The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1863-10-23
Visit to Laird's Ship-Yard.
Description of the Rebel Steam Rams
CorresDo ience of the Bo,ton Journal.
SrsAxER B,HsxIAS, CUR ~ 81 L,wasScR,
Sep esnoer -
tn fha Editor of the r ,sk0n ion r3,1}

examine one bl tuo steam rams Mt Lara,
NJ =. i. binding, tor the southern confe.'-
eracv. was told in Liverpool it would
be very dliirnlt. "a :. permit woul! have
20 be obtained. which | should stand a
small chance of getting, and beside it
would take muc', time 10 get one in AM
event. Mo- deferred by those suggestions
I crossed WooIside terry, inquired the
way, and PROCEEDED directly to Mr.. Laird s
ward Ringing the bell at tn" gate. was
nshprei by waiter to the otfi %. who're |
found some haf-dnzea persons bu>ily en-
gagged at desks walked up to one who
appeared to be the principal and said to
him, s. have No business 20 transact with
YOU, bu' have come merely from curiosity
to see the steam rams abou, which so
much have been said | came down from
London last night, and am going to Can
ada Tomorrow. and | should very much
like to see them" After looking a, me
attenlive'v awhile. he said, Give me your
cad AMI will send it up" | replied
+" Unfortunately have no card with me
At this moment" Aud it jnst then occur
red to me that had my passage tickets
for this steamer. on which my name ap-
peared Nth ut address,, which | showed
him. He lo"k my name and sent it up
Soon lad came back with it. when | was
bid to follow. We went some distance 20
another room. where he directed me t. re-
cord nv name and address in book kept
for that purpose which at once did in full.
" Bah, Ne &. S." The boy did not look
At it; aud we went back to the office,
from whence | was directed t. the yard
where had all the opportunity Ivy time
would allow for examination. which |
spent on the unfinished one, for the reason
that the mode of constructure conid be
much better observed, and also because
the other WAS two or three miles away, up
Birkenhead dock. As they are designed
20 be alike in all respects, description of
one is all that is needed
The length over All is go feet, breadth
OF beam abou' As feet. tonnage atou, $500
American ea,ureinent. The ram eX
tends about FIVE feet forward of the up
per parts of the stem is utvel outward
pretty sharply, and is quite thin on lis
edge. Outside of the iron hull cover
,ng 81 teak timber eig t inches thick is
placed, to which is aiiix-s! the iron plates
They are, was told, five inches thick
along the sides, reduced gradually 10 two
inches at the en,'. She was al plalei
excepting small portion near the stern,
AN! under the quarters. TO which they
were then afiixing the plates. One that
WAS just read y to 60 IN found by actual
measurement to be 10 feet 1 inches long,
2 feet . inches wide, AMI inches thick.
This was punched with 10 holes l 2
inches in diameter inside and 5 s out
side Her stern is built very much after
The usual manner of ron screw ships
considerably over hanging, but leaving The
ruader unprotected Iuieei she must
,!Ttw fifteen and a-halt feet to cover the
rudder IN smooth water, which she will no
doubt do when she is equipped for ser
vice, AS her draft was then nearly twelve
feet without her turret or masts The-e,
with her armament, ammunition. c0al
and stores must, think, bring her so
low in the water that she will steer b,.iIy
Her upper deck beams are ab Ut nine in
ches deep. less than An inch in thickness
with the exception Of the tlanges and are
placed about three f ct apart. over them
is n LAYER of iron one quarter inch, then
the deck plank Of oak FIVE inches. covere /
with iron plates three eighth inch, on the
upper side Of which are small liaonr Al
projections. forming squares one aud "A
half inches across. like an india rubber
door maj. to prevent Shipping. Within
these squares large wood screws coutine
the plate to the deck
There are two iurrefs al,ou, eighty feet
apart, which are made TO revolve on the
toner deck on twelve rollers two feer in III
aneter. Tue openings in the upper deck
in which The turrets ,eroive are twenty
five feet in diameter. The part Of the ,ur
rel below deck is It course made to fl
that space nearly, but the diameter of the
par, above deck j. ihrqe aud nne.half fee;
less, The inside diameter is about eight
cen feet from top to bottom. The lining
is halt inch ifon, from which extend out
wardly. at distances Of atout two feet
plates Of about the same thickness. extend
ing from The top to the deck and about
eighteen inches wide, TO which are affixed
the exterior plates. five inches thick. which
also extend outwar'lly tia>h with the deck
10 the outer circle, while the spaces be-
tween tie plates AMI lining above deck are
filed with teak timber. The lower part Of
the ,urrat has several elliptic aoerrure~
through bo'h plates, two feet wide and
four feet high, for convenient communities
tion with the between decks for The pu,
pose Of conveying ammunition. The port
holes are about eighteen inches above
deck. A poop deck ard topgaIan. fore
castle. each about fifty feet long and seven
feet high, are constructed of three eigh,hs
iron for quarters of officers and men Be-
tween them the bulwarks are about five
feet high. made Of quarter inch iron on
frames Of two inches depth. IN sections of
eight feet, each section having two stanch-
ions, with a j int or hinge a, the foot. 50
that they can lay over the side while IN
action. Each Sanction is made with n
brace, connected with foot piece about
Two teet long, extending inwards, all forg-
ec together III one piece The foot pieces
are fat, about three inches wide. At the