Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-03-20

which had all the machinery below
the water line, out of the reach OF
shot, was the first successful applca.
tion Of the screw propeller; the first
that burned anthricite coal, thus avoid
ing the smoke, which, even, in all for
eign war steamers, reveals to the
enemy the position of the ship at long
distance at sea the first which low.
cred the smoke pipe completely out
of the way Of the sails, and the first
which used blowers, m aking the sup
ply of steam independent of the height
Of the smoke pipe.
The contract for building the vessel
of the above character, bears date the
4th of October, and stipulates that
she shall be completed in one hundred
days thcrcfrom. The hull was built
on tho stocks of Il. f. Roland, at
Greenpoint, Long Island, and is of the
following dimensions
Length Of upper vessel l72 feet;
beam of upper vessel, Al feet
inches depth Of upper vessel, 5 feet
length of lower vessel, l24 feet
beam of lower vessel, at junction with
upper, "a feet do. at bottom, Is feet
depth of lower vessel, feet 6 inches,
diameter Of turret, interior, 20 feet
height of turret, 9 feet diameter of
pilot.house, 6 feet; height above the
deck, 5 feet.
The sides of the upper vessel are
first formed of plate iron, half an inch
thick, outside of which is attached
solid white oak, twenty-six inches
thick, which again receives the rolled
iron armor of five inches thickness.
The bomb-proof deck is supported by
we'll Sanctioned and diagonally brac-
ed oak beams, ten inches square,
placed their faces twenty-six inches
apart, upon which is laid planking
seven inchcs thick, covered with roll
ed plate iron one inch thick. As the
bottoms of these beams are on a level
with the water the armor is support
ed by backing Of forty-one feet in
depth.
The revolving turret consists first
of rolled plate-Iron skeleton, one inch
thick, to which are r,vetcd in the most
substantial manner two thicknesscs,
of one inch each, of rolled iron plates.
Outside of these riveted plates are six
thcknesscs, of one inch each, of rolled
plates. bolted firmly to the first thick
nesses with screw bolts, having deep
conntersunk heads OH the outside and
nuts within, SD that if the encmy's
shot shall loosen any of the plates
they can be readily frightened. There
are only vertical seams, and these
break joints with each other, so that
no shot can strike the seam of more
than one thickness. The top is cover
ed with bomb-proof, placed six
inches down within the cylinder, and
perforated with holes. The lower part
of the gun carriages, upon which the
upper part slides when the gun is run
out, consists of solid wrought iron
beams, extending the whole diameter
of the turrct, with their ends firmly
secured to it in such manner that
they essentially form part Of it.
These beams are planed perfectly true,
and are seven inches deep by four
inches wide. They are placed per-
fectly parallel in the turret-both
guns pointing in the same direction
which permits the officer conducting
the cannonadc to take aim by sights
fixed with the turrct instead of with
the guns, in usual way, which requires
personal exposure when taking the
aim. The ports through the side of
the turret are only sufficiently wide to
permit of the passage through them
Of the mnzzle of the guns, and with
just enough addition, vertically, for
the moderate elevation required. In
side of these swing huge wrought iron
pendlums, which close them against
the enemy as soon as the guns rccoil.
Two of the heaviest guns now used by
the navy are to be employed. The
whole is made to revolve by a pair OF
steam 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
was erected at the Novelty Iron
Works.
The lower vessel is Of iron, one-half
inch thick, made in the usual manner,
and contains in its after part the
steam machinery and coal, and in
the forward part-the two being di-
vided by wrought iron bulkhead-
the quarters for the officers and crew,
with the ammunition and stores. In
designing the upper and lower vessels
separately, it must not be supposed
that they are constructed separately !;
they form together one vessel it is
only as respects form that they can
be regarded as two The draught of
water is ten feet, which leaves but
eighteen inches above the surface
she presents a remarkably small tar
get above the water.
There are two fan blowers drawing
air down through bomb-proof gratings
in the deck the one delivering into
the open fire room creating therein an
excess of pressure which causes a
powerful draught to pass through the
fires of the boiler furnaces, the escap-
ing gases passing up through 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 registers conveniently placed in
every apartment and store-room, the
final exit being up through the turret.
thus thoroughly ventilating every
part.
She has a speed Of eight knots an
hour, and carries 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 watertight conduits, remov-
able at pleasure.
The steam machinery consists of
two horizontal tubular boilers, con-
tanning 5000 square feet of fire sur
face, and two horizontal condensing
engines Of forty inches diameter OF