New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-06-24
Statement Of Some Of tho Defects In the
Construction Of the Monitor Naubuc,
Now Being Built at Brooklyn, Ncw'
York.
TILE HULL.

York.
| TILE HULL.
| The iron on the bottom is Of very inferior
quality; some sheets and some i.inch thick the
thin sheets being battered the edge, to make them
appear of the required thickness The space between
the armor and the hull and between the oak piank1ng
and the hull below the o. section ID Is filed IN
with soft psrerood and the workmanship Is anything
but what it should be. the joints being al left open'
without caulking fetng any other device 70 pro
vent waterlogging in the event Of leakage Near tho
STERN where the fanta joins the hull is extremely
weak section, because Of the deck being cut nearly
across to admit the Wheels and instead OF compensat-
ing this by tapping the well over the weak
line Of this section the three plates lap here less than
one foot yet the anta has to support not only its own
enormous weight but the outward bearings Of the pro-
pellers shafts the propellers and rudder From tho
arrangement Of its position every pitch Of the YES
sells bow subjects it to a tremendous strain upward,
from the fact Of its fiat and surface on
the water and every rising under and striking IT,
will produce the same effect And this construction 10
thus designed and executed in face Of tho fact that
any failure in the stability Of the fanta will inevitably
disable both rudder and engines
THE BOILERS.
The quality Of the iron put into these is very In.
feror that the fanges could be turned and conse.
ouenty the corners of the boilers had to be patched.
The dry pipe is made in sections Of rough csst-ron.
the joints Of which are tight. although half the pipe
is below the water line The stesm-chest Is about two
feet below the dry pipe and the consequence OF any
leakage Of this pipe would be that water and steam
would enter the cylinder together The boilers are seq
on strips Of pine GOOD "a, section g. laid longitudnay
on the angle irons and have base equal to the irons
ay 81 inches with spaces between Of about le inches
The steam.ppe o. section n Is bolted on 70 tho
boilers and is not provided with expansion or slip
joints, bnads, or any other contrivance known 70
engineers, for the compression OF expansion.
Between the deck and boilers is al space Of only ~
inches and when the deck Is laid 1t will be impossible
TO get at the boilers to repair thcm without tearing the
deck TO pieces There is but finch space betweeo
the bottom Of the boilers and the skin OF the vessel ana
there no lining under tue boilers to prevent the alter
nate action Of air and bgc water from making shors
work with their bottoms
WATER CoMPARTNfESrs
The water com parments "a, Section y are connect.
ed outwardly with the BY pipes of l0nch caberJ
On these pipes valves whose wheels are situated IN
side the vessel and manipulated from there by turn
ing these wheels the compartments are filed with wa
ter 10 the desired hight to sink the vessel for defense IN
action but II they happen to be left open any longer
tnan - necessary tnut porPOoc SomPossAieDD
are immediately flooded. to the imminent danger Of
sinking the vessel; for these compartments are con.
ncctcd with the hold by ~ pipes Of twoinch cabef
each (B. Section ~ and pass down behind the lining Of
the vessel so completely out Of sight that engineer
unacquanted with this mode Of construction would NOT
be aware of their existence. None Of these pipes
connecting the water compartments with the inside q
the vessel, are provided with valves or cocks with
which to check the flow Of water to the hold
The kelson (E) is open! from bow to stern offering
free passage to the water and the door bearings being
perforated with holes II inches &C. section d. the wate'
is free to follow the inclination Of the vessel and the
compartments be nearly full and the vessel should pitol
either ut bow or stern the water Immediately PUSHES
the end Of the compartment filing 1t 70 OVERLOOKING
when finds free passage through the pipes through
the kelson and through the bearings; and eaoI
addition Of water like much added ballast gives hM
additional inclination and in very little time places
her beyond human power to right and 70
store her balance. And beside. such being the
Of her construction she is AZ the mercy Of any villain whs
may get board. who has only to turn valve
wheel at night, any other time and the vesss
will sink so noselessly that the most vigsnt engines
would not be Of his danger until too late 70 SAVE
his vessel and her freight Of human beings. Evena
mistake or accident might be the Of such cstas
trophe should the vessel be allowed to go into th
water in such coalition.
The food. pipes are badly constructed and the iron
which they are made is unit for such purpose. Tn,
joints made Of very inferior rubber and situ
sted that they be repaired and yet they have
extra liability to decay from the alternate action Of ali
and salt water.
The partitions dividing the water compartments an
not at all tight though they are plugged mp with pin,
wood and putty.
The whole design Of the vessel is badly adapted to th
service FOR which she is intended. and the model she
built propelled by hepswsr intended to be applied
TO it, give her speed exceeding six sii
and half knots per hour. although intended for twelve
The iron on her bottom is not strong enough sup
port the superstruoture even in deep water, and Il
expect her to be safe in shallow water when her boz
tom is liable at any moment 10 in contact will
some obstruction. Is simply absurd.
a snag would pierce her bottom without raising hen
single inch. and With as little apparent oppositiono
shock to the vessel a. her bottom was made Of pin,
board an inch thick Her riyetng SO bad that SOM
the rvets have been picked out with the thumb and
punch. ~ tt ..... a.a aea ,
THE DECK. -
The specifications for deck plank (per contract
by ~ inches which, setting edge, are TO show
surface of six inches each deck whereas noss Of th
plank show so small surface as six inches ON deck bu
Of different surfaces from 10 inches upward, ana
,ne which has been measured has surface oflsiuches
To make these sppear Of the required surface. tn
plank being ercoved at distance Of six inches o
little less in some cases perhaps. according to thu
varying widths Of the plank as laid. The shrinksgQ
therefore, most leave Q greater less crack ut eac1
dge Of these plank according TO their greater leo
width. rtEr...f AJAX
The fanail Is liable at any moment to give vay AM