Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-01-06

pointing to the room where the dead man
lies. Not far from this chapel is splendid
cabin, allotted to Mr. Peabody Russell,
nephew of the dead benefactor, who will
cross the Atlantic on the Monarch. The
u body will remain in the chapel during the
whole voyage. Even in rough weather it
is thought there viii be no need for more
precautions than are already taken.
THE MoNARcH's TURRETs.
Thousands in America will visit the
Monarch after the funeral ceremonies
for the dead friend of two nations are
over, actuated by curiosity to see the
prime war vessel of so powerful navy
as that of England. Her turrets will
excite most attention in America. They
differ essentially from those on Yankee
i6on clads, although they are, of course,
Iinodeled in some degree after Ericsson's
patent. They have the same carriage,
the same ingenious machinery to guard
against recoil. But they have rejected
the system of having the turrets turn on
a central pivot, and have them mounted
on circular platforms, on which they turn
by wheels ON a round track, and this plat
form reposes on a stationary one, on the
deck below. Whether this will operate
better than our system, / know not. In
deed, we have no ritled guns of such i'm
mense weight and bore in any of our
ships, and it is impossible to tell how
such turrets would operate, should the
decks be knocked a little out of line or a
few heavy shots be battering the towers 8
sides There is one new invention which
it will pay all our engineers to examine );
and that is the method of taking eleva-
tions. They gain, by an ingenious con-
trivance, an elevation of 16 feet, by de-
pressing the trunnions. This plan, we
are told, had worked admirably during
the forty or fifty times the guns had been
fired. The two guns in each turret are
both fired at once by the pulling of a
cord. The shot are hoisted by machinery
into the guns, and both turrets are
worked by steam engines, which have
special engineers. The vessel throughout
is designed to illustrate the triumph of
machinery, save in the important excep-
ton OF the sailing gear.
NOTICEABLE FEATURES BETWEEN DECKS
The " Monarch" is built in three water
| tight compartments, with a double bot
tom. She draws % feet of water forward
and 25l feet aft. The hight of her upper
deck from the water line is 144 feet, and
| between decks there is hight of 10 feet
All the cabins are luxuriously large and
furnished with every comfort of home
| The means of light and ventilation also
are much superior to those in older ships.
| Between decks it is va-s- -early as li5ht
as on tne main deck and in the marine
mess the arrangements for cooking, stor-
| age of garments, etc, are admirable. A
novelty in the shape of steam steerage
apparatus Is exciting much attention
among such of our navy officers as are
here. The Monarch's full complement is
525 men, but she will sail with 500. Our
people will be afforded an opportunity to
see an admirably organized body of ma
rines. The principal officers are as fol-
lows: Captain, John E. Commerell, c. B.
Y. c.. Commander, Arthur G. Curtis
Lieutenant, Edward Pilkington Staff
Commander, William H. Drysdale. There
are eight engineers and the usual guam
tity of midshimen and officers of marines.
TIE UNITED STATES CONVOY.
The corvette Plymouth is an infant be-
side giant, compared with the Monarch,
She is on her first cruise, and has dis
played extraordinary steaming qualities
in the Mediterranean. She carries almost
as much coal as the Monarch, and can
steam very nearly. if not quite as fast,
q. Il. D. say the Englishmen. The
Plymouth has only 191 men, exclusive of
officers,and carries but ten guns. Her tom
mage is 1740, and she can steam between
IL and IA knots per hour. She is 2S7
feet long and 36 feet beam, barque rugged
She draws IS feet of water aft when full
of coal. She was built in New York and
her guns are one 60-pounder Parrott, enc
eloven-inch Dalghren and six eight-inch
Dalghren shell guns Capt. William H
MacOmb is commanding, and the Lieuten-
ant commander is Byron Wilson. The
Plymouth was formerly called the " Ke-
nosha" She was not badly injured by
her grounding at the entrance to Ports |
mouth port, and was very thoroughly
overhauled and repaired. The uncer-
tainty as to what port the funeral convoy
will make will give fresh interest to the
news of its arrival in America The peo- |
pie of Portland will probably, however,
be the first to pay their respects to the
memory of the dead merchant prince on
his native soil.
THE DEPARTURE OF THE MONARCH.
The delays, always conspicuous in
naval affairs all over the world, have been |
so many and perplexing that there were
but few ceremonies here to-day. The |
same heavy unlifting curtain of fog over
the land seemed to wrap those who gath
cred, sincerely in respectful mourning, as
in pail. At Westminster Abbey there
were services of the ordinary character,
the friends and many prominent people of
both nations gathering, and a little before
twelve the body was conveyed to the |
Waterloo station of the Southwestern /
Railway, where large numbers of people |
were assembled. A special train was in
waiting, aad the funeral procession was
quickly transported TO Portsmouth, al
though all along the line large crowds
would have delayed the progress of the
train, curiouslv, yet with respect, to look
upon the carriages draped in mourning.
At the Portsmouth station there was
great crowd, and the poorer classes, en-
masse, followed the movements of the
funeral procession with eager interest. All
the officers of the army and navy were
present, in undress uniform, and the
American and English flags were every
where displayed at half mast. The ap-
proaches to the dock yard were appropri-
ately decorated. The Chief Lord of the
Admiralty, and the various other lords,
were in attendance in full uniform. The
rigging of most of the vessels in the bay
were manned by sailors neatly dressed,
aud the thunder of the minute guns from
all sides, as the hero of charity was cur
ried to the mausoleum on the Monarch,
was absolutely inspiriting. Long ago
these thunders, on the lakes, in the bays,
and along the coasts of the country which |
gave George Peabody birth, expressed the
hostility and rage of the mother and
child, Saxon against each other. To-day
they joined in according honor to one of
natures noblemen. Tomorrow they may
again mingle the unwilling echoes of war,
but they make up Saxon thunder-which,
throughout the world, speaks boldest,
bravest, most dominant. Thus, amid
frings of cannon that made the green
waves tremble and fog shake-in the
midst of professions Of marines and civil
ians, followed by hundreds of Americans,
pilgrims to Portsmouth to show their res
..,ct fo,. <Io;~ orx,r rporoor~v he