The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-05-20

Tue heei VI 'hc MISSISSIPPI was iald IN
August, 1889, since which time a daily
average of about 100 men have been en-.
gagged upon her, period of twenty-one
months. She measures twelve feet more
IN length than the great ship Pennsylvania,
launched from the same building and
though she has few feet less of beam,
her whecl-house gives her the appearance
of much greater width. Her dimensions
are as follows:
Fl In.
Length OF keel, 2O6 .
Length between the perpendiculars, 40
Extreme length from the cutwa,er 10
the taffrail, pa
Width of beam moulded or width at
the tImbers, 30
The same outside of panking, 10
Extreme breadth outside the paddle
boxes, &C 6
Depth Of hold, % 6
Measurement of tons tper carpenters
measurement) as double-decker, l7SS tons
Measurement as a single-deckor, 1915 tons
Measurement by the rule that the ton.
mage Of the steamship President is
estimated by, 1920 tons
She has two magazines. ore forward
and one aft, lined all round with copper
fitted with wooden tanks lined with lead,
and thus made wholly lmperyious TO wa.
ter. la case the vessel should spring a
leak, or by taking fire should render il
necessary TO overflow Ter with water, the
powder would be kept dry and fit for in.
slant use. This is great Improvement
over the old practice OF carrying il in bar.
rels.
She has thirty water tanks, twelve aft
the engine and eighteen forward. These
tanks are OF wrought iron, securely riye.ed
water-iight, and enclosed in wooden cases.
They are Of different sizes and shape, and
when slowed form level surface.
The frame Of This frigate is of live oak,
from Florida. The frame is admirably
secured BY iron trusses running from the
gun deck TO the second fut,ock head, bolt.
cd though the frames. These are five
feet apart, four inches wide, three-quar.
tiers of an inch thick. Between the berth.
deck clamps and the bilge-streaks at Sc.
cond fuiiock and first tuttock heats there
are trnsses Of timber six inches square,
running at right angles with the braces
The main kelson is Of live oak, two feet
deep; there are four wing nelson's Of white
oak, on which the bed plates for the en-
gines rest. These bed plates are secured
BY about forty iron bolts, from two to four
inches IN diameter, running through the
tmbers, the heads covered by TIE bottom
planks.
The engines are secured together by
massive cast iron framing, in the Gothic
style, combining in an eminent degree
strength and compactness.
The paddle wheel, shafts, cranks, con.
Meeting rolls, crossroads, &c. are immense
masses Of r'ought iron, which were forg-
ed at the West Point Foundry, al Cold
Springs. In addition to their being beau.
uful specimens of heavy forging, they are
palpablc evidences that heavy smiih-work
Of this description can be erecated in this
country.
The boilers are Of copper, each being
10 feet wide, Ia feet long, 2 feet 3 inches
high, with double return flues. so that the
flame trayerses the length Of the boiler
three times before il reached the chimney.
They are strongly braced at intervals Of
eight inches, and are TO be proved 10 a
pressure of thirty pounds TO each square
inch Of surface. Each will weigh about
$4,000 lis. The cylinders are 6 feet 9
inches in diametcr-7 feet stroke. The
castings weighed in the rough about / g..
900 lbs. and in their finished state about
$4,000 each.
The lever beams are Of cast iron-two
for each ongine-weighing $4,000 lbs.
each.
This vessel is intended to carry between
700 or 500 tons Of coal, which will suffice
for about % days steamiug.
A the work, with the exception Of the
very heavy forging and the brass castings,
has been executed at the Southwark foun-
dry, and in manner that challenges corr.
pari5on. The whole Of the machinery re.
fleets the highest credit upon these enter
pris!ng machinlsts, Messrs. Merrick and
Town.
Her armament is intended to be on
scale commensurate with her magnificent
hull and machinery. She is pierced with
twenty-sIx ports in all, bat It is intended
that she shall carry but eighteen guns in
aIl-six aft the wheeI.house aad three for. /.
ward only, on each side. She will carry
two ten-lnch Paixhan guns forward, which
are to traverse the greater part Of circle
on swivel; these two guns will be able
to carry shot Of one hundred pounds
weight. The other sixteen guns will be
Of eight-inch bore, and viii carry sixty.
four pound balls. The intention now is 10
bore out double fortified foriy.two pounds
for this purpose. This, however, may III.
be abandoned, and eight.inch ord
nance, cast for this especial purpose, be
adopted in their stead.
On her upper or main deck all her guns
are intended to be placed. A large space
IS left IN The centre Of the berth-deck for the
engines an machinery. There are two
-buukers, each about eighty feet in
length, and are situated on the larboafd