The New York herald., 1871-02-13
THE TENNESSEE.
No News Of Her Yet-The Opinion OF
the President.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Feb. IL, 1871
No news has YET been received respecting the
steamer Tennessee. The opinions heretofore ex.
pressed In official quarters of her safety have in no
respect been changed. The President having been
interrogated to-day on the subject said he did not
expect to hear from the Tennessee until the 10th
instant as the packet from the capital OF St. Do
mingo would not arrive at a telegraph point until
that time.
Interesting and Complete History Of the
Tennessee.
During the time the Alabama was destroying our
commerce In every part Of the globe Congress ap-
proprated money for the construction Of six fast
steamers. They were intended to go in search Of
the rebel corsar. Her destruction by the Kearsage
followed by the capture OF Richmond and the down.
fall OF the rellion left these vessels not vet com.
pleted. The work was not, however, stopped
Four were finished, commissioned and had their
trials. The Idaho, Madawasca, Wampanoag and
Chattanooga proved to be fast, and were put out
OF commission. The Ammoonoosuc and Pompa-
noosuc were not commissioned, although the former
was towed to New YORK; received her machinery,
and. under commander William D. Whiting, went
back under her own steam making on the passage
as high as sixteen knots.
These vessels all nearly alike. with length on
load line OF 1886 feet, breadth OF beam As feet 2
inches, depth Of hold 21 feet and about 800 tons
burden. The Tennessee, which was named at her
launch the Madawasca, is one Of the six mentioned
above, and was built at the New York yard under
the supervision OF the able constructor B. F.
Deano. Her engines are by Ericsson, and
are the monitor type, with pistons working
>0utb0ard, connecting with the arms OF In.
termediate shafts which connect with the ma
shaft. She was originally bark rlgged, with very
light spars. and had eight boilers and four smoke
stacks and only one deck above the water line. she
was put out OF commission In 1867; but being con.
structed In the most substantial manner-iron
strapped and two-thirds live oak-the department
determined to put another deck on her and tit her
for sea. Mr.. Delano, therefore, went to
work and built her up to q double.
banked frigate, gave her spars in proportion
to her huh and rugged her into full rugged ship
This required change in the position OF her masts.
and In order to let the mainmast step into the keel
son portion or the valve gearing Of the engine was
changed and moved further aft. Two Of her boilers
were taken out and in place OF the four stationary
smokestacks two telescope ones were put In, SO
that when they are down their tops are even with
the spar-deck rail. The four baded screw was taken
or and two baded one, with increased pitch. mt
on.
The only bad feature In the whole shin is ner rud.
der. 1t Is what Is called balance or enpineer,s
rudder, with no sternpost the stock of the rudder
shlfting into socket In the shoe. II the vessel
should take the bottom drawing, as she docs. the
most water ait, her keel would strike Hrst and that
"ouid disable the rudder. The engines are very
complicated, and were twice tested before tho ves
sci LETT the yard. She has crew OF good men on
board and strong fire department. and, since re-
moving the boilers can carry twelve days, fne, ful,
steaming, against six days, as she was before
altering