Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-04
DescrIDtion of the Ram stonewan.

Description of the Ram StOneWali.
The Washington Chronicle gives the
following description of the rebel ram
Stonewall, recently arrived at the Wash
ington Navy Yard from Havana, whore, it
will be recoIlected, its commander surren-
dered to the Spanish authorities soon af-
ter the surrender of Johnston's army to
Sherman:
AS little as she accomplished in aid of
the rebellion, she is truly a formidable
vessel, and under favorable circumstances
might have been a dangerous antagonist.
She is full brig-rigged, presents a neat
but by no means an imposing appearance,
and to "a casual glance, has nothing in
outward aspect strikingly different from
ordinary vessels, except the backward
slope of her prov from the waters edge
upward. Her extreme length including
her beak is 1876 feet; length between
Perpendicular, 163 feet breadth of
beam about 80 feet, and depth from the
upper deck 20 feet. She draws Is feet of
water. Hsr hull is moulded for as high
rate of speed as could be attained consist
emily with the required strength, and the
prov or beak, which is a continuation of
the hull, extends forward, as seen in pro-
file, somewhat in the form of the coulter
to a plough. She has a turret forward,
and another aft, in which are her guns.
Her hull is completely armed with plates
of wrought iron three and a half inches in
thickness, ~longitudinally placed, and COW
ering her from the level of the upper
deck nine feet downward, or five feet be-
low the water line. She also has an inside
skin" of iron about half an inch in thick
ness, and her docks and beams are of the
same material, the former being addition
ally covered with plank about W and a
half inches in thickness. Her wood work
is of great solidity, and the vessel taken
as a whole is a remarkably strong and
piece of naval architecture /
Above her upper deck there is a light
bulwark of wood, extending entirely
around, and about five feet in height.
Her t%urrets, which are stationary, are !
eight feet high and covered with vertical a
plates of wrought iron, four and a half
inches tnick in the most exposed sides, Z
and elsewhere about four inches. In the 1
turret there are three ports, one 1
directly in front and one on either side. u
1t contains a splendid 3OO-pounder Arm +
strong rided gun, which rests on a ma
logany carriage, running on a circular ?"
back so that the gun can be trained to
either of the ports. In the after turret O
here are four ports, two on the quarters, g
md it contains two 7~O-pounders of the q
anne construction as the other and SINH o.
arly mounted. The first mentioned has
bore about ten inches in diameter, and
he two latter about six inches.
The beak is heavily armored, and point
ID with a sharp and heavy piece of solid =
teel that would penetrate almost any
against which it might be driv-
n. 1t slopes gradually, and with a
light curve, from the top of the forward L
urret to the point, the latter being about
feet below the surface of the water.
Is length from a perpendicular line drop
from the slope is thirty-hve feet. 1t
!, indeed, a most formidable offensive
Tit vessel has two powerful engines, =,
screws, and two rudders, and at her y
tern presents the appearance of two YES
els united together. On the way from
she made as much as ten knots an
in smooth water, with a pressure of
wenty pounds ofsteam and without using u
Ill. She obeys the helm readily, and
1uld thus have been advantageously
in action and, although there
as considerable rough weather on the
she proved herself an excellent
Iiler, rolling but little, and behaving her
If finely in every respect. Her compile
ent of men under her rebel commander Tt
as seventy.
Naval officers who have been aboard of
er and examined her construction say
at she would be an exceedingly formida- Is
e adversary. She might steam directly 10
toward the broad side of a vessel with
fair chance of escaping without getting
ruck and even if her turrets and every O.,
ing above water should be knocked to Oh
eces the only effect would be to disable a
guns, leaving her still competent to
sh on and drive her back through the ~
protected sides of her antagonist below
g water line.