Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-03-21
The Ericsson Floating Battery
Monitor.

/
in one OF the greatest naval battles Oh
record
Externally she presents to the fire Of the
enemy's guns, hull rising about eighteen
inches above the vNter, and Il sort Of Wlr'
tello tower, twenty feet in diameter, aud
ten feet high. The smoke-stack during ac'
ton is lowered into the hold, it being made
with telescopic slides. The hull is sharp
at both ends, the bow projecting and com
ing TO a point at an angle OF eighty degrees
TO the vertical line. /. is hat-bottomed.
six and half feet in depth, one hundred
and twenty-four feet wide at the top, and is
built Of light three eighth inch iron. An
other, or upper hull, rests on this with per-
pendcuiar sides and sharp ends, five feet
high forty feet four inches wide, one hun
bred and seventy -four feet long, extending
over the sides of the lower hill three feet
seven inches, and over each end twenty-five
feet, thus serving as a protection TO the pro-
peller, rudder, aad anchor. The sides of
the upper hull 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 is totally immersed, and the upper enc
is sunk three feet six inches, leaving only
eighteen inches above water. The interior
is open to the bottom like a sloop, the deck
which is bomb proof, coming flush with .he
top Of the upper hull. No railing or bull
wark Of any kind appears above the deck
and the only things exposed are the turret
or citadel, the whecl-house, and the box
crowning the smoke-stack. The inclination
of the lower hull is such that ball to strike
it in any part must pass Though at least
2j feet of water, and then strike an in
clined surface al an angle of about 10 de.
grees. In the event of the enemy board
ing the battery the can do no harm, as
the only entrance is at the top of the fur
ret or CITADEL which cannot easily be scaled,
and even then only one man at a time can
descend into the hnll.
This turret is revolving, bomb-proof
fort and mounts two Il-inch guns. Il is
protected by eight thicknesses is inch iron.
overlapping SO that at no one spot is there
more than one inch thickness of joint. A
shell-proof fiat roof, of perforated plate
iron, placed on forged beams, inserted six
inches down the cylinder, covers the top
The sliding hatch in this cover is perforated
to give light, and for musketry fire in case
the battery is boarded. A spur-wheel, G5
inches in diameter, moved by double cyl
inder engine, turns the turret, guns and all,
a rod connected with the running gear of
the engine enabling the gunner 20 control
the aim. The guns move in forged iron
slides across the turrer, the carriages being
made to fit them accurately.
These guns were furnished with 400
wrought-iron shot by the Novelty Works
each ball weighing 1874 pounds and costing
S47. The balls were made by forging
square blocks of iron, which were afterward
turned in lathe. Cast-iron shot would
break against such vessel as the Merri-
mac, ans these shot were forged for the es-
pecal purpose of smashing through her
sides. Lieut.. Worden intended, in case
the Merrimac did not come out, to 90 into
Norfolk harbor and lay his vessel alongside
her there. She has saved him that trouble.