The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-29
THE IRON-CLADS.
tn. Sea- Going Qualities % the Monitors

The Sea-. Coins Qualities % the Monitors.
TO THE EDITOR OF rEn HERALD.
The several paragraphs which lave recently appeared
the alleged unhness Of tho Monitors Tor sea service
have produced great encouragement IN the minds Of
oyal people SO numerous the inquiries called forth
by those paragraphs that would be impossible for mo
70 answer the same You viii therefore much osge me
by admitting the following explanation into your col
umns.
The nssrenoe drawn from the fact that the Navy De-
partmeGt employs steamtugs 70 accompany and assist
the Monitors quite The Secretary Of tho
Navy would incur heavy responsibility IT, at this crisis,
he omitted to adopt every precau,on within his power to
place the few onclads At his disposal safely at the
points where they are needed
In Yefuation Of the unfavorable opinions expressed
in regard to the seagopg qualities Of the Monitors need
only present the following statements Of the commander
Of the weehawken the only officer who has thoroughly
tested the system in heavy weather.
Extract from letter Of Captain Rodgers, addressed to
the Assistant Secretary OF the Navy
On Tuesday night when of hngoteaue shoals had
very gale from T. NJ E., with very heavy sea,
made confused and dangerous by the proximity Of the
land. The waves measured AFTER the sea aba.ed l
found them twenty three feet high they certainly
seven feet higher in the midst Of the storm.
During the heaviest Of the gale stood upon the tnrret
and admired the behavior o. the vessel sns rose ana
form had great sea going qualities leaks were pre-.
vented no hurricane could inure her presume in two
days shall be ready tor any service as we need DO
pairs and only some little httings
Extract from letter Of Captain Rodgers addressed to
William L. Hodge, ESD
The gale worry severe, but my vessel behaved ad-
mrably During the highest Of the storm stood on the
and watched her movements with great interest
They gave the impression of great safety while water
can he kept out Of it safe as RAFT or cake Of ice
While watched the motion Of the vessel in the hardest
OF the storm saw nothing TO improve. believed could
have corrected any wrong tendency by shifting or throw
sary The had great and hold upon the hull
TO impede eur way very much bat she had no drift
and goes where she looks
The opinion thus expressed by Captain Rodgers
observation sea- efectualy contradcts all adj
verse statements the SUBJECT founded specu
lation.
With reference TO the speed Of the Monnors empha
caly deny the correctness the statement that the
tended nine knots hour cannot be attained. Not
Of the experienced steamboat builders
objected when signing the contract with the Navy De-
parment TO warrant the rate alluded to. Nor could any
well informed engineer hesitate, since the power Of the
engines is quite large compared with the Of the huh
and immersed mdshp section the lines being, moreover
favorable those of fast sailing vessels The overhang
fore and aft present but little resistance owing their
shear need only remind the public that Harrison Lor
ing Of Boston is Of the contractors who warranted
the nine knots show that sufficient power had been
vided The fact Is that both engines and boilers are some
what above the usual do the work intended
steam engineers need only be told that while the hull Of
the vessel is under thirty eight feet BEAM with ten and
half feet draugh the cylinders forty inches in dame
ter and that the boilers six large furnaces
present nearly thousand square heating
face The full rate will unquestonaby be attained when
the boilers in proper working order and the engineers
have acquired necessary experience. Captain Rodgers
having demonstrated what Monitors craft the
public will the impregnable feet traversng the
coast in all weathers, unattended by steamtugs.
Yours, very respectfully, j. ERICSSON.
New YORK, Jan %, 1868.