Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-02-15

t41I HnUN1T tF COnRfoot antoofink 80
etorslagv Of she Navy 20 advertise Tor
nronortlr for The construction of lroh.elau
~,te.is. ,4nr. those making proposals "
III csse. 10 furnish their own piaua IN
or..s Ia nfoglds for the bailelug Of spch
- 1horla bs accepted the snm Of 81, ,.6V0.-
900. wss nppropflaled, end ibe following |
nss.f ot1esfS we're appointed On Examining |
Hoaqd 10 look over The plans that shoald
he offered. ana sriect snch % should De
an,nra exntlIlrnt Captains Joreph Smith, |
Hlsam psnldiuR end Charles n. Davis
fssnf Erjcsscn's was the hrsl seclecieu =.
Ths kesl Of the Battery was laid on TIE
g2a Of October last, and the work OF con,
seruolion has since been actively prosecuted
under the personal superintendence ot capt |
Ericsson.
ksmrts interest VII attach 70 the move
,nants az this battery we take lron the dc.
,.iIsa duscrIpsiou 10 the New York papers
shs E.glouine paticelars Com. Wsrdrn,
- lcas. heId as prlsoner az The Souih Tor
s.IiSering the message which saved Fort
p,ckens. has been ordered TO take com
nand The battery viii he ready for oper-
sslons In the course Of we,k OF len
dsys.
The vessel l. sharp ct both ends. and
consists ofa lower and upper bull the
sides ef The former lnciining Of an angel
oF6Ftg-oue degrees, and coming to point
nc each end at an angel Of eighty degrees.
The lover hull Is iron-plated The up
per section is Eve feet high, With Prcpen
dicuiar sides, and the same sharp ends,
and h forty y.one feet aud four iuches wide,
sntf;nr over the lower hull three feet and
seven inches on each side. The sides oi
fhfs uppef section are Iittle over three
feet In thickness First, there is an innei
Ruard Of inch plate iron, and upon this 9
section Of white oak timber thirty inches
chick. and covered with an afmor six inche
tbick. formed of six oce inch i.o7 plate
Iappod aad 6fmIy rivetsd together.
The deck or top Of the battery is evel
with TOP OF the hull, and Is covered Will
two thieknesses Of inch plate iron, fastened
10 escht-inch oak plank aud ten inch oai
timber. bat tweuty-six inches apsrt. There
Il no railing or oihsr obstruction on the
top of the battery exceps q round tower or
farret. twenty feet in diameter and nine
feet high, and eight Inches thick, made Of
pIsteiron. The turret has two port holes,
each two feet indiameier, for two eleven
EOlUnO0thQEe
musketry. The turret Is Of immense weight,
bus made TO revOlve by machinery from
below, 90 a. to bling the guns 10 any
desired range, and TO remove the port>
from the enemys guns while loading
To eupport, protect and give Efficiency 10
this tarref is the RhoIe object Of the bat
tsrv. although iIs immense weight and pow.
er would sink any vessel with which il
shonld come in contact.
The hassery Is steered from the froui
the wheel house standing before the turret
The wheel bcase is strongly built Of iron,
ard can be lowered iuto the hold like y
bais os dry goods. When Iowere ed. the
ton. ahieh 10 bomb proof, is level with and
forms part Of the deck TIE joints are
wster-sight. The honse will be pierced foi
sharpshooiers. The ends OF the upper yes
scl projecting over the hall. fore and sbafi
serve rs protection to the propeller, rud
der sxd aachor. Tie propeller is, Of course
at the stern, and the compose rudder be
hind that, and they are so protected b!
the upper vessel that they cannot be strucl
By ball The anchor is in front, aud i
short bat very heavy. II is hoistcd by
chain running into the hold. up into a plac
Gtted for it outside Of the lower hull, bu
within the impregnahie walls Of tie uppe
hull. The entrance to the hold is by sma
hatchway. which when clsed from part
the deck and are equally secure.
The interior Of the battery presents
novel and interesting study. In the be
are the cable and anchor chamher; next {
cabin ere quarters OF officers and men, al
amidships The cook room, and overhead t
small engine which Is to furnish veulilsti
and work the torret. Just sbaft are t
furnaces. and IN the stern the engine
work the propeller. Tie buuks for CO
wood and smmutIon, and the water tar
OCCUPY every conceivable vacancy ]
cabin Il neatly but sbstautls fitted mp, a
shows that IL was meant for use more Il
pleasure. Taken altogether, it wo
be Impossible to imagine more material, 4
that more substantially aud servieeable.
nt the same time more perfect, 10 sma
space than Is embodied within this for
dable engine Of warfare.
OF the efficiency Of tte battery gr
hopes are expressed. 1t has no vunera
part save the port holes, which are expo
only for about half minute in 6reing
It's sharp and massive iron prov will eaa
~ " sitiA aHJ otuinafy Nch5oi VIII pett
ease. In ease il i boarded no harm
done The only entrance Is at the top
the 'urres. which esaot be easily scale
and exsn then. hnt one man At time
descend. There are no places in the d
Hhere 81 entrance can be forced so
boarding party mag stand aBlil the
washes them of, or the sharpshooiers as
their departure. II Is claimed that il
steam into suy port, deliver it's efiec'
hroadsides and retire in safety.
The battery is nov aboat four feet al
water and EesEss i 400. 600 pounds. "
ssss addition Of hsr armament. coal, vi
and provisions for . thirty days. err
shs Eill be bnt eighteen inches above wa
and her entire weight viii be nine huhd
tona Her two columbiads will CT
roEnd balls weighing each one hnngred
eIghfy-tbree poands, or conical balls
three hundred end CITY pounds.