The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-12-28

/ Il a. Stevens. ESQ.,. Of Hoboken, the Comma.
dofc Of the New York Yacht SquadroB, has built
an iron vessel, Of very peculiar character full.
" armed and equipped, which he willpresent "a
the United States Government through Mr..
Chase, the Secretary Of the Treasury. NJ. Ste
vens not only builds her but arms her, and, in
fact, turns her over to Nj. Ohsss ready for ac-
tive service, without its costing tho Government
one dollar. This gentleman went 20 WASHING
ton TO represent the Yacht Club, and tender to
the Government the selection Of any one Of
their Ave vessels AZ this interview with Mr..
Chase. Mr.. Stevens asksd IL the Department
would accept from himself . steam gun boat,
and since that time has been diligently at work
upon her construction, and a. soon 20 fully com.
pieted Mr. Stevens will turn her ever, free Of
cost, to the United Stateai She 10 thus de-
scribed: sd3lt9al - eaeiaie sfa
The vessel is now at Bordentown, New Jersey,
receiving her finishing souches The hull is
built of iron, in the usual manner, being arm,
ard bolted to iron beams and knees Her length
il one hundred and one feet, twenty feet beam,
depth Of hold seven feet six inches. When
light she iii draw about four feet of water, but
when in action her draught will be between
seven and eight feet. Her bulwarks are Of white
cedar, because, being brittle, they will not spin-
ter, like pine and oak. They are tho feet thick
outside of the hull and one foot thick inside, ex.
tending above the deck three feet ten inches,
and three feet nine inches below. The lower
part of the bulwarks are rounded OF, and give
great buOyaDcy and stability to the motion Of
the vessel, The outside of the buIwarks is pla-
ted with wrought iron, securely bolted through
the woodwork. She has two engines, each
working independently Of the other. Each of
them gives power to q screw propeller, go that
by reversing one engine and moving the other
~hrol tl,n =, e. L..
own length; and 80 rapidly is this evolution
performed that it only requires one minute and
a half to turn the vessel one hundred and eighty
degrees. The utility of this arrangement for a
war vessel is apparent to the most casual
reader. Ea,5gstC. ft4Fs ~.
The hold of the vessel is divided into four
apartments. The forward one is for water tho
second, officers and mems quarters; the third,
engine and boiler room, and the fourth, or after
one, Is also a water tank. The forward and af-
termost bulkheads are water tight In the bet
tom Of the vessel, in each of the water apart.
ments, is q hole, sixteen inches in diameter, on
which is fitted a valve, which is worked from
the deck. A force pump is in each apartment
also to pump out the water. .,si:5E s
& When the vessel is ready to approach bat
terry with the view Of attacking it, the waves arc
opened in each of the water apartments, and a
iuSuSS III duu " oS5i5S Vic VcSSel
in settling faster the pumps are set to work, and
two streams are thrown in upon the deck, which
runs down hatch into the apartments. When
the vessel is settled to the proper depth there is
seventeen inches of water over the deck. 1t is
now that the heavy wooden bulwaIks come to
the rescue and steady the submerged vessel.
The vessel 10 armed with one riicd one hun
dred FOUNDER gun Of the Parrott pattern. This
gun is placed in the centre of the vessel, upon a
dais, around which rises high combing to pre-.
vent the water from reaching it. When this
novel craft is in position, by settling her in the
water, nothing is visible TO the enemy but the
outline of the hull, marked by the bulwarks SUBJ
merged and the gun amidship. To person in
the slightest degree acquainted with gunnery it
will be readily seen how difficult it will be to hit
this craft. With such vessel az this it would
be an easy matter to come upon an enemy du-
ring the darkness of night and sink his vessel,
and also to surprise an encampment or serious
ly injure fort or battery. Those of our naval
officers who have seen the vessel are very much
in favor of the plan.