The New York herald., 1862-01-04
1RON-CLAD STEAMERS.
Report Of the Naval Board on
the Stevens Battery.
A Full, Scientific and Interesting
Description Of 1t.
half Million Of Dollars Expended
by Government.
Tho Board Opposed to Its Com
pletiOn,
90, &c. 20.

p1et1On,
10, &C., 20.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, 1861
me board Of naval and scientific gen;emsn appoint ed
BY the Secretary Of the Navy agreeaby to resolution Of
Congress- examine the Stevens Battery, have. after
long and thorough investigation reported a. follows
THE REPORT.
NAVY YARD, BROOKLYN, Dec "a, 1901.
&a-In obedience to orders from the Navy Department
appointing the undersigned members Of . board to
smins the iron battery now building at Hoboken,
NJ j. ascertain what will be the Of completing
the same how soon be completed, and the exped-
epcy thereof at this place the lst ult and
tered upon the duties by examining much Of the
battery has already been constructed and by desiring
Mr. Stevens to furnish with plans and descriptions o
tho she be when completed and ready for
service.
These latter received the 18th inst previous
TO which the board had visited the battery frequently
and having carefully examined the vessel a. far as ad
vanoed and the plans submitted for the comrlston
beg leave respectfully TO report that found upon the
grounds of Mr. Stevens, Hoboken, situated
vatson or dock long, slender vessel unnn-
ished state evidently intended for high speed smooth
water.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTION ALREADY BUILT.
The shell Of the vessel is completed up to height Of
twenty feet from tho bottom but without the decks
or beams upon which they to rest. This vessel is
40 feet long by 46 feet extreme breadth. The iron
plating with the exception of keel plate, which is ten
inches wide and inch thick the cardboard sreaks
which thirty inches wide and five eighhs of an inch
thick is half inch thick rveted to ribs Of angle iron
inches Deep three inches wide and one-haf inch thick
similar angle ron reversed being riveted each rib
ar two act ho en
tire length. Extending the bottom Of the vessel
at each rib floor timbers two feet Deep formed Of
plate iron onehaf inch thick along the lower edge Of
which rveted the angie iron ribs and along the top
edge Of which is riveted the reversed angle iron.
BOILERS.
Upon fore and aft keesons of box FORM made Of plate
iron six inches in depth fastened the tops of tho
floor mbers, placed two horizontal I've tube boilers
with the tubes over the furnaces the boilers are
ranged similarly to those large naval vessels
namely, five each side with one FIRE amiGshps
running fore and aft both Sides These boilers
occupy eighty feet the length Of the commencing
hundred and twenty -four feet from the Within
these boilers thirty furnaces with tubes OF two and
half inches diameter, and ranging from seven feet TO
eight and q half in length, placed over them. The
sholls Of the boilers quarter Of inch thick
single riveted with stays and quarter inches diane
ter placed twelve inches apart attached to feet the
toes OF Wnlcn are SIX incnes apart tus sayng hc nat
surfaces every six inches. They contain in the sggro
gato s76 square feet of crate surface and 2s square
feet Of fire surface, as follows
furnaces 2Uo0
connections .................. les0
Tube sheets $50
Total. % 900
xyCiSEs
Immediately abaf tho boilers arc the main engines.
occupying the whole breadth and dcph Of the prescn.
structure for length Of Afyt three feet There two
propeller Shafts with four engines upon each sarranged
that each propeller qsite independent OF the other
The engines vertical, overhead beam. condensng
engines having common jet condensers with vertical
air pumps, condenser and air pump serving for two
engines. Each cylinder is fortyGve and threcfourths
inches diameter by three and onshaf feet stroke OF
piston.
The crank shaft OF each engine is forged separately
with crans and crank pins forged These shafts are
then connected together by rigid coupling in such
that tho entire shartng each prcI ser during
q length Of hundred and eighty six feet is rigid
throughout Tho brasses these shafts hollow,
that water may circulate through them and keep the
journals COOL The engines provided with the ordi
nary slide vsve without cutos worked by the ordinary
Stephenson link to cut of by lap at about half stroke
All the links upon each side are conuec TO receiving
gear operated pair Of reversing engines, very conve
nently arranged, that may readily manage,
slow down stop start the four engines at
tached TO each propeller
Forward Of tho boilers two pumping engines
and pumps for feeding tho boilers also two engines
attached to each extremity Of the same shaft,
which extends across tbs ship, and upon which
there ID to be . largo fan blower, drawing its
supply OF air down through bomb proof gratings In
tho bomb proof deck above, creating throughout the
lower part the vessel o. pressure This Ii 10
cause the furnaces Of the boilers powerful draaght
independent of the height Of the chimney and through
out other parts thorough vcut alton.
GiRnxg EsciSu rnAxrs.
In rear OF the boilers attached the sides Of the
ship are strong plate beams, running fore and aft,
about feet up from the bottom To these at
tachsd vo plate iron srdcr frames extending seross the
ship, aud placed one Immediately forward Of the for
ward boilers and the other four between each pair Of
boilers These fore and aft beams and athwart ship
gitder frames are vey strong, and well calculated to
strengthen that part OF the hull besides being capable Of
supporting any supcrrcumbent weight that may be
brought upon them smidshps. The engine frames are
eight IN number, formed of plate ron each extending
tho bttcn and at height Of about fourteen feet
above Tbs~e engine frames also we'll calculated TO
support any sired supcrinc, mbant wcight which
may be desirable u place upon them amidshits
REnAWrG puSx.
IL now remains 70 complete small portion OF the
plating the bow and stern; put IN the beams
and decks; attach lore and aft kecison to
the ths noor timbcrs smidshps throu gbout the
Who'll, length OF tho vesso make the uc connections and
chimney ~ the boilers connect the engines, and add
fow wanting put in floor plates TO engine and IRE
rooms make and attach the propeller shaft bearers 10
the outside OF the vessel supply tho proscrs put in
the equired bulk heads apply tho aud the
chinery for loading and working tho guns and TO manu-
faoture tho guns themselves.
m
Before describing the proposed for completing the
vessel proper to state hat the original protector OF
the vessel the late Robert T. Stevens Esq deceased
and that his brother Edwin A. Stevens fsq., who
prop COM IT, has materially changed the plans
FROM what appears 10 have boon orisna intended In
stead Of the vertical sidgs above water clothed with
arn,or and fced with gun ports which to have
tho design ~ Robert L. 81 the plans presented
bear cf November 1861, aud resemble the in.
cned plated ships the desgus Of which have been
AMI nvf in