Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-17

q complete De.crsDsioa Of ,ae ~ B,,tor,

= Complete Drargipsio., of sie 8,.,fo,s.'
We find in tie ST, Louis Dcm0crat Of the l2th
lengthy description Of the Federal gunboar
" Benton, now nearly completed, which is de-
| signed for the river operations Of the enemy. It
would seem to be formidable affair:
THE Roy-CLAD STEAMER BENTON.
! Passing the Fresh Air House a busy scene
| opens upon the grauhed eve. Now Is seen the
| st. Louis dry docks, with "a floating sawnill, a
/ blacksmith shop, and other buildings, piles OF
| lumber heaps Of ron rivets, glaciers OF IRON
p..tes, etc. erc. Upon the dock, here is a gun
l0atln process of construction, and on the top of
It 20 bold sign. of which the following is a copy:
/ "BENTON-Eor Memphis and New Orleans.
/ iWo hundred men are at work upon the boat m
the workshops and ON the river bank, ami the ln-
e'5s4lt noise of hammer, and saw, reveals tine
Hct that important operations are going on.
Before attempting description OF this iron
clad steamer or guuboat lits ightuess oi draught
entities d to the lattaruame,) we may inform our
readers shat Commodore FOote. of the Mississippi
navy, las fully determined that it shall be his
lag steamer. This fact is demOusuauve OF her
fitness for service ON the western waters, and of
Che strength and completeness Of her build, and
Is certainly % complement 60 her builders
Aessrs Daggctt and Morse. Il is worth while
stating is us q coincidence thaJ this guubOa- las
originally one of Che famous suag boat5-rhe
Thomas H. beuton-built bygoyelumeut at Im-
Wgusa cost, and soon atteyNgd, without any ser
vice having been done by them sold for q dcspi-
cable sum. This is the way tine peoples money
used 90 be squauleIed, but we may hope tine
Benton. 8s a war steamer under Commodore
tu9tg. VIII make mp somewhat for the TcWlss
ness of q weak and wicked administration Of
past days. Ii was bought. Wc believe by tle
western wroCsIu- company and became that
huge Golfer dam concern well known ora The
river as the Submarine No. :. We believe the
Submarine, No. e. when completed, cost the
wregkug company S75.UUU-a sum much larger,
we fear, than she ever brought her owners.
However that may be- she was sold to govern
maut l0r what sum we have not learned, and
since then has become "a tremendous engine OF
war. The government was, doubtless, wise in
purchasing the Submarine, No :.
Eight weeks ago. d. n NJ Hoated it upon
their docks and they have had two hundred men
az work upon her constantly, v,includlng Sundays,
the last being the seventh Sunday She was SO
nearly completed 90 that time, that Mr.. Thomas
r.. Morse, who kindly showed Us over and
through the concern, thought he would launch
her by iOO'cl0C6 yesterday. NT. Morse led us
along q hundred pathways OF p.anSs up and
down ladders, through classmates, over decks,
and into dismal Trcesses enough 90 puzzle %
ma-hematlciau. which we are not. Nogkmeu
were clustered on the inside and ou the outside
rerchel on tine bow and al the stern, ON the
vhecih0use, and working busIly in wood and
iron. and everything appeared 10 be going ON
steadily, under the special observation of Nh
Morse and bis assistants Hundreds OF visitors
were ia the uei-hb0rhood, and hundreds have
been there ON every Sunday s-uce the work
began.
The twin hulls of the Benton have been con
uacted SO as to form one powerful hUll of i-6
feet Ia length. and a in breadth. The hull is
very staulch, and is sealed up inside with three
and four inch plank. II Is divided into forty
uatar-tirht compartments; thus the Benton may
he considered one of the safest way vessels i IS
possible TO build, for IL would hardly be- possible
.o penetrate every compartment during the
closest and heaviest firing into her for hours
And then II Is 60 Doe borne IN mind that her hull
tI. over 20 below the weter line as well az every
other exposed par. of the boat is covered with
heavy iron. Iaat about the middle of The lu.l is
L inches In thickness and securely fastened by
If men iron bolts. which are riyetted inside, tile
heads the bolts being c0UuteTsuuk, SO that they
cannot Dee knocked off 10y shot, and making "a
neat and admirable job. The Benton viii draw,
when fully completed, only four and a half 10
Eve feet of water, notwithstanding the hundreds
of tons of iron with which she is clad. The uJa-
rior of the bow is so constructed that a bail or
shell entering it viii come in contact with thick
iron plates, and be thrown into the air. The
whole of the bow may De knocked away, and the
boat Dee as safe as before. The depth OF the hold
IS 5 feet alforjinC ample space for machinery
and boilers. The latter are tour in number
The machinery is that Of the old boat. which
was considered quite fast for her shape Tie
Benton win have sufficient speed The ma
Chiug-y boilers magazines, etc, are under the
gun deck, and carefully and sufficiently pIo-
t.cta5 agaius- al peaayautuTg. In one part is
Che shell room and in another the powder ua-a-
zine iu the Construction of which apIItmel. only
brass nails We're used. Those apartments aye 90
be lined with lead, and every uecea any pr"eau-
ton taken 90 secure their safety. Close t1 tle
powder magazine There is faucet, by slightly
turning which, I'D the event of conf. grafton. ths
entire store of powder can be destroyed IN few
seconds In dark place beneath the gun deck
there IS one OF the celebrated Gwiu pumps capa-
BE of throwing sixty barrels OF water per minute.
We hardly think lie pump viii ever be used on
board the Benton. Her hull is too thick, and ITS
covering too tough for any rapid sua-, or swift
winged missile TO penetrate. Either may strike,
hut both viii alike lall back, broken and harm
less The wheels are In the center ia a recess
toward the stern, and are driven by two engines,
with uwen.Y-iuch cylinders, and Of seven feet
stroke The wheels are perfectly protected from
shot and shell, the wheel house being covered
with six inch timber. and plated with boiler iron.
The gun deck is spacious, and a model Of
uoatIcss, combined with strength Il is : feet
3 inches in height, with gentle inclination, csl-
culaled mataem8tcaly, as jHe safest shape for
the purpose The Benton is oasemated al round,
the timber being in parts "a inches thick, and in
lae less exposed places u inches, and al cover
cred with - inch iron. The cas=nates are built
at an angle Of - degrees, ia the most approved
method Of throwing off an assailauts missiles.
The casemat-s are pierced for IL guns Of the
heaviest l.-.ler. forward. She VIII have fore
and aft Pauott r.hed cannon which carry tour
or FIVE miles. On board this floating battery
there VIII DE fun complement Of all the neces-
sary. ordnance stores, and everything that can
sdd a the comfort Of the crew, as well as to
tl.e confusion Os tle enemy. We need hardly
add tbat the commodore viii pr.serYe .lc utmost
discipline on board. Matters are 90 60 on as If
on board an ocean mau-Ot-War. He may have
at times 800 TO 800 mca OBJ board the Benton
certainly never less than the number necessary
to effectively work the guns and the vessel 1t
Is probable his gnboat win be furnished with
telescope chimneys, which are capable OF
being shortened as occasion requires dlml-
..Ut.4. n r.rgr1iUart TTlfps+r1.l-