Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-30
NOW WE'RE SAFE.
Work Being Rushed on Pop
ham Beach Fortifications.
A Battery of Five Big Rodman
Guns Being Erected.
will Throw 480 Pound Shells I'D 600 Pound
Shot Three Miles.

In 10 days Of pleasant weather the
Notifications at the mouth ot the river
on Uncle Sans reservation will be fin
ishod, and a first class water battery
with l3-inch, Eodman gums viii be in
position ready for regulars or Nolun-
teers to man. The work on the bat
terry WAS commenced a week ago. yes
tcrday. but on account of the stormy
weather the men have only been able
to work about half of the time. Mr.
Richardson from the engineers corps
in Portland, has charge of the whole
crew. John f. Stacy of Popham. is
foreman OF the carpenters.
At present there are 10 men employ
cd. coming from Iarker's Head, Small
Point and near nciShhorhoud. and their
work is giving perfect satisfaction.
Eight hours is a days work. The COM
mon laborers receive $l.15 and the car
ponterS $50 per day.
The battery is located on the govern
men reservation between the residence
of Scrgt. Richardson and fort on what
VIII be remembered by the older cit-
zens as the site of the Hotel Deham,ia
The location is a most prominent one
commanding a clean. open range at
any vessel entering the mouth of the
river. 1t is about 800 yards from the
middle of the channel of the river The
brcastWork will be $50 feet long and for
| the protection of the guns and the men
there viii be an embanlkment Of sand
built about 30 feet thick, and seven
feet high
The battery Will consist Of five 10
! inch Rodmau guns which have been in
| the fort since the Civil War They
We're never mounted and are claimed to
/ be in good condition.
/ They fire a 15-inch shell which weighs
$50 pounds and the shot weighs
/ 600 pounds. The guns weigh - tons
/ each ana will send a shot three miles.
| At present there are only d fev pounds
| of ammunition on hand at the restr'Va-
/ ton. The magazines have not been re
! pienished since 1865 What there is now
| at the fort is thought To he in first
! class order as some of ii was used in
| firing 4 salute last New Years day. and
! made the windows in the vicinity rat
! tie and some of the glass in the chapel
| was Jared out
The portion of the battery where the
/ guns are to be located is divided INFO
! FIVE sections. There will be three floor
| ings of timber en- the three middle sec
| lions, and three on the sections ! and ).
| They are to he all bolted together
making d mass of timber and sand
| that il would seem impossible to even
! jar The upper floor timbers are laid
! close together.
| The battery guns viii he mounted 80
| feet apart. The kintles on which tn
| guns swing are of steel, inches in
diameter and 30 inches long They are
| fastened down and keyed 4 the lie
timbers and by heavy straps running
| out on the ledge.
The floor surface inside Of the lat
terry win be about 5000 square feet. hn
the west end Of the wall and on ia.
south side there Will be built a plat
form four feet in width.
/ The foundation is well along. The
stone work is all completed. Tho wall
runs along the west end of the FONDA
Ition where the guns are to be mounted.
| The bed timbcrs are all hard pine. In
The first tier in the foundation they arc
| IL to "a feet long, I3xl2. filled in with
| sand
The whole foundation for the battery
| is; solid ledge and with the combination
Of big hard pine timber bolted together
| and filed in between with sand, the
bfeastWorks will make a strong defence
| against any fire of the enemy. The
work Of mounting the guns will com
mencc before the breaStNorks are
started.
Ia the fort at the present time are
| II S-inch Itodman and 10o-pound Par
rot rifles which can be used at once.
70 properly man the water battery ii
company of 20 men Will be required, IA
men are required to work a gun An
excellent chance for a camp ground is
The rear of the battery.
The breastWork will be Of sand up
wards of 30 feet thick. The bulk head
will be constructed of 3-inch plank with
uprights close together to keep the
sand from pressing in on the battery
space In the construction of the bat
terry upwards of 30, 900 bushels of sand
viii be used 1t is obtained from the
beach which is only about 800 feet
away.
The west wall is constructed without
use Of cement or mortar. It is what :
called a dry wall. Some of the stones
used weigh a ton and a half. The
whole structure is securely fastened To
the ledge
Since The fort was started at the
mouth of the river the people in the
vicinity have commenced to reitilZe
" hat an unprotected state they are III
ANA many are anxious to know when
the proposed defenrcs in the way OF
mines and turpedoes are 10 be cstah-
liShed.
AS one man said. last night, "a small
detachment could land from a Spanish
feet and take charge of Pophan. ana
make one of the pilots in the neighbor-
hood show them the way to Bath. ana
the shipping city could he sheiied ana
laid in ruins and the enemy couid re
turn to sea before anything coutd be
done to prevent.
Some Of the spanish torpedo destroy
crs are of light draft and could go clear |
to Augusta In two days, at the out !
side the mouth Of the kennebec colid
he mined so that no kind of vessel |
Iypt n Times