Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-03-13
Illt; MUNiIOie.

OF course TIL, vessel will now be =
subject for many d,ys wonder in the
naval world Without any partcu ar
tlonri,h f trumrets, il has been cen
s,ructcd, and as good lnck wond have
y, got down to Hampton Roads just IL
time to put . severe check upon the
dcpreda;ions Of the monster iron plated
steamer Merrimac. In this first engage
mcnt the Monitor has proved herself a
most valuable acquisition to the Gov
eminent. The following letter from her
commander to his brother, one OF the
uthsLers OF the Chicago Times, will
give something Of an idea of her invul.
nerabiIi,y and capacity for doing dam
age 10 an enemy:
NEW YoRK, Jan. %, 1862.
"DEAR BRoTRER- She j.
supposed to be shot proof. Her hull
floats lS inches above the water, and is
covered with five thicknesses Of wrought
iron plates, each ] inch thick. to pom,
80 feet below water line. Her deck i,
covered with l-nch wrought iron. Il
wrought iron turret, 2lt feet outside
diameter, feet high and s inches thick
is placed near the centre Of buoyancy
La this turret are mounted two ll-inch
Dalghren guns. The tnrret revoIyes.
and is turned around with great facility
by steam, lis movements beng controlled
by the commanding officer inside. As
she goes into action, there is nothing
above her deck but the turret and a
shot proof pilot house, and, when she
Is anchored outside fort or battery,
the latter IS lowered below the deck. In
that position, if she is boarded bv the
enemy, lhey cannot get bpo. nor into
the tnrrei, and her decks can be swcI I
by her own guns loaded with canister.
She is propelled by steam, aud is expect,
ed to 90 eight knots the hour, aud car
res eight days coal at that speed
-bottomed, and draws ten feet water
She is not intended tor a cruiser: onl.
to so from port to port on our own coast
Great hopes Of her success are euter
talred by her constructor and Others
aud, 1t she answers their expectations
she will be a very serviceable vessel an,
Will have some rough work to do.
Length OF upper vessel. us Sect
Length of lower vessel, I24 feet;
breadth Of uppet vessel, al feet 4 inches
Depth OF upper vessel, 3 feet;
Breadth OF lower vessel at ton. 39 feet.
Breath OF lower vessel at botto u. Is feet;
Depth Of lower vessel, 6 feet 6 inches.
"As you NAV imagine, her apal tment
are neither spacious, light, nor alry, ant
We do no. expect much comfort in her
but, if her capabilities turn out as ",
hope TOR, shalt be well satisfied I,
rough it. L. seems that Commodo or,
Smnh, of the Bureau OF Yards an,
Docks, hos had the supervls on OF he
Construction, aud is greatly interested i,
her success. had letter from Inn
winch Is qnite complimentary in ii
tone, stating that he had named NE TO
the command, wherenpon | examined
The vessel aud accepted at once, ccttins
nv ORDERS by reiura mail. | apprchen,
thst 1t Is The intentlou of the Depa,,
ment, IT she proves successful 10 Lr;l.
t6s twenty ,ron.cIad xuuboat. r~cec,I,
authorized by Congress on her nl.n
with notifications suggested bv ax,c
riencc."
The Monitor was furnished with
peculiar description of projec,ies 60, Ms
by the two Dah!grens with which sbe ;
armed. They consisted of AGO wro,oh,
iron shot, each ball costing $40 an,
weighing ls4 pounds. These bal
were made by forging square blocks {
iron a, the Novelty Works, West Pom
N. Y, and then tuning them at th
lathe. The cost OF the 400 amounts
$ls.so0, and their total weight is Is
900 pounds. Cast-ircn shot are lab
to break in pieces when fired again.
thick iron plates. "Thcse wrought iro
shot, the Scientific american Of la,
GATE remarked, "are for smashin
!o'ongh the sides Of such secession floa
ing batteries as the Merrimac at No,
folk" This was certainly a verv co,
rect prediction ~ to their deatinat;on