, 1864-04-27
New Monitor sylnnebaGo.
r,.ror, the Csirf, News Apr1] 55.j


On Saturday We were present, by invita-
tion, to witness the trial Of Captain J. 3.
Eabs' ncw turret for gunbnats, which! has
been plurcd in tue iFop~c1ad Winnebago The
vessel itself is the creation Of Captain Ea4s
genius, having been designed and built By
lin ct his shipyard' neaz st. Louis. The
Winnebaco is Constructed of iron through
cut, there bring no wood about her, except
doors, floors, platforms and summer pilot
! house TIC hull, decks and bulkheads arr
rot the rcmotcst danger from fire 10 any
emergency. Her extreme length is .:1s;jG tcet,
with So feet beam and 10 feet hold
The Ninpebaco is u double-tuTret craif,
each ttrrct 20 feet In diameter, mounting
| ycrv formidable armament-1our 1l-iach
Dai:1crcns The after turre1 ia Of the ordl-
mary Ericsson pattern, revolving u?on Al
: axle-the port holes are some four feet long,
closed hy heavy blocks If iron scvo1Eed ny
! sunncrs inside. The guns require si1scen
n.tu each to load nnd work them, and can DC
| fred by an expert crew only once in I'VE to
| seven minutes. The utmost elev'tion OBJ
faincd Is rine degrees, and the gun is sighted
| In She ordinary manner with screws. great
objection to this Glass OF turrets IL, that III
action. as YVES t1lc case at Charleston, the
Shaft upon it becomes bent, and consequently
The turTet no 1onss, reso1vss. nns nae,a M, r.
He speciality about the Winnebaso is her
forward turrct, which differs IRON that OF ANY
| other vessel ever built. It IL one Of Mr-
! E ds' {nvcntion, and will doubtless effect
| comrletc revolution in the construction of
| Monitors. II entiruly obriatcs the objections
| ncaipst tu1IetR, and makes this class of boats
| more valuable t1lan heretofore. This inven-
| tjon gives The guns any degree OF elevation
| from one to twenty, and allows Of i've de-
| rrccs 1eprcssion, which can be graduated
pitn the utmost precision. all rccoii Of the
suns is overcome, and they can bs loaded
Tnnfil)y and with ease. requiring hut four men
| TO each piece, and finally the ventilation is
perfect, tie atmosphere in the tusret being
| kept ut 4 uniform temperature by current
! of air from the blowers, which also carries
| or a1l smoke after discharge of the pieces:
| The tuyrrt fs like Ericsson's only in form and
! siEe-nossimliaritr existing in other partteu-
| lars. A firm bed Of the circumference OF cue
turrct is laid upon the bottom ol the vessel
upon this polished steel balls are iata, tousn- I
! cjp1e Of friction rollers in earriage boxes;
a groove is worked on the under edge
| Of the turret, and placed upon the
balls. which causes tue fabric to
reyoiye readily and evenly-if struck by ths
heaviest shot, no damasc Is gone, 10 aat .Ie 'u Tha
! tnrrrt 16 some twenty feet from topic bottom
~on the bottom nre the engines which turns
IL and The cylinder which raises and lowers
| the guns. The guns and carriages are nSed
! ppOD wrought iron fooFeaolc paVlEtA ~ a,cA
| is rais.d and lowered By steam cylinder
| local ed In the center Of the turret different
degrees Of elevation Of the guns arc obtained
by holding the platform at different helSnts;
| The mort shutters weigh 5000 lbs each, anu
are rajscd and lowered By the operation OF
fhe gun carriages, which arc moved by TWO
! etcan ryIindefB-thc same cylinder receives
thr runs upon recoil and check them
without narticle Of noise OF jar 1Shateves-
The eicht of the gun is perfect, and more ac-
! curate than can be obtained IN any oIufuAty
manner. The whole machinery Is n3def tne
guidance Of one engineer, Wbo rcVoiSes tae
tufret, raises and lowers the platform, elcEates
or Expresses the guns, and opens the porls III
VIII without stirring from his post; The gun
) plauorm ID lowered into the hold, md the
guns !oaoed from the berth deck, where they
{ are rateed TO tho desired elevation By the CEN
: Yer Cylinder, the whole operation of lowering,
loading, clevatiDg and firing occuDying pnfy
. three minutes. No inconyenIcnce fs ernc.
, ricnced inside the turret either from smnte
{ or concussion, the smoke being carried off
! | during the loading, mud the report Ut the
r guns beng less perceptib1e than upon the
d The machinery worked like charm. and
e 1be experiment was cuincptly successful
e GapL Eads has cause to congratulate HIM
4 sen on his invention. and may rest satisfied
thnt IN y be hns conferred upon bis coantry
; IN ine6timable benefit BE is bu}ldinr ann.
e theT steamer similar to the Wiunebaro Int
!. which Will contain some improvement which
experience suggests also two Steamers wisf
e Eticseon'e tnrrets, one Of which. the Ch,.ta
e aw, Will be completed In about Two weess