Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-17

/ Etenh tAb Chafiestou CoufieFt A1ii-l
Since our last issue the enemy has made nc
movement of importance in this vicinity. On
| the Stono his operations seem to progress very
slowly, as if he were awaiting the issue Of the
final contest between the iron feet and the bat
teries Of our hRrboT. The monitors, s1. in num-
Der, with the Ironsdss, still lie st suchor within
The bar, ard at a distance Of about three miles
southeast from Fort Sumter Whatever the mo-
lives for their delay may be, there are good Fea-
sons for believing that they viii not depart until
/ they have made one more effort for the Teduc-
ton of Charleston.
| During Wednesday afternoon many pieces Of
| the Keokuk's furniture, with the spy glasses
aad other effects Of her officers, we're washed
ashore on Morris Island beach. Most Of thsse
articles, when found, were covered with clOtsed
| blood. That our readers may have correct in
/ formstion Of the strength aud character Of the
| iron vessels we have sunk, we append minute
| description Of the Keoluk, taken from New
York paper of December last:
The Keokuk, the invention Of Mr. G. "
! Whitney, an iron merchant Of this city is Of an
entirely novel construction, Her dimensions
sre as follows: Length over all, including the
ram OF Eve feet, one hundred and ffty-nine feet
aud six inches; breadth Of beam, thirty-six feet
depth of hold, thirteen feet snd six inches; draft
of water, nine feet Her sides present very
| peculiar appearance, being CONSTRUCTED at an
angle Of thirtY-seven degrees so as to cause the
shot to roll of. With exception Of a few inches
OF wood on deck, which is locked 50 as 70 keep
| il tight, some minor pieces between decks, aud
the necessary joiner work, the vessel is exclu
sively built Of iron, with an srmOr extending
some four feet below the water line while the
flush deck is about Eve feet above the water
line.
The hull Of the vessel, including ffsma aud
beams, are exclusively Of iron. Itis constructed
of bslf-inch rolled into plates Three keelsons
run the whole length while two bulwsrks, fore
aud aft, form an inner vessel, which enables the
structure to float, should the outside be riddled
with shot. Two bulwarks-ons fore and one
sft-can be filed with water in fifteen minutes,
so as to settle or raise the vessel IS wanted in
action as much ss one foot. These eompart-
ments also serve as a security against a leak
caused by the WrenchiBg off Of the ram. The
huh is covered with an armor Of bars Of four
one-inch iron set edgewsys, one inch apart, and
between each strip Of yellow pine, over which
are three fye-eighth- inch plates, the whole
riVeted with one snd one-eightn inch bolts, with
eight counter sunk heads Of sbout one foot
apart.
The vessel has two fxed turress, each carry
ing one gun, pierced with thres port holes each,
but the gun is on : revolving slide They are
built on base of hslfinch rolled plates, and
covered in the same manner as the huli, thus OBJ
tSining for the turrsts thickness Of six and one
quarter inches The pert holes are provided
with heavy shutters, so constructed as 10 work
in two halves. The slides for the guns, which
viii be Of eleven inch calibar, are placed twenty
inches below thu level Of the deck, which So
cures greater hight for the turress, which are
of cOnics form, twenty feet diameter at the
base and fourteen fest at the top. Their length
is eight feet eight inches. Taey are strongly
brsoed by five one-ineh iron bars set edgsways
The size of the ports allows the guns ten de-
grees vertical and eight degrees lateral range
The ventilation Of the tuTrets is admirably pro-
vided for by an arrangement by which the
lower portion of tho turTei&ean be opened, and
as there is = Communication between the two
turrets dra't IS produced, which removes the
foul air generated inside.
The vessel will be propelled by tEo propellars
and two engines Of FIVE hundred horse power.
Both ruddsr and propeller are guided by an
overhangiog guard Of wrought iIon on the after
part.
Blr Whitney, who had conceived the idea Of
building this vessel about four weeks after the
outbreak of the war, is quite sure Of her sue.
cess, both IS regards easy navigation and proof
against shot. She requires a crew of one hun
drec men, aud carries in her magazines two hun
dred Il-inch shot, one hundred and fifty ll-inch
shell, and the necessary powder, etc
The propellers and engines Of the Keokak
are so arranged as to allow one to work for
ward while the other can be reversed SO as to
turn the vessel on her own pivot The guns of
the ship are worked on pivot similar to the ar
Tangement of the pivot guns on a gunbost TIE
ship sits on the water with sl the grace Of
regularly built wooden vessel, thus putting at
rest al the fears expressed BY many nautical
men that she could not Anat