Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-02-18
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR.
This Afternoons Dispatches.
SPECIAL REPORTS.
THE MONARCH.
THE GREAT BRITISH IRON CLAD.
The Most Formidable War Vessel l6oat.
Description Of the ship.
Her Arrival I'm Maryland Waters.
Official Visits and COurteSies OF the
National and State Authorities.
This Afternoons Dispatches.
SPECIAL REPORTS.
THE MONARCH.
The Nest Formidable War Vessel Aaeat,
Her Arrival I'm Maryland Waters.
Official Visits and COurteSies OF the
National and State Authorities.

her ArriSSi IL Marylamu waters.
Onicial Visits and CourteSies or fine
National and state Authorities.
Special 10 The Erening Star.
ANNAPOLIS, MD, Feb. 1s.-The British iron
clad Monarch" the most formidable war ves-
sci afloat, anchored in the Bay last night, and
this morning was TO have steamed up and
dropped about three and a half miles below
here in the roads between Thomas and Hack
ett's Points, but the storm has prevented.
dense fog covers the river and bay, and
nothing can be seen of the Monarch. The chief
Of the Bay Pilots Association reports that he
gave orders to the two pilots on board 10 anchor
on the mouth Of the Patuxent, thirty miles
below here, in case she could not reach the
Severn before dark last evening. Ii is possible,
however, that she may have reached the mouth
Of the Severn during the night, but We cannot
see quarter of a mile down the river, on ac-
count of the fog. As soon as the fog lifts and
the Monarch is sighted Commodore Worden will
send Lieutenant Commander Dewey down to
her on tug to formally extend to her COM
mander, Capt. Commerell, the hOspitalities OF
this post Capt Commerell will then come
ashore and be received by Commodore worden
and presented to the Governor of Maryland.
The customary salutes will be exchanged, and
the Governor will extend to the officers of the
Monarch the hospitalities of the city. State
Senators Earle and Hinkle, Delegates kilbourn,
Hardcastle and Webb. committee of the Iegis-
lature, Will WISH tne snip and extend TO the Off
GERS an invitation to visit the Capitol, &c. Ten
thousand dollars has been appropriated for their
entertainment. There will be a ball at the
Naval Academy on Monday evening in their
honor. The Baltimore City Council and the 5th
regiment Maryland militia are expected on
Tuesday. IL the ship arrives this afternoon and
Capt C0mmerell is ready, Admiral Porter, Sec
the House and Senate will visit her tomorrow.
great number of strangers are visiting this
city to see the ship. ID.
APPEARANCE OF THE SHIP.
The Monarch was built at Chatham, and
launched in May, 1868. Her total cost was
g, 500 600. She is of strikingly beautiful model
entirely built of iron, and is very roomy and
comfortable. She is registered at 5,093 tons,
and according to American measurement the
extreme length of the vessel Is only $40 feet-lO
feet less than the English measurement. The
other principal dimensions are: Extreme
breadth. 81 feet inches; depth i'm hold Is feet
inches; draught when loaded, forward % feet 2
inches, aft 70 feet inches; draught when light,
forward IL feet inches, aft Is feet. The weight
OF the hull, with skin-plating and extra orders
included, is 3,614 tons; the other weights, boil
ers, machinery, spars, &c, amount to Z ,s52 tons.
Inc hull, which Is OF iron, is protected by finch
iron armor on the most important parts, and
6-inch on the other parts, the plating being sup
ported by ~ INCHES of teak backing, with IL
inch thickness OF skin-plating and an arrange
ment of longitudinal girders, which are worked
at intervals of about two feet, thus forming a
network OF framing in conjunction with the
strong vertical frames inside the skin-platinp
which are about the same distance apart. The
device has proved SO satisfactory as regards the
efficient support it gives to the armored side
that it has been adoptedin all British iron clads
built since the famous Bellerophon. The upper
or weather deck is IA feet out of water. This
decks guarded by thin iron bplwarks, fitted in
sections and fold outwards. So that in action
tie whole deck is perfectly clear.
