New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-11
The Gr,nt NAVAL Feat.

AZ IEoy.CLAD BUILT HERE AND SHIPPED TO
CAIIFORNIA--DLSCRIPTIO on THE VLssEL.
The proximity " our shores Of tie pirate Ala
Iaua prevented as, few weeks since, from duly
reporting tho accomplishment Of naval feat M
paraelsd in the conE.ructing history Of the U. s.
Navy. 1t Wa nothing less than the building Of a.
iron-cad vessel-of.whr for the protection Of the
coast o. California, tud the subsequent separation Of
lsr different sections, and their shipment ior Gan
Fraucisco Had he Alabama snd the Tpcony been
aware Of tie fact they would probably have
watched tho veese carrying the iron-esd. bat even
then they would md her minus come Of ber rno'I
importaut larts, which were sent overland. The
name Of the iron-cad is ComRnebs. Ste was
built by the Mesfrs. Secor of Jertey City, Sen-
aior Ryan of California BENG one OF her ohieI coz
tractors.
1Ae process Of taking q ship apart was never at
tented IN this navy before, and was emineniiy
succsssful n iis case every bolt beng pG' n it
place before a Jingle particle Of TIE hull wai taken
down. When the different portions OF tie work Of
building were flilbed, tie COmAuche, resting on
tie r,ocks in Jertey City prcsen;ed the appearance
u en Ericsson battery GllnOsi ready for service.
YcarAdmiral Gregory inspected the hill before ils
separation and reported TO tbe Navy Department
he complete success U; the experiment. Orders 10
take TIE vessel aIGrt were then ihsned by hr Dlrk-
beck who supernteuded the construction Of the ship
sci wes then chartered 70 carry The divided battery
10 Mare hlsnd Navy Yard, where her guus viii be
mounted al her coumislOn filed IN the service Of
the United States Of America. Tie following 10 q
brief description Of the ComancEe:
IItLome eDg,h lOl feet eI'r.ns enfh or
boat psop.r wafer ns ISJ feet length outside ~ stem
End 9oss l3J feet extreme bean o'eI AiI1oi 80 eet
1esdtb Of beam Of boat proPor nodl II ioe' ineLp,
deth Of holl tuid ps 0n top bclns 70 ftin, u feet
Iehes crown Of aees sndships inehes shear Of eoos
sfe end 4 byst proper 10 feet dit4lco from ste 10
tsas cad forward 10 ie. etano, from 'teropo.
70 extreme end Of boat AZ 70 feet nee. ei'iAaee 0A
.ern.pos; 70 extreme end Of trmor an a. feet
The keel is Of The best quality Of fange iron
Of an inch thick, butted and strapped every tix
feet, and followed out inches deep and IS inchea
vide forming " water-liInber;" The ioro-End-ait
vessel straps are Of al inch thick Inches wide
and thoroughly fastened with four rows OF
Lunch riveis. The fore-and-aft center keelson Is
formed Of plates 30 inches wide, inch thek, and
.7lI inches long, and well bound with engIe IRON
around the outsde Of the vessel and IN plane With
lie hip portion Of the boil, there IL horizontal
erDor shelf &c inches Gnidships, diminishing by q
fair line 20 u inches wide near the onds The side
srfnOr, which if fastened TO the wooden bulwrks,
is composed Of five courses OF plates measuring .
inches in thickness. The armor extends 81 feet
below the water lue ell round the vessel, project
ipg feet 5 inches beyond the hull.
The turTet 10 Al feet internal diameter, feet hah
and composed Of ii plates In thickness which meas
ure together III inches through. These plates are
applied IN twenty fechOns, ana JON NeFNchIJ J."
such manner tbst there is only one JOINT at any
one place. The top OF tie tnrret ID formed oi
wroueh-iron plates, one-hsli inch thiek resting Oh
forged beams and rail way bar, placed three inches
ana inside the turret. In the center OF the plating
ia a circular aperture six feet IA diameter, over
which the pilot-houso Of equal diameter Is placed
The engines consist Of two cylinders, ~ inches IN
diameter aud n inches stroke, combined IN one
piece, and supported by strong frame eaht III one
piece firmly secured 70 the wrouRbi-lrOn keelson.
The blower-sngnes aud blowers are OF greater sizs
than those Of the Monitor, and, instead OF beng
placed in the engine room, are applied under the
iuire,, for the purpose OF drawing dowp tho cold
DIR through the turret roof and forcing II lllo Tue
boiler room and other parts Of the vessel.
Two boilers on Martins plan. are attached, OF lO
feet face, feet inches hi.h and T. feet inches
long witn three furnaces in each. The propeller Ii
made o. cast-ron, II feet in diameter und 10 feet
pitch.