The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-05-17
The Iron.Plated War steamer IS New
IfOmsl0eO.ss =
This large war ship was launched at the Phil.
adelphia Navy Yard on Saturday. The Phila.
delphia Evening Bulletin speaks Of her as iol-

adelphia Navy Yard on Saturday. The Phila.
delphia Evening Bulletin speaks Of her as iol-
lows:
The New Ironsides 10 the first iron plated sea.
going war steamer of large size built by the o.
States Government. She 10 constructed from
plans and specifications presented to the NAVY
Department last summer by Merrick & Sons. Of
this city, who are the sole contractors with the
Government. They In turn have contracted with
Messrs. Cramp l. Sons, of KensiDgton; also with
the Bristol Forge and Brown Co., of Pitta.
burgh, for the n inch plating, reservinR to them
selves the construction of the machinery and the
general arrangement Of the several parts. The
contract IL dated October 10Th, and the vessel
10 to be ready for steam July 18TH Chief Eppi.
neer, W. W. Wood, of the Navy, experiments
the machinery and plating; and Naval Construc
tor. Henry Hoover, the hull.
She Is 240 feet long, SO feet s inches wide,
and 70 deep, being $3.50 tons, and having =
berth, gun and spar deck, the latter being s6ot
proof. Her frames are Of white oak. filed h
solid and caulked, and the average thickness Of
ner sides ID 20 inches The iron plating com.
mences at point four feet below the water l;ns
and extends to her spar deck. The lower courss
is Inches; all the rest is n inches thick. An
the plates are Is feet long, the width y,rvino
from 20 to 80 inches; each plate IL fastended to
the vessel by n inch screw bolts. Is inchss
long, which secure the several thicknea,es ~
timber to the plates, thus tying all together.
The machinery consists Of Two horizontal Al.
rect action steam engines, with cylinders Of "a
inches diameter and 81 10 ches stroke, intendsc
% make 50 revolutions per minute, and drive :
brass four-bladsd propeller of Is feet dlsmetar
and IL feet pitch The boilers are four in nn,,.
Der, (horizontal tubular each n fee, front ~
feet deep, and IL feet high, Of collective force
OF 800 horses. The armament will consia, oT
10 iI.nch Dahlgreen guns on the gun deck and
Two 2O0-pound Parrott guns on the spar decl
me port holss will be closed BY iron shutters
nve inches thick worked from the inside :"
AZ this 10 . sea going steamer, intended u
sail % well - steam, she will have three masts
and be bark rugged; hss topmasss and ward, hs.
ms 20 arranged that In action they are lowered
and .eavs simply three lower masts in yiev.
When In action, al the men on board are nro.
tected from shot or shell, and are bslovp ~
,pa decs; the commander only Is above that
asck. aad no occupies shot proof lookout
.nacn RISES above the spar deck, and from which
= can gee gu surrounding objects, and BY Gig.
'ais, communicate with the ofScsrs below.
Unlike the Monitor and Galens, shis vessel
ian carry large crew. sufficiently 70 to board
'ne capture. any vessel. Impenstrshle 70 shot
md shsli. ahs will seek close action, and by
means OF her iron PROV sink, or By her hesyy
'Sns capture her oppoasnt. Her light draueht
! water, 10 feet win enable her 70 enter ali our
'oathern harbora Even Noult.is aud Sumtsr |
IN % visited By Der, and che mag bs sble - |
AXE a impsessiou on tAsss fores before thev
. rs-posssssed BY the United statsa