The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-23

OUR MONSTER RAM.
Launch Of the Largest Iron
Clad Ever Built.
THE DUNDERBERG FAIRLY AFL0AT.
Details Of Her Successful
Launch Yesterday.
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Particulars Of Her Dimensions and
appearance.
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A MODEL OF SYMMETRY and STRENGTH,
A MODEL OF SYMMETRY and STRENGTH,
DC, &C., &C.

&C., &c., &C.
The Dunderbcrg is adoat The launch was entirely
successful w. H. Webb can boast Of having built not
only the largest but handsomest iron-clad aoat.
and the United States Justly claim to have the largest
and most powerful vessel anoat. The Dunderberg
left her ways at ten minutes past nine without the least
noise or confusion amid the waving Of the hats and hand
kerchies Of the thousands OF spectators who
spell bound by the beautiful in which she gded
into the water TO raise a shout. II not until the
vessel far in the and the tide had turned
her broadsde to the shore that the of those
board answered back by the cheers of the
the land That which elected the admiration of the lat
ter was not the Of the launch, much the
great change which had been effected the appearance
of the vessel by her transfer from the ways the
water. On the former she looked clumsy-sxceedingy
and painfully So and many persons were disappointed
on beholding herbut when in the water oil this disap
peared, and she looked model of grace well OF
grandeur-as pretty powerful, as elegant she will
be effective and looked alike nvulnerable and sym
metrical
THE BUILDER OF TIE VESSEL.
The which nccessitat0d the Dunderberg has ended
before she was launched and many years WILL doubtless
eapse before she will have opportunity Of proving
her great strenghit safe say her vunerabity
Mr. w. H. Webb, her builder planned the vessel in 1862
executed model, and submitted plan and model with
the necessary specifications to the Navy Department.
The plan met with much oppostion acceptance
delayed for long time, and was only little over
year that the keel Of the Dunderberg laid Dur
ing the years work OF construction the plan has been
changed in features the turcts originally intended
for her have been abandoned the lighting been
enlarged and the armament increased The credit for
the changes due like that for the general conception
OF the great work, to Mr. Webb He looks on this
cess his chef deHrre throwing all his other workss
his vessel does all other ron-ciadsin the shade and
now that the hugo vessel s fairly xnoat he naturally
eys alike the relaxation of his the
paid him by his frisnds. sFt Ef
q ,FHx DIMENSIONS THE puxnERsRRe.
The particulars OF tho dimensions and peciariee Of
the Dundcrberg already known all who take an
interest in such matters not only In this country,l
also In Europe, whore every addition 10 our iroS ~
navy is looked upon With equal jealousy and7 S|2{
ment. The English and French will be intercsta6
knowing Of the successful launch OF this iron clad
makes by comparison pgmy Of the Warrior x{5
dwarf Of La Gloric The dimensions OF the Thundefn
Mountain as her name Dundsrberg implies, are as 6
lows
Extreme length three hundred and eighty four feet;
gus deck twenty-onc feet depth to casomate deck,
twenty nine feet tonnage displacement thousand
exceeding any ohor vessel Of her class In the world
The frames and floor all Of oak hewed planed no
10 At together sodly, and then csulked The sides
Of timber in severl ,hicknesses varying from
feet and half At bilgo to feet at gun deck.
ARMoR AND BArrERY.
She will mount four fifteen inch gune aud twelve
eleven inch guns, the largest battery mounted
any vesseof-war. The Dictator, the largest Of the
Ericsson Monitors, mounts only two hfteeninch guns
The ron-clad plating extends six feet below the
line, and is three inchos and half thick
THE CAsEMArR
10 Of solid TIMBER three half feet thick; no pst.
ing Of same four and half inches thick; the top OF
cascEate and tho main deck outside IL covered with
irob plating.
II the construction OF the Dunderbe+x che prov is
bui solid 70 the length Of atty feet and upon this is
SECURED the iron bssk or Of wrought iron extending
forward svue fifteen es and being also ssvsrsl feet
below the surface or the wafer It IL the opinion Of
naval men ih.t the work Of the Dundsrbsrg 10 THE re-
spsct Of such strength and solid construction A. whom
collision takes place. 70 put the breaking on OF the hoax
out or the question thus providing against the recur
rsncs Of the mshsp which disabled the MsimAc In her
fight With the Monitor in Hampton Roads
THE MACHINERY,
consisting Of engines boiler. &C. from the Etna Iron
Works, Rivington street, is Of proportions There
are two horizontal direct acting engines with cylinders
Of hundred inches in diameter and forty Ave inch
stroke The propeller is Of brass twenty feet dame
ter. and weighs about twenty thousand pounds
The main shaft is twenty inches diameter Of wrought
iron The boilers eight in number Of the horizontal
tubular type, with two tiers Of furnaces above the
other giving continuous boiler front of Quo hundrei
and twenty six neal feet with furnace front Of two
hundred and hftytwo linea feet There donkey
boilers and several independent steam, bilge and Ore
pumps The condenser Is tubular Of Aliens patent CIV
ing twelve thousand square feet Of surface The con
densing pumps worked by independent engines, with
steam cylinders Of fifty inches diameter BY this
the main engines with greater velocity being
embarrassed by the rapid working OF the condensing
pumps The engines fitted with independent cut.
or admitting Of every grade OF expansion between
fourth and seven-oighths Of the stroke
FOREIGN vIsrTERs TO THE DUsDERBERo.
While in process Of construction the Duoderbcry was
visited by several foreign dignares Interested in naval
architecture Admiral Milne, Of the British Admiralty
Board visited her November 1854 spent several
hours in closely examining her He remarked at the
time that the Dunderberg destined TO be- terrible
engine of war; and that principle developed In her
which would In time revoutionze the then avorte sys
ten Of ironclads Shortly afterwards Russian sdmi-
ral accompanied by his star, paid Mr webb VISIT and
was delighted and surprised at the peculiar formation
and enormous size Of the Dundcrberg These officers
have long since conveyed like impressions Of the pro
grcss Of the great Improvement ironclad ship building
which yesterday completed the success of the
D,nderbcr.
sySrse HEN orr
The announcement that the launch would take place
al nine O'Clock A. ~ yesterday, drew largo crowd 10
the yard and hour before she appointed time the yard
was ned and the surrounding buildings docks AID
slips wer occupied, while numerous vessels large and
email, piled 10 the stream within sight of the Dunder
berg An the available spsco in ho yard and on tho
roofs Of the buildings IN the vicinity were occupied, deg
pite heavy sn, by men, and children anxious
10 SEQ the launch and all In the nnest humor with them
selves and each other and ell anxious for the success Of
h