The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-04-05

gssns. - sns1ed <1e 1euA nls9
. y. ~. !. " p ,s:a. 49,
=. gs.; 8. : s. hoa,,st Re- .at...v.s.
80 In SrfAnos viz - reeseasi on adcPs.
g rs z Z! ss .cssssar 4 ' me Il Navy W
,os1 r.aos.ted . rake report % THIS Aoase
~ rssn s.si constr aeslon Of the Vl'ginii.
=. - ,sr - The san can % properly communi.
Gated. Of the ressoas ior sRT,ys Z tne b r.ss
so.asrsd especial aid In designing and build
ins tho sn1p,' have The honor 20 fsron'
, ~, on tna ieth day Of june, 1851, Lient.
Tnhu 81, brook. Cont states Mayys
wss directed to I'D ths Depsrsmsnss N n us.
si9nipf an Iron clad war VESSEL m" u 'in'6e
the necessary sreeihcaaons. na.
az rte~ad n su this duty at one, ana
feu drys tlit reeftef snDHitted 20 ~, aok 80,
nieut. as the results OF MS IN ssus Nf~ssh
rough drawings Of "a. . ips:insa iron plated
s;ass re ends of tns vessel qua IN ~. 80
~ ttss a .emafe. according 10 nts va .rtrri.
10 be submerged two fest: n" a., u ths
Wark or false bow was designed - mn On %he
watsr and, prcy ant Ii from bankiRe w 49,, AZ
forward part OF the shleh with the p s.n
motion and also 10 ssrss a. tank oAsse
late the ships draft. HIS design was
proved ~ the Depsrtment, aIa = . !" sss
in preparing the dra wings ana specincasfohs.
1his N ecnanic aided IL the statement Of
detafis OF timber. &c bat WAS anapAe 70
make the dtawIss; ana N. W,,us ssr,n ana
s1ms:ructer Porter from the Hsvy yard a.
Nnrfo,k to R,chmoEd, atoat the sd Of June,
far onsEultasion on the same eubjeet eener-
aIiv ard aid in the work.
f}nnstr nc tor Porter brought and submitted
the model of n fat bottomed, itght-dra ofht,
propeller easemated battery, vita inclined
iron .covsred sides and ends wnien Is depoei led
r. arfA and LA
brooke have adoptsd for their cisema.e
thickness OF wood and iron, and an angle OF
iGcInatien Eearly Identical.
Mr. Williamson and Dir. Porter approved
of the plan Of having submerged ands to OBJ
.eia the requisite fiotasion and tnsulnerabiii-
tv and the Department adopted the design.
mud a clean drawing was prepared hy ar.
Prfter OF Lieu: Brooke's plan, when 'hat
officer then Il LED with the department.
The s-eqrn.;rigai Q hierrius Sc had been burned
and sunk ;,nd n-r engine greatly dsmsged by
the enemy ; aud the pepaJ tment directe AR
Williamson Lieut. Brooke AID AR. Porter
81 cor slider and report upon the best made OF
making her useful. The result OF their III
yes.iCs ttons was their reeenUennAtiohe OF tas
an h,., erged ends. and the tGot tnea casemsirs
for this vessel, which wes adopted 10y the De-
partmsgt.
The following is the report upon the nler-
rimae:
,.Iu on. dience to your craeTs.we ave C re-
fully rxauti ned and considered the Farioas
plans and propositions for constructing
saot proof sea u battery. aud respectfully re-
port that in oMr opinion, the Steam.fTfgate
Merrimac whin h Is III such condition from
thu efec ts Of firs 70 hs nseioss i3r any other
purpose, without occurring very neasy ex-
pense III rebuilding dc can De mace an eta-
cisut vessel of taat character, raoan ting -
neavv GINS and frarr. tbs further consider
atisn mat we cannot p. rocure suisaoie on,
CINE and boilers tor npy o,beA stsSe. Wisnou
building them, which "oa .. a,v y
4
chance to get sui liable vssss a IN Il snoi time.
The betora CT the hull. 6C itSis. ana heas5
and costly paris Of yhe sngiuF oe,ns onI IVY. &c
l. iured, reduce the cos of q hstIHct!on W
a6ont enc third Of The amount "hich would
be required to construct su rs "a eesei neW'
s'W. canaot, without t1rtn a. %. AM on,
make al accurate estimate Of :be 0st OF tae
proposed work, bat think II VIII 10. atoGt -,
the most Of which vii; oa for labor. &ns hla
terisis being nearly all in the May 191o'
except the iron plating 20 cover the sniA id :.
