Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-02-28
Report on 1ron-Clad vessels.

In accordance with an order of Con-
gress the Secretary of the Navy ap-
pointed, on the sth of August last,
Board of officers to investigate plans for
the building of iron-clad vessels de-
signed for naval uses. The Board con-
sisted of Commodore j. Smith, 81.
Paulding, and Captain @. H. Davis
These naval authorities have made their
reports, and as a whole it does not seem
to be favorable to this class of war
ships. It is admitted that a wooden
frigate would be no match for an iron
plated ship in close encounter, but the.
enormous load of iron which the latter
must carry, thus requiring much more
powerful engines, and involving vastly
greater cost in construction, renders
their adoption for sea vessels inexpe-
dient for our navy at present. For
river and harbor service, iron-clad
vessels of light draught, serving for
floating batteries, are held to be useful,
especially for cruising in the inlets and
rivers in the secession States. The re-
port expresses a decided opinion that
mo ship or floating battery, however
heavily she may be plated, can cope
successfully with properly constructed
fortifeation of masonry" We suppose
this is very safe conclusion, as fort
may be covered with much thicker iron
plates than any vessel can sustain and
float But then it is also certain that
an iron-clad vessel can pass many forts
without receiving any injury in situa-
tions where wooden ships would be bat.
tered to pieces.
No less than seventeen plans and
propositions for building iron clad ves-
sells were submitted to the Board, but
of those only three were recommended,
namely: those of j Ericsson, New York;
Bushnell & Co., New Haven, Connecti-
cut, and Merrick & Son, Philadelphia
The cost of constructing these three
vessels is to be 81, ,290,210. This comes
within the sum (s1,5000,0O0,) appro-
priated by Congress for that purpose
The Ericsson iron-clad vessel is con-
sidered good plan for floating bat
terry, as it is designed to be shot and
she'll proof. The cost is to be S275,-
900, and to be built in one hundred
days after contract. Tonnage, 1885
tons; draft of water, ten feet; speed,
nine miles per hour.
Merrick & Sons vessel is to be built
of wood and iron combined. Length,
two hundred and twenty feet; breadth
of beam sixty feet; depth of hold,
twenty three feet; draft of water, thir-
teen feet; displacement, 1926 tons;
speed, nine and half knots per hour
Price, s75O.OO0; time in building, pine
months. The plates are to be four and
half inches thick, fifteen feet long,
and thirty-six inches broad. Bush;
nell vessel Is to be on the rail- and
plate principle. Length, one hundred
and eighty feet; depth of hold, twelve
feet eight inches, draft of water, ten
feet; speed, twelve knots per hour; dis
placement not obtained. Price, s235,
25O; to be built in four months.
! An appropriation Of $4,000 is re-
commended for experimenting with iron
plates and it is asserted that A inch
plates are the heaviest armor sea going
vessel can safely carry. This is diff
ferent conclusion from English naval
authorities, who intend to use Eve and
six inch plates, we understand, in theil
new iron frigates. The above vessels
are now being constructed, and the
Naval Department has invited propo
sails for furnishing and fitting rolled iror
plates inches in thickness, 33 inche.
in width, and 154 in length; for clothing
a number of wooden vessels. As oul
readers have already been informed, the
Stevens battery is referred to specia
committee, which is now engaged in ex
aiming it, and the subject will probably
soon come up in Congress.