THE POWDER MAGAZINE AND THE BARRACKS OF THE DAUPHIN BASTION

BY

JEAN HANKEY

MARCH, 1968

(Fortress of Louisbourg
Report H B 14)

THE POWDER MAGAZINE
OF THE DAUPHIN BASTION

In 1729, construction was begun on the magazine. By the end of the year, the magazine was ready to receive its vault. [27] By the summer of 1730, only the covering for the roof remained to be finished. [28] At the end of that year, construction was complete, but it was impossible to remove the supports of the arch until the masonry had dried. [29] In 1732, the inside of the magazine was roughcast. [30] Powder could not be safely stored there until 1734. This magazine held between 450 [31] and 500 [32] barrels of powder or 30 milliers. [14] When possible, a guard was assigned the task of guarding the magazine. [33] By 1741, it was clear that this magazine was too small to serve the needs of the Fortress. [34] Verrier planned to build another in the Queen's Bastion.

During the first siege, a work was raised to cover the powder magazine. [35] However, Duchambon wrote that at this time the powder in the Dauphin magazine was moved into the postern tunnel between the King's and Queen's bastion. [36]

During the first occupation, the English repaired the magazine and built another in the Brouillan bastion. When the Fortress was returned to the French, further repair work was done to the Dauphin powder magazine. By 1753, Franquet found the available storage area for powder insufficient and proposed the construction of two or more buildings, each with a capacity three times that of the Dauphin. [12]

It is not known what damage the magazine received during the second siege. In 1758, Nathaniel Knap wrote that he was working on "ye Great Magizene a Shingling." [38] His reference was vague, but it was probably the powder magazine of the Dauphin Bastion.

STRUCTURAL DETAILS

In 1751, Franquet wrote that the building was 30 pieds, 6 pouces long and 34 pieds, 8 pouces wide. [14] Boucher in 1749 had estimated the perimeter of the building as 25 toises. [15]

The approximate height of the building then was given as one toise. [15] When interpreting this figure, it should be remembered that the roof of the magazine was gabled according to most plans. [39] The following plans: 1751-8 [40], 1757-6 [41], and 1758-28 [42], show the magazine with a hipped roof similar to that of the barracks. The views 1731-1 [21], 1731-3 [25], 1745-1 [26], ND 66 [20], and ND 25a [17] support the majority of the plans on this question. Also, the views depict a "fleur de lis" at either end of the building. The roof was covered with wooden shingles. [14]

When the Fortress was returned to the French in 1749, the French complained that the English had neglected the necessary yearly upkeep of the buildings. The powder magazine was in need of repair. [43] Heavy winds had blown away part of the roof. The damaged section was to be repaired with masonry and the rafters fastened into place. The first covering was of planks from Boston. A covering of wooden shingles followed. [23] In spite of the heavy attack launched against the Dauphin Bastion, the powder magazine does not seem to have been damaged seriously.

In 1749, repair work was proposed for the floor of the magazine. A wooden floor had been put into the magazine in 1732. [30] The 1749 estimates required double floor joists seven by eight pouces. Three hundred toises of material were needed. The plans called for the installation of a double floor. All of these efforts aimed at better protection for the powder. The document suggested that a double wooden floor was a new feature. [15] In 1750, Boucher wrote that the repair work to the floor had been completed. Some of the planks used were from the demolished floor of the cazernes (of the King's Bastion). It is impossible to know if the proposals of 1749 were followed.

In Diderot, there is a description of a model powder magazine based on the Vauban principles. The floor of the magazine is raised above the ground level in order to protect the powder from the humidity. [44]

The vault of the magazine was bombproof. [14] The 1727 estimates proposed "pierre Platte" for the vault. [19] In 1730 Verrier wrote that the vault was composed of "moelons ou Pierre Platte et peu de briques." [45] The English in 1749 had put a new covering upon the arch. [37] They had also built a new powder magazine in the Brouillan bastion. It was constructed of timber and brick, and lacked a bombproof vault. [46]

The walls of the magazine were thick and made of rubble stone masonry ("construit en maconnerie"). [14] Each of the ND plans depicting the lay-out of the building indicate that the two end walls (that is: the wall opposite the barracks and the wall facing the right face of the Dauphin) are thicker than the other set. On the ND 25a plan, the thinnest walls have the same thickness. [17] The wall facing the terreplein is thicker than the opposite wall against the rampart on the ND 56 plan. [18] The ND 66 plan shows the reverse situation - the wall facing the terreplein is the least thick. [20]

In 1732, the inside of the powder magazine was roughcast. [30] In 1749 Boucher proposed that the outside of the building be roughcast. [15]

On all the available plans, the door to the magazine is shown located on the side facing the terreplein (roughly the south side of the building). Only the ND 56 plan shows an air vent on either side of the door. [18] In 1727 sheet metal or iron was ordered for the door of the magazine and for "le poinçon" or crown post. [19]

This magazine seemed to be in use for the entire period. In 1753, Franquet wrote that the barrels of powder were piled from the floor to the ceiling. [12] According to Diderot, "La poudre, qui est en barril, s'arrange dans le magasin sur des especes de chantiers, à-peu-près comme on arrange des pieces de vin dans une cave." [44]

ENDNOTES

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