Monday, May 19, 2014

May 19, 2014 FT. PICKENS

 Arrived today aprox. 1 pm at Fort Pickens, FL.  This is Tweedy's site for today and tomorrow. 
 We toured the Civil War Fort occupied by the Union which kept the Confederates from using Pensacola Bay for shipping of goods.
 This Fort had a total of 200 cannons to protect its borders.
 The US Flag waves proudly over Fort Pickens
 The damage evident in this pic was caused by an accidently set fire while  constructing the Pensacola battery.  Ammunitions were stored here and exploded in the fire causing the damage seen here.
 The void in the Fort behind Doug in the pic is the result  of the explosion.
 The arched chambers which housed the cannons flowed from one to the next as seen in this pic.
 This was the largest of the weapons mounted on top of the Fort and able to hurtle a thirty pound shot for 7-9 miles.
 This area which appears black was an upgrade made to the Fort in 1898.  It was essentially a Fort built within a Fort.  The walls of this fortification where 3 foot thick poured concrete as opposed to the brick and mortar of the original Fort. 
 This is a view taken from atop the Fort looking towards a Navy Base across Pensacola Bay.
 One of the many arched chambers of the Fort.


 This type of guns where upgraded for WWII use at Fort Pickens.  The gun had a shoot and duck action.  After being fired the gun would drop from site below the wall until made ready to be fired again.
 Another view if the shoot and duck artillery.
 Another WWII type of gun based outside the Fort for protection.
After visiting the Fort we walked the beach.  We plan to return to the beach tomorrow for some fun in the sun.

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