Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-24

Its PeculIaritIes and Uses.
..DRCRNTBER "a


Iron Works, Green Point, formidable iron
battery, which will probably prove a novel
and eficacious implement of war. Congress
at its last session made an appropriation of
one million five hundred thousand dollars |
for building iron-clad vessels and Captain !
Ericsson submitted to the commissioners who I
were appointed TO examine the proposals a
plan for an impregnable iron battery, which |
should be novel, yet simple in its construc-
tion. His plans were approved, and the
contract for building the battery was
awarded to G. S. Bushnell & Company. By
the terms of the contract it is to be finished
and equipped for active service in one hun
dred days from the 9TH of October. It is
not to be accepted if, on being subjected to
the enemy's guns at the shortest range, it
fails to fulfill the pledges made in regard to
it, So confident are the inventor and con-
tractors of its success, that one of these gem
tlemen remarked that he should be perfectly
ready TO enter into contract to take any
city that can be approached by water.
THE HULL.
Avoiding as far as possible technical
terms and phrases, let us examine the vessel
and gather as clear an idea as possible of
its structure. The hull is sharp at both
ends, and instead of the gradual curve of
cutwater the bow projects, and coming to a
point at an angle of eighty degrees, the
siIes, instead of the ordinary bulge, incline
at an angle of about fifty-one degrees to the
vertical line. This hull is fat-bottomed,
six feet six inches in depth, and built quite
light of three-eighth inehTTiron. 1t is one
hundred and twenty-four feet long and
thirty-four feet wide at the top.
Resting on this is another, or upper hull,
also fat-bottomed, with perpendicular sides
and pointed ends. 1t is forty-one feet and
four inches wide, so that it juts over the
lower hull on each side, three feet and seven
inches. 1t is one hundred and seventy-four
feet long, thus extending twenty-five feet
beyond the hull at each end. The sides are
five feet high, and when in fighting order
the lower hull will be entirely immersed and
the upper one sunk three feet and six
inches thus leaving but eighteen iches both
fore and abaft above water, the battery
drawing ten feet Of water. The sides of this
upper hull are composed of an inner guard
of iron; outside Of this is a strongly fastened
wall of white oak, thirty inches thick, aud
covered with an iron armor six inches in
thickness. The bottom of this vessel is
Joined to the hull, so that the interior is
open to the bottom, as in sloop. The deck
comes flush with the top of the upper hull,
and is bomb proof First is frame of oak
beams, ten inches square and twenty-six
inches apart, covered with eight-inch plank,
and protected with two layers of iron, each
an inch thick. There will be no railing or
bulwark of any kind above the deck.
The ends of the upper vessel projecting
over the hull fore and abaft, serve as q pro-
lection of the propeller, rudder and anchor.
The propeller is of course at the stern, and
the equipoise rudder behind that and they
are SO protected by the upper vessel that
they can not be struck by ball The an
chor is infront, and is short but very heavy.
It's hoisted by chain running into the
hold, up into place fitted for il, outside of
the lower hull, but within the impregnable
walls of the upper hull. The inclination of
the lower hull is such that o ball. to strike
it in any part, must pass through at least
twenty five feet of water, and then strike an
inclined iron surface, at an angle of about
ten degrees. 1t is, therefore, absolutely
protected, yet so light as to give great buoy
ancy. A ball striking the eighteen inches
of exposed upper hull, to do material dam
age, must pass through six inches of iron,
thirty inches of white oak, and then about
half an inch more of iron. 1t is exceedingly
doubtful whether Southern ingenuity has
yet invented gun that will accomplish it..
The hull being finished, we will go on
board. Only three things are exposed
above deck In the center is the turret or
citadel, the wbeel-hOuse, and possibly box
around the smoke-escape.
THE wHEEL-HoUsE.
The battery will be steered from the
front, and the wheel-house will stand before
the turret. 1t will be of iron, very strong,
though during action it is not intended that
it should be exposed. 1t can be lowered into
the hold like a bale of dry goods on one of
the Broadway sidewalk falls. When lowered,
the top, which is bomb proof, is level with
and forms part of the deck. The joints are
water-tght. The house will be pierced for
sharpshooters.
THE CHIMNEY.
The draught for the furnaces is forced
one, and in action no chimney will be used,
as the smoke will pass through bomb-proot
gratings in the deck. AS the deck will be
continually washed by the sea the accumu-
1ation of cinders, ETC., will be of no conse-
quence. Probably q small guard will sur
round these gratings, to prevent heavy seas
breaking into them, and a contrivance is
made to prevent what water may dash over
from going into the furnaces.
THE TURRET.
The whole vessel thus described is but
bed to support the castle. The turret
which is the important feature of the
structure, is a round cylinder twenty fee
in interior diameter and nine feet high. Il
is built entirely of iron plates, one inch in
thickness eight of them securely bolted on,
one over the other, with the joints overlap
ping each other. Within this there is a lin
ing of iron one inch thick, thus giving nine
inches of solid iron. 1t rests ON bed plate
or rather ring, made Of composition, which
is securely fastened to the deck. To helI
support the weight, which is about hun.
dTed tuns, vertical shaft ten inches in di.
ameter is attached and fastened to the bulk
head. The top is covered with forged iroI
beams and perforated iron, shell proof. Tht
top is perforated to allow the smoke of thu
guns, and even more, the concussion of thu
air, to pass off. The conoussion from a CUR
fired in a small close room would kill thu
inmates as quickly as though the ball haC
struck them. In small classmates men cal
not work for more than couple of hour
at a time, the conclusion, the air causin
sometimes bleeding at the nose and eart
Frequently the men have to be taken an
rubbed down as carefully as a raee-hOrs
after its victory. The top has also som
small sliding hatchways composed of two
inch plate iron, to serve as entrance Wayi