"Tls plan TO be adopt cd In Lhs arr an Ser.iens
OF the shield for CHANGING shot. mouDtLng
guns, arranging the hail, &c,, and pianug.
to be 10 aceo ID .uce vita tas p'au submitted
for thu approval OF Inc Dsps-r lament.
We ara, with IN uea respect,
your otsdieu ser wants,
WILLIAM r WILLIA.msoH,
Chief Engineer Confederate Sta,es navy.
'.1oBs NJ. BgookB,
Lieutenant Uonietierats atsies Navy
"JoHs L.. PoRTER,
Naval CoGEtTuc .ot.
immediately upcn tn e shopton Of tn . plan
Mr. Porter wss directed 10 sGocsed vii D The
cons truptorss duties. mr.. Witlja mson " 81
charged with the engineers department; : q No
to Ear 1rcak. were assigned me dt4fIss % al
tending TO ard preparing tue iFen and for.
war6ins it from. the ! rsaesas NO css, aae
ex oer,poants necessary 10 tue pie tes. ND
10 a . serr7;ue their thickness, AMI .ieSisitae
heavy flied crdnaaes D Tue ~Etr, with she
details p3rfaiuing TO- .
These gentlemen ~ fHAvsaHM
/
Porter cut the ship doJ . bmergs ne'
ends, performed ali the G: IL sfconst- actof
and orr gins sd all the inferior afrangsh fehss
by wai III space has been eeono Hfi<ss hna
hs has exhi oited energy, ability, ano Ike'
nuity. Mr.. Williamson thoroughly seI,
hauled her engines, supplied deficienefsse ano
rep aired defects, and improved greatly she
motive power of the vessel.
Dir. BgeoKe attended daily TO the iron, ca u
etrueted targets, ascertafnn3 by actual tea
the resistance offered by inclined planfS
iron 10 heavy ordnance. and determined RAJ
terestiDg and important kacts In conneeticsi
thereEiih. and which were Of great i'm port
anee In the construction OF the ship, devised
aud prepared the models and drawings OF the
ships heavy ordnance, being guns OF class
never before made, and of extraordinary
power aud strength
isis dee,nad mex peaient 10 state tnel.ngle
of iaclfu alton, the character OF the riates
upon hs- ship, the manner Of pref ing
them, OF the number, caIibre and wei g6, %
the guns IN many novel ar d In 5eres til ( fea-
lures OF her construction, which were ex-
perinentaily determined, are necessarily
omitted.
The novel plan Of subm sreiug tia ends Of
the ship and the ewes OF the easement, how
ever, is the peculiar and distir tive fe,tnre of
THE Virgins. II was never bsfore adopted.
The resistance OF iron plates to heavy ord
nance, whether preeen ted IN vertical planes
or st low angles OF In clination, had baen inv
vestigs ted in England before the vir,iHia
was menoed, aud Major Barnard, United
tsta.es Army had referred to the su fisct Ia,
his s'Seacoast ,Defences.'
We were without accurate data, however,
aud were compelled to determine the inciirn.
ton of the mates and their thickness and
form py actual experiment
The Department has freely consulted the
three excellent officers referred 70 throug hcnt
the iabors on the Virginia, and they have all
exhibited sign al ability, eaergy, and zeal.
i have the hoEor 80 he.
Fers respectfully,
Your oed't servt.
l5igne51 :. II. mALboRY,
Secretary OF ths Navy.
TARiEr or PsIons. Gen. Lowell has estsb-
lis he'd The folio wing tariff of pSiesu of proyi-
stons and other articles in New Orleans
Beef mt retail, roal7 cents per pennd; pork,
13ll7c mutton and veal. 3a3oc green meat,
hog round, 2na22c.: haas and zee. 72szss,i
shU u idsrs, lsi2ac.; and iart aoassW Supsrfins
flour is sii a barrel; peas, 81 % 30 Per bush-
rice, resan, nc. per pound; saN " per SACK;
&C fee 6ets. n pound; Sc, ioases must weigh S
or onnc es, according 70 the auhitsy of -four;
ioc leaves - or 10 ounces, ANA Bee leaves "a,
30 or So ounces.
A san AcorDssr, We regret TO learn that
a member of the seth tIgsIia regiment lost
his lie on the cars, between weldon ana
He,Gse aro' on "Wednesday last A number OF
sos.tiers were in 1ransitn ON hahs. a bout two
Hell inst fhp ,se1s n