Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-29
A THING OF LIFE.
safe Launching of the New Monitor Ter

PHILADELPHIA Record.
The United States ironclad Terror was
launched from Cramps shipyard Satur-
day afternoon in sight Of large cOncOUrse
of people. The launch, which was very
successful. at one moment threatened
disastrous conclusion. 1t had been de-
cided to have it take place at O'Clock,
and the Deputy HarbOr Master notified
the shipping ON the river to look out for
the event. Everything was ready, and
the word to cut away was about to be
given, when the tug j. Markee, with
schooner in tow. passed in front of the
yards and stopped for second or TWO IN
the line Of the launch.
The tug was notified TO 20 on with her
tow, and had steamed with the schooner
above the point where the ir0Dclad was TO
be launched, and the word to cut away was
given. At this instant the tug stopped
and the schooner fell behind, directly i'll
front of the big iron boat as il leaped into
the water. Had the monitor made d.
rect course the schooner would nave been
cut in pieces by the heavy iron craft as
she dived through the water. Every spec
tatOr of the thrilling scene held his breath.
expecting to witness a disaster Good
fortune. however, favored the apparently
doomed vessel. for as she came within a
few feet of the schooner the monitor veered
around and swept aside. The escape was
so narrow that the Flagstaff on the monl-
ter was carried away by the jlbbOom OF
the schooner.
Miss Martha HichbOrn, the little daugh-
ter Of Naval Constructor HichbOrn. chris
tened the Terror with a bottle of cham
payne as the vessel glided into the water.
Among those present at the launch were
Naval Constructor Philip Hichborn, Chief
Engineer Melville. who is now on duty at
League Island. Commander MCGOWAN,
Chief Engineer Bartleman, Chief Engl-
neer W. :. Buckler. Engineer EndicOtt.
Surgeon Law, Professor E. COppee Mitch
ell, and Lieutenant Lananoff, OF the Impe-
rial Russian navy.
The Terror is 80 feet long, 30 feet 10
inches breadth of beam and IA feet 3
inches depth of hold. Her stem is made
so as to form a ram, and the forward part
of the vessel is so constructed as to with
stand any severe shock in ramming. She
has two bulls, properly speaking, having
inside plating as well as outside. When
finished she will have two turrets on the
same longitudinal line one forward and
the other aft of the machinery, which will
be placed amidships. The machinery will
consist Of two inclined compound engines,
each working 4 separate screw propeller.
The low pressure cylinders will be forty
eight inches in diameter and the high
pressure thirty-twO inches, and both forty
two inches stroke OF piston. y pressure
of sixty pounds of steam will be supplied
by six cylindrical boilers. twelve feet i'll
diameter and ten feet long. The prOpel-
lers will be right and left hand, twelve
feet i'm diameter.
The Terror was originally designed as
duplicate of the MiantOnOmah, which was
recently completed at League Island and
sent. not without some apprehension, from
this port TO Fortress Monroe. She was to
have been also a counterpart of the Am
phitrite. now being completed at Whining
ton, and the MonadnOck, now at ROach's.
BY an act of the last Congress provision
was made to complete these four vessels,
and about 100000 for each was apprOpri-
ated. The Terror was built few years
after the war, and had a backing of wood
for the hull and deck plates. In 1874 she
was ordered to Cramps to be reconstruct
ed with double hull of iron and steel and
a double bottom. The Congressional APP
preparation gave out in 1877, and the YES
sci has remained on the stocks until the
recent appropriation was made, since
when her hull has been completed.
1t was estimated by the Naval Advisory
Board, which reported in favor of the
completion of the Terror, that the total
cost would be 81. $50, 400, including arma-
ment and carriage. The Cramps up to
last May had spent $516,114 on her, in
Guiding yard room. and they estimate that
it will cost $4,000 more to complete the
craft