New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-10
o.WOOlK worm OOLION

Epgtnee, n. NJ. smi.n, laird Ass..an.s d. !" Donavep
aud s: McDermOts Matters Mates. T. Marion, r. Berry and
4. g. Hall.
TUE MONITOR.
Under the act Of Congress passed last Summer ap.
propriatipg 81 100000 for iron-cad vessels for the
Navy, Captain J. Ericsson, the world-renowned in.
ven,or Of the calorc engine presented proposals for
battery to be launched within one hundred work
ing days from tho date Of the contract the impreg.
inability Of which should DO tested before the beavi-
est guns Of the enemy, and at the shortest range.
The contract was signed in October, and the one
huudredandfrst working day thereafter the Monitor
was launched from tho Continental Iron Works 1t
Greenp int, where she was constructed BY c. 6.
Bushnell & Co., under the superintsndencs OF
Thomas F. Rowland Of Brooklyn.
Externally che presents to the FIRE Of the snsmy's
guns q hull rising but about eighteen inches above
the wster, and sort OF Msrello tower twenty feet
in diameter, and ten feet high The smoke.stack
during action 10 lowered into the bold it being made
with telescope slides Tue hull 10 sharp at both
euds, the bow projecting and coming to point at an
angle Of eighty degrees TO the vertical line II is
fiat bo.tomed six and half feet in depth, one hum
bred and twenty -four feet long, thirty feet wide
-
Another, upper bull, rests on this with perPendic'
ular sides and sharp ends, five feet high forty feet
four inches WIDE ono hundred and seventyfour feet
long extending over the sdes Of the lower bull three
fee. seven inches, and over each end twenty i've
feet, thus serving . protection to the propeller,
rudder, and anchor The sides Of the upper bull are
composed Of an inner guard Of iron, wall Of white
oak thirty inches thick, covered with iron armor six
inches thick.
When in readiness for action, the lower hull 10 to-
tally immersed, and the upper ono is sunk feet s
inches, leaving only Is inches above water. Tho
interior 10 open 10 the bottom like soop, the deck,
which is bomb-proof, coming flush with the top Of
the upper hull. No railing or bulwsrk of any kind
appears above the deck and the only things exposed
are the turret or citadel tho whsel-house, aud the
box browning the smoke.stack. The inclination Of
tho lower hull is such that ball to strike it in any
part must pass through at least % feet Of water and
then strike An inclined iron surface At an angle Of
about 10 degrees In she event Of the enemy board
inp the battery they can do harm, ss the only ell
trance is at the top Of the turret or citadel, wei
cannot easily be scsled and oven then only one mar
at 4 Sue CAL descend Into the hull.
This turret 10 revolving, bomb.prooi fort, snt
mounts two ll.inch guns. 1t is protected by eight
thicknesses Of inch iron, overlapping that ct nc
one spot is there moro than one inch thickness Of
joint. shell proof fla, roof Of perforated plate iron
placed on forged beams inserted SIX inches down
the cylinder, covers tho top. The sliding hatch in
this cover perforated to give light aud for mnsketry
tire in case the battery 10 boarded. spur.whse,
Ct inches in diameter, moved by double cylinder
engine turns the turet guns and all, rod connected
with the running gear Of the engine enabling tie
gunner TO control tho aim. Tho guns move In
forgci-iron slides across the turret, the carriages
being made TO fit them accurately.
These guns were furnished with 400 wrought-irop
shot b, the Novelty Works each ball weighing ISL
pounds and costing So. The balls were made by
forging SQUIRE blocks OF iron, which were afterwsrd
,urned in the lathe Castron shot would orsas
a,inst such yessel the Aerrmac, and these shot
were forged for the especial purpose Of smashing
through her sides. Lieut.. Worden intended, III case
the Ierrimse id not cons out, to 80 into Norfolk
harbor aud lay his vessel alongside Of her there.
She has saved him thai trouble
The oaicers OF tho Monitor as follows:
ris,,,n,p.C omm,ndnE Johu wordeo; Lieu.cnsut ana
E,ssy,,,. onissr S Gcseni Acting Masters l.. n sod
J.r and j. " Wobbcr; Aon. Assistant Payinssisr VIM r.
hrerr Acting Assistant soreeon D. Losaci fit Assi.t
an, Fr,i .,r Isssc Newton Second AIftsut Alhcr 3.
,mobsil laird A...tsnt r. ". sand, and NJ A. SUn.ou
ic,it Matters Mate. Geo. fredc.cis"n.
TIRE MERR,MAC.
Tie Merrimac was originally Que Of the five war
steamers authorized 10 he constructed by Congress
dn,ng the session of 1915. They were 10 10 hrsi
Ct .ss Steam sIoops of-war, and were built follows:
The Mrriimac al Chariestown; Wabash, Com. d.
points Gagship which did sucn good service at Pot
ROYAL, At Philad-lphis; tie Minnesota at Washing.
ION; the Roanoke ut Norfolk, and the Niagara NJ
Brooklyn. Tho Minnesota ard the Roanoke were
Wing IN IIamptoa Roads. These Ave vessels were
equal to any steam vessels in the world, except
lron-c ad vessels. The spar deck Of the Merrinac
was 81 feet long and - feet broad in her orgnai
condition. and she drew % feet Of water. She rated
about 1000 tuns burden. Her frame was OF live
oak filed in solid, and csulked IA feet out from the
IelsOn Forward the ship had 10 live oak breast
hooks fas'ensd through and through with copper
under the water and iron above; af. she had seven