The New York herald., 1862-01-04

the bottom beneath which will bs coal fresh aud salt
water tanks and owder magazines and uion which will
be salt water tanks, provisions and shell rooms. AT
twenty one feet from the bottom deck, which forward
and abaf the machinery will be bomb proof by having
. bottom layer OF Plate iron one half inch thick afove
ths layer Of wooden par king inches thick covered
With another layer OF iron one inch thick THIS deck Is
continued the machinery but in This part OF ordi-
nary material and strength.
The ARxoR Asovs wArn
Over this latter part the feet deck Is con-
structed the inclined armo extending from three eei DC
yond the present side OF the vessel fourteen feet IN
board and seven feet high, giving an upper oecx up
which tho to be Placed OF twenty three ieet
wide amidshIs. This inclined armor Is formed Of
plate iron amnse, six Of which are one inch
thick each, and the seventh threequarcrs O. an men,
making the thick ess OF iron six and three quarter inches
supporting this iron Iron beams eght inches
deep filed in between with locust Cnd~r these again are
locust panks six inches thick making In all six and three
quarter inches Of iron and fourteen inches OF wood aced
at angle of about twenty degrees with the ri
The forward and after enos OF what may be to med
the loading house, within this inclined armor are en-
closed by similar armor inclined In orc and aft direc
ton and II is forward and abaf Of this that the twenty
one feet deck is bomb-proof.
The dat deck uniting the upper edges Of this inclined
is one hundred and twenty feet long and is made
bombproof by having, nrst, layer Of plate iron one
hf inch thick beneath the bans, between which If laid
wooden planking six inches thick, ch again receives
two layers of iron OF of inch thickness
EACH Through this deck tho heated gases from the
ordinary smoke pipe rising above the grating, which is
to be removed, II desired. on going into action.
Forward II the inclined armor upon the twenty
one fect bomb-proof deck are the capstan for
weighing the anchors and the quarters for the
men. Abaft the armor, upon the same deck, arc
TIE quarters for the officers cabin ward and seerages
This bomb proof deck and the inclined sides of the
covered with light deck of two inch planking sup
ported by wooden beams i've inches square and tw feet
apart placed at such height that its upper side is flush
with the bomb proof platform upon which tho guns rest
Tie edges of this light deck supported by light iron
sides quarter Of inch thick running up vertically
from the cupboard edge Of the armor.
THE ARAoR BELOW WATER
From the twenty-one feet line downwards six feet the
sides Of the vessel protected by amor compts first
Of oak mbers placed the iron plating OF the ship
having thickness at its upper edge OF three feet, with
triangular cross section such that its outboard side
forms continuation OF tho santing side OF the vessel
winch, up TO this point Of meeting the armor, has Al
angle with the perpendicular Of aboat twenty degrees
From the twenty feet line down the side VI this
oaken extends to depth of three feet iron plating
TWO inches thick within which, down TO depth OF two
feet is iron plating and oneLa inches thick so that
the side armor Of the vessel extending thro ghout its
entire length, consists OF iron three and half inches
thick to q depth of two feet, ard two inches thick
for one foot farther down, backed by solid oak
three feet thick ut the upper edge amidshps the
thickness gradually lessening il d-scends, until at
six feet depth the iron sides OF the vessel sef are de-
pended upon. As the vessel will draw twenty feet
loaded with stores ammunition and COAL the upper
edge Of this side will be level with the surface
the side armor is not SO thick amdshps being two
feet thick at its upper edge at forty feet from the bow
aud sixty feet from tho stern.
There are to be two short Of hollow plated iron
arranged with hinges the deck similar to those In
the English steamer Great Western that they may be
lowered to the deck when going into acticn,
TIE ARMAMENT.
