New-York tribune., 1876-07-17
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
A GREAT IRON-CLAD.
raE STEVENS BATTERY TO BE soLD-DEsCRIPIIo
OF THE VESSEL


OF THE VESSEL
The vessel known as the Stevens Battery,
living in an incl0sure at the foot OF Second ana lros
Hoboken is to be sold under an act OF the NewJerSey
Iegislature to satisfy suit instituted by the widow ana
infant children OF the late Edwin A. Stevens The history
of this vessel dates back to 1543 and was the Invention
of Robert L. Stevens His experiments on the ehoct OF
,hs imnact of shot and shell upon ironplating were
hayup very early and carried az great expense
AZ time and money In 1882 he perfected plan OF an roh
clad war vessel and III August SAL his two bToihers,
representing him. addressed letter to the eecietaE oi
the Navy proposing to build an ironcad vessel OF hSh
speed and with all It's machinery below the waerhDc'
After some delays during whio Mr.. Stevens and his
brothers were engaged with experiments and in perfect
ing their plans contract made IN 1913 ana tHe
toe, of an roncod was lald This weasel was to nave
been $50 feet long 40 feet beam, and % feet deep
In 1854 such marked progress had been made IN the
construction Of ordnance that Mr.. Stevens was no
LONGER wi rC to proceed with the original plans rearing
that the ship might prove too vulnerable The work.
which bad been carried very slowly and nlermlt-
tcnty therefore stopped entirely the Nessei Veh
up and in 1854 the keel OF ship OF vastly greater size
and power WAS laid The new sign was for a vessel
AIS feet long. OF As feet beam, ana of something
over 5000 tons displacement The thickness
Of armor proposed was 6A inches-2A inchcs
more than that of the first French and British
iron-clsds--and the machinery was designed by MT
Stevens 10 be 624 indicated horse power driving TWIN
screws and propclng the vessel twenty miles or moro
Der hour As with the preceding design the progress Oh
construction was intermittent and very slow Govern
nent advanced funds and then refused to continue the
work successive administrations alternately encouraged
and discouraged the engineer and he finally cutting
loose entirely from all official connections went on Win
the work at his own expense He conducted his eNler-
uents and built ship with great secrecy rs 1t was con-
ridered matter Of national importance that Eo kuowl-
.dge of bis work should reach foreign powers.
The prescn: vessel was designed for the heaviest guns
That could be constructed al that time These Immense
guns wero 20 ne mounted turntables ana worked
very much as the guns of the monitors are hanGied
The death OF Robert L. Stevens occurred in 1856 when
this larger vessel bad advanced so far toward compile
ton that the hull ard machinery were practically IN
shed and II only remained add the plating and
10 decide upon number and size OF guns His broth
srs ard T. A. stevens, had taken an active and in
teligeut interest in the great scheme and attempted 10
secure from the Government authority 10 compete
the ship l. Stevens offered to complete the vrSSe! ut
his own expense and agreed to funl certain conditions
The vessel was to be cd upon completion and accepted
md pad for by the Government only when these condi-
tons were fulfilled But tLeso terms the Govern
ment seemed ndisposed TO accept
Mr. Stevens died, leaving the enterprise stll unaccon-
plished and the vessel remains unfinished in the hands
of the executors provision Of his will gave bis cN-
ccutors 100000 20 complete it, and directed them to
present the finished vessel 10 his native state,
