The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-15

is one hundred and twenty four feet long an,
thirty -four feet wide It the top
Resting on this is another, or upper hull
also Nat bottomed, with perpendicular side
and pointed ends. It Is forty one feet and fou
inches wide, SO thst it juts over the lower hui
on each side three feet and seven inches. It'll
one hundred and seventy-four feet long, thu.
extending twenty-five feet beyond the hnll d
| each end The sides are Eve feet high, anG
when in fighting order the lower hull will b.
entirely immersed, and the upper one SUM
three feet six inches, thus leaving but eighteen
inches both fore and aft above water, the
battery drawing ten feet ofwater.
The sides of this upper hull are composed Of
an inner guard Of iron; outside Of this is q
strongly fastened wall Of white oak thirty inches
thick, end covered with an iron armor six inches
in thickness. The bottom Of this vessel is
Joined to the hull, SO that the interior is open
to the bottom, as in sloop. The deck comes
flush with the top Of the upper hull, and is
bomb proof. First is frame Of oak beams,
ten inches square and twenty-six inches apart
covered with eight inch plank, and protected
with two layers of iron, each an inch thick
There will beno railing or bulwark Of any kind
above the deck. E
The ends Of the upper vessel projecting over
the hull, fore and aft, serve as protection
to the propeller, rudder and anchor. The pro-
peller is Of course at the stern, and the equi-
poise rudder behind that, and they are SO pro-
tected by the upper vessel that they cannot b
struck by ball. The anchor is in front, and
is short but very heavy. 1t is hoisted by a
chain running into the hold, up into place fit
ted for it, outside Of the lower hull, but with
in the impregnable walls Of the upper hull.
The inc1fn nti0u ~ he 1ov,nv h,,ll e. o,o1
that q ball to strike it in any part, must pass
through at least twenty five feet Of water, and
then strike an inclined iron surface, at an an
gle Of about ten degrees. It is, therefore, alb
solutely protected, yet SO light as to give great
buoyancy. A ball striking the eighteen inches
of exposed upperhull, to do material damage,
must pass through six inches Of iron, thirty
inches of white oak, and then about half an
inch more of iron. It is is exceedingly doubt
full whether southern ingenuity has invented a
gun that will accomplish it. e
The hull being finished, we will 60 on board.
Only three things are exposed above deck. In
the center is the turret or citadel, the wheel
house, and possibly box around the smoke
escape.
THE WHEEL HOUSE.
The battery will be steered from the front,
and the wheel house will stand before the tur-
ret. It will be Of iron, very strong, though
during action, it is not intended that it should
be exposed. 1t can be lowered into the hold
like bale of dry goods on one Of the Broad
way sidewalk falls. When lowered, the top
which is bomb-proof, is level with, and forms
part of the deck. The joints are water-tight.
The house will be pierced for sharpshooters
THE CHIMNEY.
The draft for the furnaces is forced one, and
in action no chimney will be used, as the smoke
will pass through bomb proof gratings in the
deck. AS the deck will be continually washed
by the sea, the accumulation of cinders, &c.,
will be of no consequence. Probably small
guard will surround the gratings, to prevent
heavy seas breaking over them, and . eontriv
ance is made to prevent what water may dash
over from going into the furnaces.
THE TURRET.
The whole vessel thus described is but bed
to support the CASTLE. The turret, is the i'm
portant feature of the structure, is q round
cylinder twenty feet in interior diameter and
nine feet high. It is built entirely of iron
plates, one inch in thickness, eight Of them Sc
curely bolted on, one over the other with the
joints overlapping each other. Within this
there is lining of iron one inch thick, thus
giving nine inches of solid iron. 1t rests on
bed plate, or rather ring made of composition,
which is securely fastened to the deck. To
help support the weight, which is about ahun-
dred tons, a vertical shaft ten inches in dinme-
ter is attached and fastened to the bulkhead.-
The top is covered with forged iron beams and
perforated iron, shell proof. The top is perfor-
ated to allow the smoke of the guns, and even
more, the conclusion of the air to pass off. The
concussion from gun fred in small close
room would kill the inmates as quickly as
though the ball had struck them. In small
| foo foy fl,o, n
couple of hours at time, the conclusion of the
air causing sometimes bleeding at the nose and
ears. Frequently the men have to be rubbed
down as carefully as race horse after its VIC
tory. The top has also some small sliding
hatchways composed of two inch plate iron, to
serve as entrance ways.
The turret has two circular port holes, three
feet above the deck, and just large enough for
the mouth of the gun to be run out.
THE ARMAMENT.
The battery will carry two very heavy rifed
guns. The carriages Of wrought iron, will run
back on iron slides, are made to fit very &C.
curately. The whole turret, by an arrange
ment worked by special engine, is made to re.
volve. The operator within, by q rod connect.
ed with the engine, is enabled to turn it al
pleasure. 1t can be made to revolve at the
rate of sixty revolutions minute--a speed
|
1t is SO accurately made that it can be regulat-
ed to within half degree
THE WORKING.
In action the guns will be loaded and run Out
while the port holes are away from the enemy.
When ready the turret will be turned as near
ly accurate as possible By nicely adjusted
wheels, very precise aim is quickly obtained
the gun fred, and instantly the turret is turn.
ed to bring the gun out of danger. The CUR
is then drawn in and loaded as before. While
one gun is being aimed and discharged, the
other is loading, SO that almost continuous
discharge is taking place.
THE MACHINERY.
There will be two engines, one for the pro.
peller, with 4O-inch cylinders and % inch
stroke. The battery is not built for speed
It is battery, not an on.cased ship. The
ventilation is obtained by blowers, worked by
blowers for the boilers and turns the turret
They are built very compactly; yet of grea
| power.
The battery, so far as can now be judged
seems to have no vulnerable part, save the por
holes, which are exposed only for about half
minute in firing. Its sharp and massive iror
PROV will enable it to sink any ordinary vesse
! with perfect ease In case it is boarded NJ
harm is DONE The only entrance is at the to,
the turret, which cannot easily be scalet
| and even then but one man at time can de
sceud There are no places in the deck wher
an entrance can be forced, SO the boardin,
! party may stay until the sea washes them off
or the sharp shooters assist their departure
The mechanics who have it in charge are al
very sanguine of its success.
| John Bright ON American AfraIs.
John Bright is well known as the honest, in
telligent and Independent member of Parlia
| uent from Manchester He had tho co,,ro m,