Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-03-12
w. D. WALJ4ACH.
THE GREAT NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.
The Ericsson Irop.clsd Steam Battery,
HThe Monitar.p

The test Of this steam battery with the iron
clad steamer Merrimac, and her success in
crippling the rebel steamers Merrimac, James
town and Yorktown, give full warrant of her
efficiency as claimed by her distinguished
builder, Captain Ericsson. It will be remem-
bered that she was built under an agreement
with the Government to accept her if her trial
I" befoTs the batteries of the snenry" should
prove her capable Of all that was claimed by
her inventor Most opportunely has she ar
rived to check the arrogance Of the rebels, and
to drive back, in a disabled condition, their
boasted master batteries, and, in the language
Of a dispatch from the Assistant Secretary Of
the Navy, Captain Fox, {" she stood ready last
night to meet anything that floats, wholly un-
injured"
We rspublish the following description of the
Monitor, which will now be perused with re-
newed interest:
The keel of tho battery was laid on the 22d
Of October Last, and the rk of construction
has since been actively prosecuted under the
personal superintendence of Capt. Ericsson.
The contractors were John A. Griswold, John
T. Winslow, and G. s. Bushnell The hull of
the battery was built by Thomas T. Roland at
the Continental Works in Greenpoint, Long
Island; the engines at the Delamater Works;
the funnel at the Novelty Works; the turret
engines and gun carriages at Messrs. Clute
Brothers factory in Schenectady.
The vessel is sharp at both ends and con-
sists of a lower and upper hull; the sides of
the former inclining at an angle Of 6fty-one
degrees, and coming to point at each end at
an angle ef eighty degrees. The lower hull is
iron-plated. The upper section is FIVE feet
high, with perpendicular sides, and the same
sharp ends, and is forty-one feet and four
inches wide, jutting over the lower hull three
feet and seven inches on each side. The sides
Of this upper section are little over three
feet IN thickness. First, there is an inner
guard Of inch plate iron, and upon this Sec
ton Of white oak timber thirty inches thick,
and covered with an armor six inches thick,
formed of six one-inch iron plates Tapped and
firmly riveted together.
The deck or top Of the battery is even with
the top Of the hull, and is covered with two
thicknesses ofinch plate iron, fastened to eight
inch oak plank and ten-ineh oak timber, but
twenty six inches apart. There is no railing
or other obstruction on the top Of the battery.
except round tower or turret, twenty feet in
diameter and nine feet high, and eight inches
thick, made Of plate iron. The turret has two
portfolios, each tive feet in diameter, for two
eleven-inch columbiads and is also pierced for
musketry. The turret is of immense weight,
but made to revolve by machinery from be-
low, SO as to bring the guns in any desired
range, and to remove the ports from the ene-
and give efficiency to this turret Is the whole
object Of the battery, although its immense
weight and power would sink any vessel with
which it should GENE in contact.
The battery is steered from the front, the
uheelhouse standing before the turret The
uheelhouse is strongly built of iron, and can
be lowered into the hold like a bale of dry
goods. 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 ends Of the upper vessel projecting over
the hull, fore and abaft, serve as a projection
to the propeller, rudder and anchor The
propeller is of course at the stern: and the
equipose rudder behind that and they are 90
protected by the upper vessel that they can
not be struck by ball. The anchor is in
front, and is short but very heavy It is
hoisted by chain running into the hold, up
into place fitted for it, outside of the lower
hull, but within the impregnable walls of the
upper hull. The entrance to the hold is by
small hatchwsys, which when closed form q
part Of the deck and are equally secure.
The interior Of the battery presents q novel
and interesting study. In the bow are the
cable and anchor chamber; next the cabin
and quarters Of the officers and men, and
smidships the cook room, and overhead the
small engine which is to furnish ventilation
and work the turret. Just abaft are the fur-
naces, and in the stern the engine working
the propeller. The hunks for coal, wood and
ammunition, and the water-tanks OCCUPY
every conceivable vacancy. The cabin is
neatly but substantially ftted up, and shows
that it Is meant for use more than pleasure.
Taken altogether it would be impossible to
imagine more material, and that more SUBJ
stantial and serviceable, and at the same time
more perfect, in a smaller space than is en-
bodied within this formidable engine of war
fare.
OF the efficiency of the battery great hopes
are expressed 1t has no vulnerable part save
the pert holes, which are exposed only for
about half minute in firing. It's sharp and
massive iron prov will enable it to sink any
ordinary vessel with perfect ease. In case il
Is boarded no harm is done. The only en-
trance is at the top Of the turret, which can
not easily be scaled; and even then, but one
man at time can descend. There are no
places In the deck where an entrance can be
forced; 50 the boarding party may stand until
the sea washes them of, or the sharpshooters
assist their departure. 1t is claimed that it
can steam into any port, deliver its efectual
broadsides, and retire in safety.
The battery Is now about four feet above
water, and weighs i ,400, 900 pounds. With the
addition Of her armament, coal, water and
provisions for thirG days cruise, she will be
but eighteen inches above water, and her en-
tire weight will be nine hundred tons. Her
two columbiads will carry round balls weigh
ing each one hundred and eighty three pounds,
or conieal balls Of three hundred and afty
pounds.
THE SCIENTIFIC PLAN OF THE MONITOR.
Oapt. Ericsson's idea in building the Monitor
was 10 give the greatest buoyancy to the YES
sci, and as small target as possible to the
enemy, 90 as to enable him to completely pro-
teet every part, all its attachments and every
person on board, when under the FIRE of an
enemy. He conceived that to do this was to
build broad hat-bottomed vessel, with verti-
cal sides and pointed ends, 50 that it requires
but . shallow depth to displace water sufficient
to buoy itself up, though loaded with an i'm
pregnable srmor upon its sides, and a bomb
proof deck upon which Is placed q shot proof
revolving turret containing two of the heaviest
Dahlgren guns. To insure such vessel the
power Of lOcomotion, IL was emily necessary to
suspend beneath il q vessel of ordinary
strength, sufficiently narrow and sloping at the
sides that II, as actual experiment has proven
possible, the enemy's missile should pass below
the shot-proof upper vessel, these sides can
only be bit at such an acute angle that little
harm is likely TO ensue, and in its length ap-
proaching the bow emily 90 nearly that It's
raking stem may receive the shot fired from
directly ahead in the same way, and at the
fl z. Al