The Portland daily press., 1870-01-24

The Miantonomoh and Terror, accompanied
BY the steam tugs Cohasset and Leyden arriv-
ed in our harbor at o'clock on Saturday even
ing, and are anchored a short distance below
the Great Eastern wharves. They would have
arrived here sooner if it had not been that
when few hours out of Boston a valve con-
nected with the machinery of the Terror got
out of order and it was thought better to re-
pair 1t before proceeding further. On Friday
night the vessels put into Gloucester harbor
and started afresh on Saturday morning run
ming down to Portland easily during the day.
These two vessels are considered the finest
pair Of iron-clads in commission in our navy.
The Terror, which was formerly named the
Agamenticus, visited Portland in the summer
Of 1855, when she was visited by hundreds of
our citizens The Miantonemah, it is we'll
known, is celebrated for having made cruise
to Russia, where she was an object of great in
terest and crowds of the curious thronged her
decks. She has been visited by the Prince of
Wales and Prince Alfred, the King and Queen
Of Denmark, Emperor and Empress of Russia,
King of Sweden and Norway, the Crown
Prince of France, and King of Portugal.
The vessels are both double-turreted. carry
ing four 15-inch Dahlgren guns each, two in a
turret. The side armor of the Monitors is some
five inches thick with heavy oak backing. The
decks are plated with iron about three or four
inches thick, with an over-deck of wood. The
turrets are some twenty-one feet in diameter,
and weigh over three hundred tons, There is
convenient machinery to change the direction
Of the guns, with tackles to be used in loading
1t requires about sixty pounds of powder for g
charge, and the shot weigh 4S0 pounds. When
it is necessary to load the guns sectional
rammer is used, and during the operation the
turret holes are closed, giving very little space
for the operation. Sixteen engines furnish the
power to these monster vessels, while fam
ming apparatus keeps them constantly supplied
with pure air, the apparatus being underneath
the turret and the air passing, by means of
registers, into all the dffent compartments of
the vessels, which are of course some ten or
twelve feet below water. Notwithstanding the
ward room, cabin, steerage, engine room and
hre room are all below water the officers are
as comfortable as if they were ON board one OF
the old-fashioned wooden frigates, and the
apartments are all fitted up in comfortable, il
not luxurious style. A breakwater has been
built around the decks Of the vessels lately
to prevent the sea washing over them The
Miantonomah is of 1850 tons burthen and tt q
Terror 1415.
The following is list of their officers
antonomah-Captain, Shufeldt; Lieut.
Commanders, Cornwall and Wise; Surgeon
Bates; Assistant Surgeon, Dickinson; Pay
master, Woodhull Chief Engineer, Zegler
Leutenants, Novel; and Berry; Masters, j udd
Dayton, Ingersoll Assistant Engineers, Bur-
nap, Cline, Eord Breaker, Mintzer, Webster
Mates, Anderson and Henson.
Terror-Commander, Ransom; Lieut.. Com.
manders, Nichols, barhorj Lieutepant Elliott
Masters, Isle, Tremain, Singer, Derby; Sur
geon, Scofeld; Assistant Surgeon, Scott; Pay
master, Tutte; Chief Engineer, Kellogg; AS
sistant Engineers, Roof, Greene, Kelley, Haun
mum, Ross; Mates Green, Kuhl, Cleveland
Leyden-steam launch-Master, Randall
Cohasset-steam launch-Master, -
Capt. Shufeldt was formerly Consul Genera
for the United States at Havana, and has beel
promoted to Captain from the previous rank o
lard and Scott Oliver, received the utmost kind
ness from the officers of the iron-clads, of whom
they speak in the highest terms.
All day yesterday Atlantic and Victori
wharves were filled with people who went dowl
to see the sea monsters that laid at anchor onl
short distance off, with flags flying from tn
stats at their stern and bow. The monitor
carry complement of about 200 men each
The steam launches are used as tenders to con
vey the officers of the monitors to and fror
the shore, and for such services as could not
couviently undertaken by the iron-cIads.
These vessels will no doubt be visited whi
they are here by crowds of our citizens an
strangers, as they were while in Boston. Can
Shufeldt had an interview with Admiral Fa
ragut yesterday morning, to whom he report'
himself, and we understand that when the Fl
alarm gives the signal to announce that t
Monarch and Plymouth are in sight, the iro
clads will fire two guns in rapid successi
and then sail out to meet them and escort the
10. The reason that they have anchored
stead of coming to the wharf is SO that t
glass in the vicinity may not be shattered wh
they fire.
To-day or tomorrow Admiral Farragut "
take survey of the harbor and various cha
nels.
SAILING OF THE NORTH AMERICAN.-I
North American, Capt. Richardson, sail
from this port for Liverpool yesterday morni
at one o'clock with 13 cabin and q steera
passengers and fair cargo The Moravian
due this week, The Nova Scotian will $
pext Saturday.