George Sinclair Letter 18 July 1855

U. S. Navy Yard Norfolk
July 18th 1855

Sir,
I yesterday visited the new Magazine in company with Mr. Brown the Civil Engineer with a view of making the arrangements you proposed for hoisting the powder to the upper racks.
I completed removing the powder this week, but I find so much work going on in fitting up the old buildings No 2 & No 4 that I think it would be more prudent to wait until the work is done, tho the Magazine building itself is complete.
The building number No 2 is being fitted up for empty tanks and powder barrels. The northern part of No 4 is being arched for the storage of filled shells, and the southern part is also being finished, but whether it is designed as a room in which to fill shells, or to fill powder for ships I am not informed. It is well adapted to the latter purpose, but I think (and in this opinion the Engineer fully agrees with me) that the Hall of the Magazine, would be the best, safest and most convenient place to use for filling cartridges and by removing one or two of the racks in one of the wings of the Magazine, the powder when filled, and packed for use, could be stowed with more safety than in either of the other buildings. All the racks are arranged to be put up or taken down without extra work. If the southern end of No 4 is designed as a room in which to fill, and stow powder when packed, for ships, or when received from them, it will be necessary to build a track to join that now leading from the wharf to the Magazine door. The ramparts at one or two points are so broken down as to offer afford easy ingres within the Fort, and they require repairs generally about the coping. I am of opinion that they should at all counts be so far repaired, before removing the powder, as to prevent ingres except through the gate.

Very Respectfully,
Geo. J. Sinclair
Asst Insp of Ord

Com C Morris