The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-04
OUR HARB0R DEFENCES.
GOVERNMENT REPAIRS IND PRIVATE
IMPROVEMENTS.

GOVERNMENT REPAIRS IND PRIVATE
LMPROYEaLENTs.
Healing the Wounds OF War-Rspair-
ing tho Ravages OF Time-Fort Sum-
ter and Fort M ou1trie-Artiacjal o
Stone-Maltng-Moul
Oi all the ugly gaps indented In the Southern
coast by the collision OF four years war, ar d
all the dismal wrecks left stranded on lis ocean
battle.felds, there are perhaps none to which
attach 30 much of historical significance as
those contained In the hsrbor and environs OF
Charleston, and there are few which have fur
nished In their desolalion such striking monu-
ments Of the intensity of the conflict as Forts
Sumter, Moultrie, Ripley, johnson, Beaure-
gard and Wagner, and the sunken hulls of
men-ofwar which line the channel Of this
harbor.. For seven years these wrecks and
ruins have now remained to tell the story of
the desperate fight that was waged to get pos
session of this metropolis CT the South Allan
tic; but during the past winter the Federal
Government has begun the task Of rehablli-
tatipg these defencss, and of restoring the
harbor 10 something like its ante-bellum
beauty and completeness.
The most Important portion of this work of
rehabilitation ls the repairing of
FORT SUMTER,
and this wes begun on the 9Th OF November
last, under the immediate superlntendence of
Mr.. Thomas Campbell. At that time the iHte-
rior of the fort resembled huge basin, with
grass-covered sides sloplng sharply down from
the inner edge of the parapet. At The bottom
of the basin was sheet Of water several feet
In depth, from the centre of which rose the
old, historic flagstaff. The space occupied by
this basin was, prior to u 2 war, level court
yard, used principally as q, parade ground.
The Transformation occurred during the
the war, when the Confederates heaped sand
against the Interior walls, for the protection
Of the classmates from the Federal shells.
And now another change has taken place. A
large quantity Of this earth has been removed,
and the paving of the courtyard again partial
II restored TO view, but presenting success
sion OF hills aud valleys, piles of broken brick
and rusted guns and shot and shell. The old
nagsta6 has been rooted up, and lies at length
across the courtyard, aptly representing the
fate OF the cause whose. standard 1t 80 long
upheld. Several rough houses have been
erected In the courtyard for the accommoda-
ton OF the laborers. There are no troops in
the fort now. On entering the fort
BUSY AND ANIMATED SCENE
Is presented. There are half dozen carts
plying by mule power between the bottom of
the courtyard up circutous road BY the
parapet above. On the northeast angle of the
wall there are carpenters busy with hatchet and
saw, bricklsyers with trowel and plumb, men
carrying brick and mortar, and others rolling
wheelbarrows laden with sand. On the north,
south and east fronts the upper tier OF case
rates has been pulled down and the wall
leveled to the top of the lower casemates.
On the side of the tert fronting the city por.
ton OF the outer wall yet remains at its
original height, about forty feet, but the inner
wall and casemates have been already pulled
down, and the outer fragment will soon share
the same !a.e. A wide and deep trench has
been cut In the embankment, against the
northeast angle, 80 as to allow the workmen
TO gain access to the surface Of the inner wall.
The lower classmates OIL this angle are under
going thorough overhsuling and repairing.
The roots OF many Of them were broken In,
and OF others so badly cracked as to render
them dangerous. The inner walls, too, OF
several were, upon examination, found to be
defective, and were therefore pulled down
snd r, built. The outer wall Of the northeast
angle rises nineteen feet, or about five ieet
above the roofs of the caseraates at this point.
As soon as the repairs 10 Tire casemates are
finished. their roofs will be covered with earth
to the height of the wall, and the surface COW
cred with sods OF growing grass. The inner
wall viii likewise be strengthened by cc7-
ering OF earth. Inside of this angle of the
fort, and adjoining Its inner wall,
A NEW MAGAZINE,
thirteen feet by six, will shortly be built OF
the stones and bricks now lying In piles about
the court yard. The southeast front OF the
fort was never provided with lower tier OF
casemates, and the upper tier having been re-
moved 1t Is now without either. This side Of
the fort being next to Morris Island was the
most battered during the war, but all the holes
ana QeISCtlV0 pdEbo VI tHo Woh no'o ~" o'eo
repaired to the height of thirteen feet. On
the parapet of this wall several heavy Parrot
guns will be. mounted. The wall of the south
front has been extended outwards some thirty
or forty feet by means of the broken brick
taken from the interior of the fort This wall
VIII be on q level With the one on the south
east. It will be covered over with earth and
sodded like the rest of the parapet. The
whole parapet will also be coped or paved on
the outer edge with handsome gray stone.
There is no work In progress OF the north,
northwest, west and southwest angles of the
wall at present, but 1t is understood that they
Will shortly be treated in the same general
manner as the other angles.
-, FORT MoULTRIE.
ASFort Moultrie, several carts and large
number OF hands are also at work. This fort,
being without casemates, and having had the
exterior oflts walls deeply covered with sand
by the Confederates, was very little damaged
by the Federal fire, so that there is little or
nothing to be done In the way Of repairing,
except In clearing away the rubbish that has
accumulated within the interior. This work
has been pushed forward almost 10 compile