, 1862-05-16
The stIrousldcsss FrIsate.

4 Lac '-2EGA8AGN3'' EAtS5aANa
Philadelphia papers gisea full description Of
tie &c. iron-plated frigate iron=ides, launch
cd Ut that port on Saturday. The ship is NO.
table from the fact Of her beirg the first iron
plated sca-goiDg war steamer built in the
Cnittd States The Philadelphia Eorth Ans,i-
can LIS tile following:
She il constructed from plans and spcetica-
flons presented to tie Navy Depart mcnt last
September, by Messr=. Merrick IL Sons Of this
city, who are the sole contractors with th.
Government They in turn hare contracted
with Meszrs. Cra1np l. Sons, Of Kensin1top,
& Co., Of Pittsburgh, for the 4-;nch platiag,
aid will TIuner 4 Mercer G'r the ineh plating,
rtscryirg 10 th:;neclTe5 tic construction Of
''se tnacAlrcr.' ard :he a:ncrtl arrangement Of
t5c s. ycr,l parts
The ccntract is dated 0oiob:r 18th, 1851,
:,! 4 th.: vessel is to he ready for stcan July
1a.l,, 1867. Chief Engineer ". II. Wood, Of
the nlry, SHUT rinttnds tlte n7arh;aery aud
t.::~i: =, and Naval Constructor Henry Hoover
TIC At:1. S;e is 240 feet long. IS feet iuclcs
t.rs, and having herth gun aild spur
d'cs-t: latter being s71ct. prot. Her frlGc=
.rt Of white oak, filled in Eo;d and caulkcd,
anu the average thickness Of her sides Is 20
irches. The iron plating commences ut j
point 4 feet below the water line, and extends
to her spar deck; the lower course is 3 iuchcs,
a, the rest is Il inches thick. All the pl ates
arc Is feet long, tile width varying from Is to
20 inches; each plate is fastened to the vessel
by twenty Il irch screw bolts . inches long,
which secure the several ttlicknesses Of timber
to Tie platrs, thus tying all together.
The machinery consists of two horizontal
direct action steam engines, With cylinders Of
so inches diameter and 10 inches stroke, in,
tended to mahc s. revolutions per minute,
and drive brass foNr-bladed propeller OF Is
feet diameter and Is feet pitch The boilers
are four in D1nlber, horizontal tubular, elch
II feet front, II feet deep and II feet high, oj
collective force Of 1,c00 horses. Tic arma
ment will consist Of IL 11-inch DAhlgren guns
On tic gun deck, aud , 2o0-pound PAErosI
be closed by iron shutters five inches thick
worked from the inside.
AS this is sea-going steamer, intended tc
Fail as well rs steam, she will hare thrct
nlasts, and be bark rigged, her tonnasts an(
yards being so arranged that III action the,
are lowered, and leave simply The three lowe!
masts in view.
When in action all the men on board ar
| protected from shot and shell, and are ali be
low the spar deck. The commander only i
| above that deck, and he occupies shot-pToo
| iron lockout, which rises above the spar deck
| and from which he can see all surrounding Oh
| jtets, a':d hs signals communicate with til
| officers hvlow
Unlike the Monitor and Ga1cn1, this ycsse
can carry large crew sufficient to board AMI
| capture any vessel Impenetra5Ie to sho. 0
shell, she will seek close action, and by 11leau
| Of her iron prov sink, or her heavy guns cap
ture, her opponent :; her light draft Of wate
| Qfttcn ftctl Will enable her to enter all on
I southern larbors. Even Moultrie and Sumte
| can tie yiElted by her, and she may be able +
! nllkt an impression On those forts before the
| are 1eYcsscss ed by the United States.