The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-04-24
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
The Ir0n-Clad Monitor.

The following is a description of the iron-clad
steamer MonitOr. built by Ericsson, which did
such signal service during the recent naval en-
gagenert in james river. IL will be noted that
the fight Of the Monitor and Merrinaac was the
first com bat IN which iron-elad vessels were used.
The Monitor was built by @. B. Bushnell &
Co., ut Greenpoint, Long Island, opposite New
York ci;y. under the direction Of CAPT. Ericsson,
the terms being that she was not to be accepted
Dy the Government il, on being subjected to the
eaemy'ssguns at shortest range, it failed to fulfil
the pledges Of impregnabiIity made in regard to
ksn = SAarp at both ends, the bow projecting
and eonsfng to a point at an angle of eighty de-
CTees .osthe sides, iDclining ut an angle of fifty
eas deg$ees ~ the vertical line, fiat bOttOmed, six
end . kslf feet in depth, built light, Of J inch
isoo, OF !. hundred and twenty-four feet long, and
tSisty-4 ar feet wide at the top. Another or
upper Lill rests on this. with perpendicular sides
and sharo ends, five feet high, ~forty-One feet four
inches aide, one hundred and seygnty-four feet
long, es ending over the sides OF the lower hull
three fes { seven inches, over each end twenty-five
feet, thus serving Is a protection to the PROPELLER,
rudder and anchor. The sides of the upper hull
are composed of an inner guard of iron, 4 wall
OF white oak, thirty inches thick, covered with
iron armor six inches thick. When ia fighting
order the lower hull is totally immersed and the
upper one is sunk three feet six inches, leaving
only eighteen inches above water.
The Monitor draws but ten feet Of water, tile
interior being open to the bottom, ~ ia a slOOp.
The deck comes flush with the top Of the upper
hull, and Is bomb-proOf, and there Il no railing
or bulwa-k of any kind above the deck. The
inclination Of the lower hull is such that n ball,
to strike in any part, must pass through at least
twenty-five feet Of water, and then strike an in
clIned iron surface at an angle of about ten de-
grees- IL is, therefore. absolutely protected, yet
% light "a to give great buoyancy, and only three
things are exposed above deck. In case sire is
boarded no harm IA dome The only putr1nc. il
Mt the top OF n turret, which cannot easily be
scaled, and even then but one ut Il time can
descend. Her armament consists Of two column
bands, mounted in the turret.
She il steered from the front. the wheel house
standing before the turret. The wherl-house 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 n part of the deck. The joints are water
tight. The house will be pierced for SHARP shoot
ers- The ends Of the upper vessel projecting over
the hull, fore and aft, serve as a protection to the
propeller, rudder, and anchor. The propeller is,
Of course, at the 5tern, and the equipOise rudder
behind that, and they are SD protected by the
upper vessel that they cannot be struck by II ball.
The anchor is in front, and is short but very
heavy. It is hoisted by n chain running into the
hold, mp into n place fitted for il Outside by small
hatchways, which, when closed, form a part of
the deck, and are equally secure.
The interior Of the Monitor presents a novel
.AAL IL N"S ~ e1S NhS NNASAS
and anchor chamber next the cabin and quarters
Of officers and men, and smid-ships the cook
room, and overhead the small engine which is to
furnish ventilation and work the turTet. just
abafi are the furnaces, and in the stern the engine
working The propeller The hunks for coal, wood
and ammunition, and the watcr-tanks, occupy
every conceivable vacancy. The cabin is neatly
but substantially fitted up, and shows that it is
meant for use more than pleasure. Taken alto
gether, It would be impossible to imagine more
material. and that more substantial and service
able, and at the same time more perfect, in a
smaller space than is embodied within this formid-
able engine of warfare. Without her armament
she was about four feet above water, and weighed
I 40 900 pounds. With the addition of her
armament coal, water and provisions for u thirty
days cruise. she was but eighteen inches above
water. and her entire weight 900 TONS. Her two
columbiads carry round balls weighing each 1873
Rounds, or conical balls of $50 pounds. Her
heel was laid on the 22d of October last, and the
work of construction has since been actively pro-
secuted, under the personal superintendent Of
Capt. Ericsson. The contractors were John
Ericsson, John 4. Griswold, John F. Winslow
asad T.. ). Bushnell. The hull was built by
Thomas f. Rowland ut the Continental Works in
ereenpoint. Long Island the engines ut the
lseiamater Works; the turret engines and gun
carriages ut Messrs- Clute Brothers factory in
schenectady.