The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-24

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The ORIGIN OF IRON. CLADs. The
recent death of Admiral franklin
buchanan revives an event with which b
his name was historically connected,
the extraordinary naval collision,
March 8. 1862, in Hampton Roads.
Among the vessels abandoned by the
Federal officers in their reItnquish men t
at the beginning of the war OF the
United States navy yard at Norfolk
was the first class forty-gun steam fri
gate Merrimac, which. bG orders of tn o
commanding officer of the yard, alter
being act on fire, had been scuttled
and partly sunk, 80 TINT only her rig.
ging and upper works we're burned IN
the fire, her hull being saved by q
raised by the Confedcrates, and adopt
ed by them us the basis OF an iron
clad-a vessel till then unknown in the
navies OF the world. except that Louis
Napoleon had made an attemp in the
| Crimean war to use RATS with iron
armor in assailing the Russian forts.
The original plan Of the Merrimao was
furnished by Lient. John nj. Brooke,
formerly of the United States Navy,
of deep sea soundings" celebrity, aud
ut present an offieer of the Virginia
Military Institute. Chief Engineer
Williams aud Naval Constructor por.
ter, together with Lieutenant Brooke,
ultimately fashioned the Merrimac Il to
her iron clad shape, and gave her the
name Of the Virginia. The hull was
out down nearly to the waters edge,
and sloping roof Of heavy timber
built from two feet below tue water
line to about ten feet above, which
was strongly and thoroughly plated
with railroad iron. A strong iron beak
projected from her bow. When, on
the morning Of the 9th of March, she
came down the Elizabeth River, from
Norfolk, she was the most formida-
ble naval engine of destruction the
world had ever seen. The wonder is,
that the Confederates, with their def
cheney OF materials and of skilled
mechanics, could construct any vessel
fit to face United States ship Of war,
much more one which has led the way
in rerolutionizing the whole ma
chinery Of modern naval warfare.
When she approached the ships of war
OF the United States. on that memora-
ble morning, she bore down on the
Cumberland. az a Northern historian q
says, "in utter disdain of her rapid
and we'll aimed, but utterly ineffective,
shots, which glanced as harmless from
the iron shield OF the foe ns though
they had been peas. Not gun was
fred ny the mysterious aud terribls
stranger. until she struck the Cumber.
land, with full force, under her star.
board fore channels, at tho same mo-
ment delivering most destructive
fire; while her blow had oponed such
chasm in the bow of the Cumberlaud d
that her forward magnzine was drowned
in thirty minutes" The sinking Of
this vessel and the capture OF the Con
gress foliowed-a fate which would in
ull probability have been that of the
whole squndrou. if other ships of it
had not got aground. The battle ia
augurated u new cru in naval warfare,
so that now iron c.Hds aro relied upon
by nll nations for war duty. and nc
government would think Of risking n
wooden ship against them.
baltimore Sun
10 all, particularly invalids, spring
Is trying season. Indications of sick
ups9 ShOnI1 ar opcn k., uftnr,3o1 e.,