The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-25
Firing the Mortars.
"a Test ef the Big Guns on
Sullivan's Island.

Special to The State.
Charleston, Aug 1e.-The firing
of the giant mortars in the upper fort
Of the island to day was great sue
cess-to Capt Abbott and other army
officers of scientific training proba
bly-but the general public. express
iyely, were not in it by great ma
iiority So far as the public was con-
: cerned it did not begin to compare
with Fourth of July celebration
with cannon crackers, for there was
only puff of smoke and an explosion
about equal to good charge of giant
powder used in blasting. To persons
on the roof of the Atlantic Beach
hotel, point near the fort, the con
cussion was not at all disagreeable
In anticipation of 8, heavy concus-
sion and the consequent breaking OF
window glass. nearly all of the win
dows on the island Were raised this
morning and the blinds opened. but
there was no need for the precaution.
for the slightest damage would not
have been done the frailest pane OF
glass 100 feet from the fort.
8 The 8 o'clock boat this morning did
not bring over to the city its full COM
plement Of passengers Many who
are accustomed to make that trip re-
NAMED over to witness She firing of
the mortars. So, when the hands of
the clocks and watches began to tell
Of the approach of 10 o'clock, the
streets Of Moultrieville and the front
beach were dotted With moving
groups of people. seeking points of
vantage 3 to watch the firing Num-
bers climbed to the roofs ofthe houses
scr the tops of the numerous towers,
while few found point from which
TO view Of the whole proceedings on
the roof of the Atlantic Beach hotel.
Within the mortar battery were
Capt. Abbot. Lieut. Stuart and sheir
assistants. No visitors. not even
the ubiquitous newspaper men, were
allowed TO look upon the interior OF
The defenses Uncle Sam has placed
there for the protection OF Charleston
harbor Az Fort Moultrie Mr.. w. NJ.
Bird and Mr.. Stanford were stationed.
at the request of Capt. Abbott, to
take the barometer reading aud make
other observations on the conditions
prevailing during. the firing and if
possible take the time of the fight
Of the shells, ETC..
4 It had been agreed that 10 minutes
before thefring red flag would he
run up on the flagstaff on the ram
parts of the battery, At 1O:lT the
red Gag was run up and with it mp
went expectancy TO high pitch.
The timid ones stopped their ears
and those on the roof nearby the fort
clung to something for fear the con-
cussions would knock them form their
perches.
Some eyes were fixed OF the bat
tery. while others turned their gaze
upon the target, red flag. flying de-
family in the breeze, and fixed in the
marsh to the north and west of Nor
ris leland light. Those looking upon
the ramparis expected to see a daz
zling fash of light and an immense
black object take it's fight in the air,
while the reyerberations to follow
were expected to rend the tympan
nms Of the ears And the flag in
the marsh was to be tattered and
torn after the fist shot The 10 min
utes passed and the suspense grew
apace. Anothes 10 passed and the
stop watches told 10 81 when the1e
was a sudden burst of smoke from
the battery and an entertaining con
cnsaion There was crani:g of
necks and stretching of eyes to see
the 800 pound shot that had begun
It's mile and seven eighths fight.
Bu. never a thing did the majority
Of spectators see. and save for the
wniz Of the shot. which few OF
those nearest the battery could hear
there was no other evidence than
that there had only been an expIo
sion of powder. The target was ua-
touched aud as far as the spectators
could see the shot never came down
from its fight through the heavens.
1t 10 computed that the shot attain
ed maximum height of about. two
miles. 1t left the mortar at an angle
of about As degrees and described
the arc of circle with perpendicn-
ar of the height named
Each nf the four mo1tars in the
southeastern angle of the fort were
fred once sipg.y and then the whole
four were fred together
There was an interval of about one
hour between each discharge
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