THE TuRRErs.
She has two turrets, situated very near each
other, about midships, in which her battery is
C; rried. These turrets are 20 feet 6 inches i'm
diameter, and are constructed on the same prin-
ciple as her side armor. The iron plating on
tie tuTret is inches i'm thickness, land upon n
teak backing of Il inches. with an iron skin of
u inch. Each turret is pierced for two guns,
and near the portfolios the plating is increased
main deck, additional support being given TO
the deck Immediately beneath by a combina-
ton Of iron pillars and supports. On the main
deck armor- plated bulkheads are placed athwart
the ship, inside of which are the trrrets, engine
funnel and steering apparatus, the latter in
tended to be used when the ship is in action
Ter sides, with the exception that the war ar
NOR Is only I've inches in thickness, laid upon
teak backing of ten inches, and the usual
skin-plating stiffened and supported by the
ordinary longitudinal girders and frames
The entire central portion of the Monarch is thus
enclosed and protected by shot-proof sides and
bulkheads, which encloses the trurets and ships
machinery. The turrets are thus deprived of
their primary and supreme advantage-that of
providing an all-round fire for the guns. and
more especially head fire. The deprivation,
her builder says, is consequent upon the deter
mination Of the admiralty to adopt forccastles
which are intended to keep the ship dry i'm
steaming against head sea, and to enable the
upon 30 iron, Is inches in diameter and inches
wide, rollers instead Of ON central pivot as our
iron claCs dc.
MAsTs AND YARDS.
The three lower masts are of hollow iron 30
inches in diameter, and having ventilating con-
nections below deck. The foremast is GO feet i'm
hight above deck, the mainmast &C feet and the
mfzzen 50 feet. The mainmast weighs q tons
The main yards are los feet long.
THE ENGINE. PROPELLER AND RupDER.
The Monarch has fourteen engines i'm all, her
two main engines being Of LOO horse power,
the others consist Of donkey engines, q pair Of
blast engines for the furnace, dram engine to
pump the compartments, and small self-acting
engine to start the main engines. She has eight
large boilers which consume % tons Of coal per
day.
The propeller is twenty-six feet and four
inches in diameter and provided with q coup
ling attachment allowing 1t to revolve free of
rudder Is twentyve feet In ienShth bx sv eeTea
feet four inches in breadth, and Is worked by
small steam engine, 80 that her helm Is easily
governed by single person.
NOVEL INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION.
She is heavily plated along the whole water
Iuc, anu ms OOuDle DOtCOm, WunOut any cell
trail keel, and has deep longitudinal keelsons,
which run the whole length OF the vessel and
intersect at the point Of convergence forward
and aft. These keelsons, which are about four
feet apart, are upright thick iron plates, 70
whose lower edge the outer skin u securely riy-
eted with double angle irons, ana on the upper
edge of which other plates are fastened IN the
same manner forming the double bottom, with
a recess three feet and Q half between.
A vertical iron partition extends along the
whole interior OF the ship. This compartment
is divided into five other separate ones, which,
in time of action, can be filed with water, low
erine the ship some four feet. Besides enabling
the Ship to be lowered In the water these COM
partments furnish other very great advantages.
ii IL well known that water u q most excellent
resisting medium, and when filed these passaoes
give to the sides Q greatly increased amount of
strength. And If the outside plating were
pierced by an enemy's shet, % 6 to admit the
water from the outside, the vessel would stiII he
intact; while, II the shot should pass clear
through the armor and the Compartment the
puncture in this iEner partition could be readily
stopped BY the sailors before much water could
enter. ala ---e- = - = :
Her upper deck is plated with half-inch steel
covered with ~ inches Of fr. The main deck
is half-inch iron, covered with AZ inches Of oak
The berth-deck is Of half-inch iron, covered
as the upper deck. The forward portion OF the
main deck 10 devoted to the saiiors' ness and
tla of <s<x,, 80 Ic~