The New York herald., 1861-12-07

engines placed beneath the deck the handle
which governs them passing up into the turret
convenient to the hand of the officer who aims
the guns. This part Of the structure Is being
erected at the Novelty Iron Works.
The lower vessel is of iron one-haif inch
thick, made in the usual manner, and contains
in It's after part the steam machinery and coal.
and in the forward part-the two being divided
by wrought iron bulkhead The quarters for
the officers and crew, with the ammunition and
stores In designating the upper and lower
vessels separately, it must not be supposed that
they are constructed separately; they form
together one vessel ii is only as respects form
that they can be regarded as two. The draught
Of water will be ten feet, which leaves but
eighteen inches above the surface and as there
will be no bulwarks it will be observed that
she will present remarkably small target
above the water.
There will be two fan blowers drawing air
down through bomb-proof gratings in the deck;
the one delivering into tho open fireroom,
creating therein an excess of pressure which
causes powerful draught to pass through the
| fires Of the boiler furnaces the escaping gases
passing up through o bomb-proof grating in the
deck; the other delivering under the air-tight
flooring Of the forward part Of the vessel,
| through which the air rises, by means of regis
| ters conveniently placed In every apartment
and storeroom, the final exit being up through
the turret, thus thoroughly ycntilating every
part ........... ,rsss>
She is expected to have speed Of eight knots
an hour, and carry eight days fuel. Though
not intended for an ordinary cruiser, she can
proceed by sea to any part Of our coast, the air
openings in the deck to be surrounded at such
times by watcr-tght conduits, removable at
pleasure. tlm e3..........
| The steam machinery consists of two horizon
| tai tubular boilers, containing 5000 square feet
of fire surface, and two horizontal condensing
engines Of forty inches diameter of cylinders,
by Twenty-Five inches stroke Of pistons The
| propeller is nine feet diameter, sixteen feet
pitch, and las four blades. This portion Of the
work is being executed by c. II. Delamater, at
his works in this city. .ssel ytaso)
| She carries three mouths provisions, with
condensing apparatus for supplying fresh water
| to the officers and crew. Her magazines and
she'll rooms have capacity for 1SO rounds Of
| ammunition. The quarters for the officers and
crew are convenient and spacious. a
| The entire vessel and machinery are being
built under the superintendent, on the part of
| the government, of Chief Engineer Alban G.
Sinners, U. S. n, who was detached from tho
! frigate Roanoke while blockading of Charles
ton, S. O., and ordered North for this purpose.
Assisting him in this duty is First Assistant En-
gineer Isaac Newton, U. S. NJ, from the same
vessel. , ...,-
This WILL in all probability, be the first IRON
clad seagoing vessel that will receive the test
Of actual warfare; so that, although European
nations have been surprised at our tardiness in
building this class Of ships, we shall be the first
to ascertain their actual value, and that, too,
with models throwing to the winds their expen-
siye precedents, which will have to look to
their laurels, or they might find, if we should
ever come to blows, that small vessel, entire
ly impregnable to the heaviest ordnance, may
contend successfully with even one Of their
powerful ships, which are only partially pro-
tected. .,s..t... y .i