most important invention for the |
saving OF lie. Hitherto It has been necessary IN
defending harDors, &C.. for the artiilerymen to
mount the parapets in front OF the guns other
wise expose themselves 20 the eneny's fire while
loading the guns during an action which has
always been fatal 90 hundreds OF the Gunners as
they eau lie picked OF hy sharpshoOters anu other
wise easily disposed of aud the guns silenced. To
AVOID this MAJOR King mas constructed carriage
with machinery Ion lowering the gun down behind
the while ~ IL peilig loaded, and then 10 raise
IL again proper elesatioi ana tIsc harge 1t with
out eX posing The men In any way. Tue gun ~ so
pl 1ced t,e carriage tnaL by means OF machinery,
I, q IL fred IL ialls nAck down |