The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-01-09
The Monitor Dictator.

A Description OF the Great War Ship.
The United States iron-clad Dictator,
is now in the Erie basin dry-dock at
South Brooklyn, undergoing repairs.
The impression has generally prevailed,
and indeed statements have been pub
lished to the effect that no dry-dock in
the viciuity of New York was sufficient
ly large to receive this great monitor.
The large dry-dock at the Brooklyn ma
vy-yard is only about $50 feet in length.
The dock in which Dictator is repairing
is 4S5 leet IL length by 115 width, and
has ample accommodations for the for
midable vessel. The Dictator, it Will
be remembered, was built during the
last year of the war, and reached the
sea at the same time with the Monad-
mock, in 1866. She was prevented from
participating In one or two of the latest
naval engagements only by an accident
to her machinery, and has never seen
actual service. In her race with the
Terror from Boston to Portsmouth and
thence to Portland, in 1866, she showed
excellent speed though she suffered de-
feat. She subsequently, made cruise
to the West Indies, and afterwards re-
manned at Key West for several years.
Two or three years ago she was brought
to New London, and has remained there
since her arrival. She was put into the
Erie Basin dry-dock on Friday last.
Her hull was found to be completely
covered with thick coating of mussels,
and several tons have already been re-
moved. A large force of men were EN-.
ployed on the ship throughout the day
on Saturday, and nearly 200 workmen
were engaged painting the hull and re-
pairing the machinery. The Dictator
is 312 feet in length, by 80 feet breadth
of beam, and q feet depth of hold.
She is rated at 1,750 tons. The Dicta-
tors weight is about 4, 500 tons. Her
surface is covered with six iron plates,
each one inch in thickness. Directly
beneath this covering are heavy white
oak stringers, nearly one foot in thick
ness, and behind these the solid oak of
the hull, which is about four feet thick.
The iron plates of the deck are several
inches thick, and are as solid to the
tread as a Broadway pavement. The
single turret which rises above the deck
is formed of iron Is inches In thickness,
and conceal two heavy guns nearly 20
feet in length, and with 15-inch bore.
Above this rises the pilot-house, which
is about 10 feet in diameter, and of the
same thickness as the lower portion of
the turret. The Dictator is propelled
by an enormous screw, 21 feet in diam
eter, with four blades, which drives her
through the water at the rate of 10
knots an hour. The vessel draws 20
feet 8 inches of water. The Dictator is
the largest monitor In active service in
the American navy, with the exception
of the Puritan, which is of ], $40 tons.
The Roanoke, which is not properly
monitor, is nearly 1000 tons larger,
and, with its three turrets, mounts six
15-inch guns. It is asserted by officers
in the navy-yard that the Dictator would
prove a formidable foe to the strongest
iron-clads of any nation.
IT Is weH-known that IN his great
sledge journey in search of the relics of
Sir John Franklin, Capt. Hall made
discoveries, which he re-
solved never to give to the light as long
as Lady franklin should live. On his
last departure from Greenland in the
Polaris he intrusted all his important
documents to a MIR. Smith, of Tessui-
SAX. From them it is now aseertained
that Capt. Hail made the sad discovery
that Franklin and mis- party were re-
dueed to the dire necessity Of eating
each other. The fact of this discovery
would have added still greater fame to
0apt. III. He kept the secret from
Lady franklin but now that the ten
der and heroic explorer rests under the
same dreary skies with the lost Frank
lin, this most unhappy secret has com
to light.