Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-25

gnes Of destruction are uneIhausted Below we give
description of one Of their mechanical monsters. The
Inventor is tho author Of several very gigantic failures
In this way but this does not shake Yankee audacity
When this Yankee eviathan starts on It's errand Of
demolition, they will look with conf lence to see the
Confederates and the Brshers fall on their knees and
beg for mercy just the Chinese warriors did when
they brought out their gongs and commenced throwing
somersets In the face Of the British army
TERRIBLE ENGINE OF DEsrRUCTION-T
ERICSSON BATTERY TO BE COMPLETED BY THE
FIFTEENTH OF JANUARY.
| From the New York Journal Of Commerce)
The construction Of the Ericsson battery furnishes
Characteristic instance Of American energy and dispatch
The for the work signed the 9th Of DC.
tober last the work itself commenced on the goth
of the same month and there now DO doubt that the
battery will be finished before the 18th of Janu.
ary 1861, within the specified period About 1000 skill.
fu mechanics are employed various portions of the
structure and its equipments, and the labor Is pushed
both night and day. The central part OF tho hall and
deck Is nearly completed at the Continental iron works.
Greenpoiut. The principal engines and boilers and
screws are in an advarced state at the Deamater iron
works, foot Of Thirteenth street, N. Y. The Novelty
works rapidly giving shape to the death-deang
ret Messrs Cute Brothers, of Schenectady will not be
behind with the turretengnes aud gun.carIages Three
large rolling mills in this city employing all their
available force IN tne prCdncuon Oh iron piatee.
Captain Ericsson invests his undertaking With no mys-
terry The public are free to know all about the plan,
the Dimensions the armament and the minute pc
cularities Of hfs unique invention. The following de-
sodpdon may convey some idea Of 1t
The battery rests upon two vessels, an upper and
lower one The upper Is built of iron, hundred and
feet long, fortyone feet four inches wide
and FIVE feet Deep With draught Of three to six inches
leaving only eighteen inches Of the sides exposed above
the water line. The sides covered With white oak
~ i IL
protection from armor Of rolled plsteiron six inches
tick. The deck is made Of oak beams, ten inch,s
thick covered with plank eight inches thick and one
inch plate The upper vessel is ltbottomed and has
wedge SHAPED stem and stern. The lower vessel, which
IL entirely submerged Is hundred and twentyfour
fet long, thiryfour feet wde and six feet six inches
Deep It contains the working machinery, the rudder,
sod the anchor housed away, beyond the reach Of the
elemys shot Upon the deck Of the upper vessel, and
the only conspicuous object this 'ow raking" and
terrible craft Is the turret twenty feet In diameter,
nine feet high and composed Of nine oneinchron pates
Tapped each other and fastened with thousands
bolts sheproof roof, six inches thick, the
50 ret which is entered through hatchways rom above
The total weight Of the turret ia hundred aud TWEEN.
~ tons.
The armament consists Of two columbiads (which are
preferable to rife guus at short ranges each carrying
ball Of one hundred ard eighty pounds, and working
through circular port holes three feet above the deck
The carriages made Of wrought iron, aud move on
forged iron Slides The turet can b, turned at pleasure
by spuruheel and gearing driven by doube-cylindes
engine and controlled by lever in the turrst By this
contrivarce, the guns can be aimed almost instantly at