Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-05-16
HISTORY OF THE MERRIMAC.
Her Plan Of Construction, her Size, Arma.
meHt, DraagAt, and Speed.

The Merrimac was originally one of the
five war steamers authorized to be con
strcted by Congress during the session
OF lS44-5. They were to be first class
steam sloops-of-war, and were built Ms
follows The Merrimac at Charlestown
Wabash, Commodore Dupont's flagship
which did such good service at Port
Royal, at Philadelphia the Minnesota
at Washington; the Roanoke, at Nor
folk, and the Niagara, at Brooklyn.-
These live vessels were equal to any steam
war vessels in the world, except iron clad
vessels. The spar deck of the NIerrimac
was 2Sl feet long and so feet broad in
her original condition, and she drew %
feet OF water. She rated 1000 tons bur-
den. Her frame was of live oak, filed in
solid, and eaulked II feet out from the
kelson. Forward the ship had 10 live
oak breast-hooks, fastened through and
through with copper under the water and
iron above, aft she had seven breast.
hooks
The engine was of eight hundred horse.
power, with two-bladed propeller four
teen feet in diameter, so fitted as TO be
raised to The deck and lowered to its
beamng at pleasure, enabling the vessel
to be used with or without her steam
power. She rated as forty-gun frigate,
but could carry as much metal as ninety
gun ship of the old style. She carried
twenty-iOur nine-inch shell-gnns and four
teen eight-inch shell-guns, with two pivot
guns of six tons, each throwing one hun
dred pound shells, mounted fore and aft.
The Merrimac was first of the five to be
completed, being launched in 1856. She
was soon after put in commission, and
continued in service until April, 1861 :;
her last active service was in the Pacific
Squadron. Atthe the time of the rebel
attack on the Norfolk navy yard, she was
lying there in ordinary, as a store and re-
ceiving ship. She was ship of three
thousand two hundred tons burden -
When the navy yard was assailed she was
set fire to, scuttled and sunk, by the
national officers in preference to LIFTING
her fall into the hands of the rebels. A
recent official report ON the subject, made
to the rebel authorities, stated that she
was sunk and burned to her copper line
and down through to her berth deck,
which, with her spacious gun-decks, were
also burned. After the rebels had rot
possession of the yard, they proceeded to
raise the hull of the Merrimac, and to
convert her into vessel of war for their
own purpose Her hull was cut down to
within three feet of her water-work, and
bomb-proof house built on her gun-deck.
She was then iron-plated, and her bow
and stern steel-clad, with u projecting
angle of iron for the purpose of piercing
vessel. She had no marts, and there was
nothing to be seen over her gun deck,
with the exception Of the pilot house and
smoke-stack. The bomb proof was three
inches thick, and made of wrought iron.
Altogether she looked like most formid-
able war-ship. But when her iron sheath
ing was half on, it was tested by columbi-
ads and found inefficient. She was then
additionally strengthened until she was SO
heavy that she bade fair to become un-
manageable, and even to sink by her own
weight. In description published some
two or three months ago, her armament
was stated as consisting Of ll-ineh navy
guns on each side, and two 100-pounder
Armstrong guns at the bow and STERN
But no doubt great changes were subse-
quently made in her armament. The
Norfolk Dgy Book, several months ago
had an article describing the attempt to
convert the Merrmac into an impregnable
iron-plated man. -oi-war as failure 1t
began thus:
1--WE have scarcely patience enough left
to condemn, in temperate language, the
reckless improperly of two of our cotem-
poraries, who have seen fit in thirst for
notorioty, to thrust before the public the
fact that the Merrimac has proved an
abortion" 1t was further said that the
calculation in displacemet was erroneous.
An error, amounting to more than two
hundred tons, was discovered when the
ship was aoated off The chief subject Of
regret is that, when she was shored up
again, the ship caught upon the blocks
and received u considerable strain con-
sequently, some parts Of the machinery
have been tpken up, and quantity of
dead-wood will have to be introduced to
correct the tendency to log. Her great
draught of water will prevent her taking
part in active operations This draught
originally was about twenty.four feet, but
it has been considerably increased" The
editor, however, comforted himself that at
all events she could be used as floating
battery.
Her bow was armed with a steel plough
projecting six feet under the water, to
strike and sink the vessels of the blockad-
ing fleet. Her decks were protected by q
covering Of railroad iron, in the form of
an arch, which it was hoped would be
proof against shot and shell. Perhaps
this story of its failure was intended as a
rebel ruse to throw our naval force OH
the Potomac off its guard. The rebels
had previously boasted of the immense
power and strength of the Merrimac in
the most extravagant manner. They had
frequently averred that she was about to
run out, sink the 'blockading vessels, and
run along the Atlantic coast, and by de-
stroying our men-of-war eilectually raise
the blockade. And, indeed, the first re-
ports seemed as if the threat was actually
about to be carried out.
From all the accounts which we have
seen, her rate of speed is very moderate.
She, as stated above, mounted Armstrong
guns, which are reported to have smashed
through iron mail as thick as that of the
Warrior and Black Prince, but which
made no impression ON the Monitor.
On the 29th of March last S. Il. Nal.
lnrv thn rphal Spprptorv Of the NAVY in n