Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-03-20
Description of the Ericsson Battery.

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Description Of the Ericsson Battery.
Our readers will no doubt be glad to
have the following full and minute descrip-
tion of this new and unique "rebellion an
known as the Ericsson Battery !:
The battery rests upon two vessels, an
upper AID lower one. The upper is built
of iron, one hundred and seventy-four feet
long, forty one feet four inches wide, and
five feet deep, with draught Of three to
six inches, leaving only eighteen inches of
the sides exposed above the water line
The sides are covered with white oak bull
wark, thirty inches thick but receive their
principal protection from an armor of rolled
plate iron, six inches thick. The deck is
made of oak beams ten inches thick, Gov
cred with plank eight inches thick and a
one inch plate. The upper vessel is fat
bottomed, and has a wedge-shaped stem
and stern. The lower vessel, which is en-.
tirely submerged, is one hundred and
twenty, -four feet long, thirty -four feet wide
and six feet six inches deep. 1t contains
the working machinery, the rudder and the
anchor, housed away beyond the reach Of
the enemy's shot. Upon the deck Of the
upper vessel, and the only conspicuous OBJ.
ject on this slow rakiug" and terrible craft,
is the turret, twenty feet in diameter, nine
feet high, and composed Of nine one-inch
iron plates, Tapped over each other and
fastened with thousands of bolts. A shell
proof roof, six inches thick, covers the tur.
ret, which is entered through hatchways
from above. The total weight of the tur.
ret is one hundred and twenty tons. The
armament consists of two columbiads
(Which are preferable to rifle guns Of short
ranges), each carrying ball Of one hun,
dred and eighty pounds, and working
through circular port holes three feet above
the deck. The carriages are made oi
wrought iron, and move on forged iron
slides. The turret can be turned at pleas
ure by spurwheel and gearing driven by
a. double. cylinder engine, and controlled by
lever in tht turret. BY this contrivance
the guns can be aimed, almost instantly, at
any point of the horizon. The cylinders
for the main engine are forty inches in di
ameter, with piston stroke of twenty inches
Blowers for the boiler and for ventilation
are worked by small separate engines. The
smoke is passed "# through gratings in the
deck. The entire cost of. the battery viii
be S275,OOO. Guns and men to work then
will be furnished by the government.
THE MERRIMAC.
We yesterday gave some brief accoun
Of the Virginia, the great antagonist Of thF
Ericsson Battery. The following additiona
particulars with regard to the Virginia
will be read with interest:
Once she was the pride Of the Fedora
Navy, and considered the finest of her clas
ahoat Being at the Gosport Navy Yart
when the frightened Hessians fed from tina
institution, they attempted to destroy her
but failed in the undertaking. Acting o.
the hint of the New Orleans "Turtle" th'
Government determined to make Norfoll
Turtle of the Merrimac, and workmen hsV'
been busily engaged on her for nearly 81,
months, and striking metamorphosis the.
have effected in her general appearance
From first class frigate she is raced dowl
till the surface she presents above water il
no greater than that of an ordinary cana
boat, and on that surface no balls nor she'll
can take effect Three feet below her Wa
ter lines the iron plating, four inches thick
on solid oak twenty eight inches in thick
ness, commences and runs upward from
each side, sloping like the roof of house
and being, in fact, an iron roof oD float
ing house. No spars, no masts, no uppe
works of any kind are in sight Even tn
chimneys are on spiral springs, 'quashable
without injury, and the ouIy place she cal
be struck is on her iron roof. The onl.
way of getting into her is through small
hatohway, to which is an iron door fastsn
ing immovably on the inside, so that tn
enemy had as we'll attempt to board a log
gerhead turtle as her. Her armament con
sists Of heavy guns on each side, and on
at bow and stern. The iron cleaver il
front is supposed capable of dividing
Yankee ship in two equal portions wit
great nicety and despatch.