The Burlington weekly hawk-eye., 1863-02-07
The ITon.Clads.

send you Savannah paper, OF the 10th,
which announces the departure of the Mon.
tauk and ,Passaic from Beaufort, bound south;
and that the Weehswken and Nshant we're to
follow. Admiral Dupont himself informed me
that, notwithstanding his desire to keep their
arrival here secret, he was confident that the
enemy would not long remain in ignorance Of
it. Besides, be felt it to be due the. friends Of
the officers and crews of these vessels at the
North, who naturally must feel anxiety, in
view Of the foundsring of, the Monitor, that
word of their safety should be published. And
here may as well disabuse the public mind,
by the testimony Of Commander Worden, which
believe is concurred in by Commander Dray-
ton, Of any erroneous impressions it may en-
tertain respecting the sea-going qualities Of
these inventions Of Mr.. Ericsson. Both vess
sells we're towed here, the one BY the Rhode L.
land and the other BY the James Adger, and
the wind, during the voyage, WAS At no time
heavier than what the sailors call . double
reefed. topsail breeze In this comparatively
moderate sea-way, the vessels labored Q great
deal in consequence oftheir peculiar mode Of
construction. Without entering upon the de-
tails of their, build, with which every body ID
or ought to be familiar from the often publish
ed descriptions, I shall only state that the
''overhang" Of the upper vessel beyond the
lower, or hull proper; affordss immsnse SUR
face for the water 70 act upon. As the vessel
is lifted by . wave and fall again, this cover
hang" strikes upon the water with = thunder.
ing tbud, causing terrible jar, and straining
the seam where the upper and lower vessels
are bolted together, to sueh an extent that in
the case Of the Montauk water rushed through.
Possibly better idea might be formed Of the
character of this shoek, by supposing one Of
our Brooklyn ferry bosts to b caught in Q
see way where the waves would have power
to strike under the chains on either side which
always project several feet over the hull. This
''over.hang," then, as / understood in con-
versation with Commander Wordsn, while
was permitted to inspect the, vessel, is sn In
supsrable obstacle to safety in . heavy sss,
and brings him to the conclusion that Monitors
are only fit for harbor defensss and smooth.
water navigation. '21 ss TYP
Experience has also developed great many
minor defects in tho general arrangements Of
the vessels, which might hays been obviated
had MIR. Ericsson been q much skilled in sea.
manship as he is in mechauicAl scisnDe. One
can not help feeling. after looking carefully
through these iron-clsds, and listening 70 what
the officers say, that in their construction the
inventor lost sight Of every desideratuns but
invulnersbility. That he has attained that,
nobody pretends to doubt, but at the expense
of most Of the comforts and the conveniences
for the enjoyment Of which many cf the OFF,
GERS and crew would be willing, il necessary,
to run slightly additional risk IN view cot
the cramped space on these queer-looking ip-
novations upon naval architecture, and the
unpleasantness Of living ON board Of them,
there is good deal Of reason, am inclined
to believe, in wkat the grim, old veteran, Ad-
miral Dupont, lsughipgly said, the other day
-s.that, as Mr.. Ericsson had made these iron
clad machines, he should make iron men to
fight them" The admiral, who has all his
life trod the poop.deck, and gazed scornfully
down from that eminenee to the subservient
race below, is utterly at q loss, / imagine, to
realize the immense revolution in the naval
service, which makes 'slittle Castle Garden
on raft" as the sailors on the Wabash de-
signate the ironrclads, formidable opponent
for the magnificent frigate beside which they
so humbly lie. .eo,,s