The armament proposed consists Of five Is inch Rod
guns weighing with their carriages 60, ,0OO pounds
each and two 10 inch rined guns, weighing with their
carriages 40 COO pounds each. These before stated
are aced the extreme upper deck over the engines
and boilers. The deck upon which they rest supported
by columns Of wrought iron which rest upon the engine
frames and the strong plate iron grdcrs before described
rising from the bottom and sides the ship between
iiagcs Of novel construction, so arranged that
they may be trained to any point in the
horizon by simply revovnga vertical shaft which passes
down through the deck and is attached to steam m;
chinery below The upper end OF the shaft terminates
in head horizontal cross bar whose length cqai
the interior b. eadth of the gun carriages Between
this head, bar ard the interior ends of the
carriage are ndia rubber springs forty inches long, and
when the gun s fred II is expected, from experiments
which have been tried with ten-inch gun OF 10 600
pounds weight, and charge Of powder eighteen and
threequafers ioe throwing solid shct weighing ia
pounds and celebrations dcduced from them, that the
gun will rcco at maximum twenty inches one half
the egh OF the springs aud that the reaction OF these
springs will restore the gun to the position which
ped before fred-smiiar springs upon the oppo
site side OF the bar receiving the shock caused by
II is cxected there will be one man on this upper deck
in time Of action TO each gun who will direct by appro
iriae mails or indicators. its anns TO those below,
and aim and fire it, II considered by Mr. Stevens that
guns of this will not be injured when struck by
the encmys shot, This however is to be the subject OF
experiment before the completion Of the vessel, and
4 an Opposite result should be arrived at from
these trials they arc to be protected by
wrought ion amor, In manner about which he has no
doabt and that when gunner secs shot coming he
stand on tho friendly side Of tho gin for his protection,
the carriage underneath the gun being made shot
of by wrought iron armor plates When the gun is
t. loaded the gunner deck 1t to bo trained
tho loading position, which in each brings the gun
nearly line with the keel he then dcpresses it about
twenty degrees, bringing its muzzle opposite bomb
proof opcrng in the deck corresropGug in size and d
recton the bore of tho gun Beow the deck is long
slender steam cylinder having up the outer and UPPER
vo.s o-io rod nd
mer The attendant admits steam to either side Of this
piston req ircd and sponges out the gum then the
ammunition, being placed in position near the muzze.
rammcd home by the steam rammer, after which is
elevated by the gunner above trained upon the enemy
and fired.
PROTECTION PARTIAL SHINING.
When the vessel prepares for action with the enemy
she settled greater than ordinary draught by the
admission Of salt water, as follows
Tons
Water be admitted into tanks below two feet line 2l3
10. do. interstices OF the coal..... $50
Water to be pumped up into tanks on deck 537
Total water for settling 100
Only half Of this water Is required when tue ship
aready down TO her deep load line bat the whole
is provided for that she may be the Gghtnz
d ught when her coal and provisions nearly out This
settling Of the vessel for the purpose adding TO tho
plates the protection secured water against shot
LIGHTED WITH
The vessel is to be lighted with gas generated board
by placing the retort in OF the boiler furnaces, in
similar TO that now in board the ferry boat
Hoboken.
To determine the hoatation and stability of the Ship,
have carefully comp tied the weight Of the vessel aud
ail that expected to put in it, with their
OF gravity, tho displacement OF the vessel. the
centre OF gravity Of displacement, and the height
OF the metaeentre. The displacement Of the eide
armor included in computing that Of the vessel and the
extra beam 1t gives the ship considered In estimating
the height Of the Tho weghts include
Of hundred and officers provisions for three
months tho sand gallons OF fresh water In tanks
hundred end twenty five rounds Of shot and SHE'LL
hundred and fifty rounds Of powder, aud eight hand
tons of ccai The result Of the calculations Is fol
lows
DRAuCHr oy wATrn, TWENTY -oNs yKET
displacement In cubic feet et.............. 1ss, ,24s
Displacement Of IS cubic feet EACH tons 537s
Add for iron plating. 1s..
Total displacement, tens ns.................. s,as7t
Area Of midshp sections, square feet......... s17t
Area of load water line. Ia, ,7sst
DISPLACEMENT per inch 1t load linc tons...... 80,
Weight Of loaded ship by computation. ...... 6,2s0t
Add for contingent NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1l7t
Total weight provided for, ,tons.......... s,se7.t
Depth OF centre Of gravity Of loaded ship, below
load VA