The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-20
NO ZIG
The from Glad Roanpke.

The plating Of the ull ofthis ship Is
now completed The plates are from
three and a half 20 fur and half inches
thick, sold and bent to'the ghape Of the
sides. The armor is nearly the same as
that of the Warrior which some Of our
journalists have achieved Victories over
by writing it down failure on account
Of the working of the seams Of these rig
id plates, and the percolation Of the sea
water which IL was said would soon rust
off the bolts. There is this improvement,
however, in the mailing of the Roanoke
the plates are bent while cold to the shape
OF the sides, by a hydraulic press, re-
quiring immense labor In fitting them,
and by this means are carried out 10 the
extreme ends of the vessel in dimiR-
ished thickness of but one inch, whereas
it is stated that the Warriors ends arc
not protected by heavy plates. Tho
plates are from nine to eleven and half
feet long by forty inches in width. One
Of the latter dimensions weighs four
thousand two hundred and forty pounds.
The sides are plated four feet below the
water line.
The Roanoke has three turrets, &c be
armed each with two 15.inch guns, TO be
fred without projecting from the turret.
The weight of the armor has depressed
the vessel below her former depth. The
side stands but four feet above the water
at this time, without armament, Goals or
stores for voyage. The New York
papers announce that she is 60 be kept
for the defense of that harbor, Much in
tprest has been felt in this experiment of
the feasibility of converting our wooden
ships into mail clads, as well as in our
progress in forging heavy plates, fitting
them to the irregular sides, and fastening
them in such way as 10 avoid the OBJ
| iections we have discovered in English
armor; also in our undertaking to carry
the heavy plates TO the extreme ends OF
the vessel. The accounts of the New
York press indicate that the perfection
has been obtained at the cost of the sea-
going capacity. And although they pro-
fess to be graifed that the Roanoke ia
to be kept for the defense Of the harbor,
yet it does not seem desirable that in
this particular time we should take our
largest and swiltest steam frigates and
convert them into harbor batteries incap-
able of general sea service. Mechanical
genius might devise some more economi-
cal methods.
The Roanoke was one of the five steam
frigales built in 1855, of the same class
as the Merrimac. She was an unfortu-
nate ship from the start, having broken
her back jim launching. After a short
cruise she was repaired al a cost OF $500,
900. On her return from another short
cruise, $4,000 was expended on her.
Before her conversion, ID was estimated
that il would cost 100000 10 put her in
repair, The has besn raz, aud plated at
an expense nearly if not quite eqnal to
her first cost, which was 100000. II
remains TO be proven whether at the cost
of first class steam frigate that might
have been available for present service,
and of an expenditure which approaches
so largely toward that Of a new mailed
frigate Of the largest class, we have q
seagoing vessel. The draft OF these fri
gates was about % feet. 1t is stated
that that of the Roanoke is Increased
This will make her unavailable in tho
5 harbors south of Norfolk. The draft o.
8 the Merrmac was reduced in her CONVEX
I sion by the rebels. Although the dem
> onstraiion we have made on this vessel
! of our ability TO shield ship in supe
9 rior manner, may be valuable, yet, con
Y considering her previous failures, and th
increased draft and consequent unwieldi
ness, If not unseaworthness, resulting
from her complete armor, it might haV
Y been more profitable to the service, AM
: more economical if she bad been merel,
% RACED and mailed in lighter way, o
: only over the vital parts, 50 as TO retail
J. her speed and seagoing qualities, Will
: our costly complete armor was put 0
le uew ships capable of bearing it.--Oi'
le Gazette