New-Jerscy. Gen. Mcclellan was appointed en-
gneer in chargc ana Isaac =, oeTIgn lac ra,icai
changes M order o place the vessel II coma non i' Net
snect-sfuly tic most formidable antagonists devised ny
tie most advanced naval ,cercc Tue sum apprpPtIU.a
for the completion Of the vessel proved insufficient 20
supply armor ana ar9snrnt. question AZ @5V'e 10 20
the real ownership oi the vessel thc mtItSt Nas Eo
ferred tie Court Uf CGarccry aud by act o the Sac
iSto SonTt f1 Wit the decson and Gov Parker Vice
Chancellor DOdd. the Hon. W. W AhlpTen and the rev
sa,e The vessel i. therefore Cssfed Tor s.ie she
Row nes with hull and machinery nearly com
Eonelad fully ara2ged iS M ond eed 'i eisn f1n,s6h s
naed at about s4'0ooG .e I ff0i he H. c6mpe;ed as
monitor iganclad," the design, so l1r as carried
ms cciliTed 10 Ir her IN coi;ion to tie Allan
tic is three months. She lies ~ basin c0FSieI Dl
ship house, which thoroughly protects her from the
The lens,H Of tie vessel since The va, removed is
4OI feet over an breadth " beam, 70 feet; displ1ce
and fine, givs; sharp bow ard The nne run which is
essential 10 the efficient working Of screw propeller
Tho hull " tc snip double, TIE inner and outer skins
bsAg separated by spAce varying rom - '"e,ss at
the bottom t. Oo nclrs at SfS toy Il tIe inhct Eo ;
seven transverse buikc~d. divide TIE hil ato d.inct
S.sTjrS a 4o ne b,rhGccS Cosl bun4tr buG-
h forward and aft, sad The sniicr bukAesi'in the
TPs Sn Sr y Is mace str cer by he bulhesds OF tie
tuITetchabcf which stten The Who!e stuct Irc ny y-
diaaI bulk cad 1rmy o.etor. TIC double bottom is
net only made TaeI-;git as Wh9'r but Is N'Ilrl l'
tOns Tae c@IEGr construction Oi ta6 vessel 'c'd ic
stem, 4Ad me :minsne s.is'n o. ma ma m 1l
FER Gus Iniary. She whole o that part Blssat - torn
Uf So feet from tie atv3n, bt cu''.,Oh
without encancrIng tho safety O the Yrs+ol TIC 0UeF
skin u couvsd ,circted DIiicfpl>r, tested 20 lu
sale strength OF 5000 pooIdS o. ta square hta Ihe
inner s.u catred W % Tue -loat ic 40 - made
wat1r-tght throughout, t,t 20 outer sAi oo''id bo
rupiured without SINKING tia Fssnri
ibrre ase 10 steam Dbil.fa Faced in oBe long ire
room and occupying - t0rt lch-s - the ehs 70 Or
tlls sip Their tUal weight, iEIr valves aHc pipes
is 23J tOI Tharc tUT engines OF over 5000 L"iat-
mower TIE coal Uu,.~c-s ,IIap-,G ID eIuUt- 4I1ue
water t.ylt and c .IDE Etic1 and hl.tu Wan N.iI al
pleasure IEgy have .Jl Caplc!t! OF 500 'oA-. Ia
addltOn to the - Cyai which ca1 be slowed III
TN buuEsIs tie space ana D.nd me boilers can
c0ut.in go tons Of coal. the boilers and hGi art
psnted with i.i OIL aud careful examination lid not
reveal the least o corrCs0a. The cn "n4 IG-
cbneIy have been Kept il I-r - state al pre- IVA
ton The yStl "esIu Oi FrOP.n- o9'.Et.dS --I 'a''-
Ckucry Is $50 tors.
Tha tBckhn-s oi aruOr plating proposed Ia ID inches
f-ul the Cvcl OF natn GrcD down II q me te't
be.ow and tueace > inches the lower edge ci NE
srmor shelf The back ne IS o. wood, A. ihchos ti'N
Nh-. aIl GLOW pine. As security sgai-i decay
TIC backing been saturated with crude creOHJic Ine
(urre proposed be- 20 feet IA diameter, o.
Thickness of from 10 10 l. inches
The Vessel j. provided Sl twin screws, Wblrh are 80
readily and plFcFuly moved ~ independent ca2ings
shs pgObab!y E-ei" Il cifclc
di1uetcr Gtls exceeding me- own length IN le~s tune
provided bu. u single screw. The speed 0i lJi2
Ln0Js, which Ia clIusidcrcd 4tt3Habc Gnicr ordinary
circumstance exceeds that OF recorded trla per
!orIuance o. tsic Blush roE-c.i ICndtch the
fastest OF the lcUt than ll2 A1Ots pei hour.
TIE TENEAiENT-HOUSE DISTRICTS
.