Newport in Newport County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
Three Tiers of Firepower
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 8, 2011
1. Three Tiers of Firepower Marker
The Fast Passage provides easy entry to Narragansett Bay. So in wartime, an enemy fleet could have sailed right into Newport, with cannons blazing! To answer this potential threat, Fort Adams focused its firepower here on the west wall.
Top tier aimed to take down the mast and rigging. These guns could fire cannon balls linked by chains and bars that could cut the halyards, smash rigging and shred the sails.
Center tier swept the decks with cannon balls and even grape shot at close range.
Bottom tier, almost level with the water, aimed to skip the deadly hot shot, heated cannon balls, to strike at the waterline. Not only did they pierce the hull but also started fires in the wooden ships.
[ Along Bottom of Marker : ]
Top Tier Range
7 8-inch Columbiads 2.1 miles
33 8-inch S.C. Howitzers 1 mile
Center Tier Range
34 32 Pounders 1.1 miles
3 8-inch Columbiads 2.1 miles
3 24 Pounders 1.1 miles
Bottom Tier Range
34 42 Pounders 1.8 miles
3 8-inch Columbiads 2.1 miles
117 Cannons
Later
this page online
Erected by Fort Adams State Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 41° 28.757′ N, 71° 20.296′ W. Marker is in Newport, Rhode Island, in Newport County. Marker can be reached from Fort Adams Drive, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located inside Fort Adams. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport RI 02840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Changing Role of the Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); Building a Fortress (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Giant Among Forts (about 300 feet away); Defending Narragansett Bay (about 400 feet away); Going Great Guns (about 400 feet away); Life in Fort Adams (about 400 feet away); Returning Old Glory 2001 (about 400 feet away); Between the Wars (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport.
More about this marker. The marker features a picture of cannons from the three tiers firing on a ship. Three photographs of guns at Fort Adams appear at the bottom of the marker.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 8, 2011
2. Three Tiers of Firepower Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 8, 2011
3. Marker in Fort Adams
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 8, 2011
4. West Wall from the Inside of Fort Adams
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, October 8, 2011
5. West Wall Seen from Outside Fort Adams
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 533 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 10, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
