Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-02
A MINIATURE MONITOR.
The Smallest Successful Steamboat Ever
Built.


/ {. ". Crai.f0rd ia the Murine ,Journc1.
= Writing about steamboats, brings to
: mind the fact that / once instigated ard
helped TO build the smallest successful
steamboat, and the most successful small
| bOas, one that made more round trips and
more money than any small boat that ever
existed. 1t was about this way: During
the war the citizens Of Pittsburg and AL
! legheny determined to get up big fair for
I the benefit of the Sanitary Commission.
/ w nile TINS was being worked up | de-
I termined to build a miniature model of a
monitor to be operated in the basin of a
fountain in one of the departments. While
| was engaged at this, Mr.. William Met
calf, Superintendent Of the Fort Pit
Foundry, where | was then employed.
proposed to furnish all the money and
material required and TO enlarge on my
plan, and add another department to the
fair exclusively for this vessel and other
war material. This resolution was
unanimously adopted and the boat
built accordingly. Mr.. John II. McElTOy,
Col. Joseph Kaye, Mr.. f. Kirsch and N.Y.
self were the builders of the boat, and
Mr.. Metcalf superIntended the erecting of
a building about 150X75 feet, inclOsing
large elliptical shaped reservoir for the
accommodation of the craft. The hull
was made of a single sheet of copper, 10 /
feet long between perpendiculars, and
about 20 inches beam, after the model OF
the monitor Manayunk, then building at
Pittsburg.
The deck-plates were wrought-iron and /
the turret and guns were cast-iron. The /
vessel was driven by beautiful Oscinating /
engine, designed by Mr.. McElrOy, of y {
inch bore by 2Z-inch stroke, which was /
of ample power. The boiler was made of /
copper, of a fiat elliptic section, about two /
feet long, with vertical tubes, the furnace /
being a series of alcohol lamps covering 4
the entire bottom surface of the boiler. 1
This arrangement worked well and made 1
plenty of steam. The propeller, which was
of brass, was geared at speed of about /
two to one OF the engine. When cOmplet- !
ed she tiOated on an even keel with about
inches freebOard. a trial trip was made
of a quarter of mile in the Allegheny
river against the current on a June rise
under convoy of fleet of skiffs, but I'M
fortunately when rounding into her
wharf she swung against the head of
raft and sunk in 20 feet of water. This
calamity was gotten over by procuring
diver, who fetched her up in a short time.
The guns were never found, and had to
be made over again. In due time the fair
was opened, and the crowd attained ac-
cess to Monitor Hall, where the boat /
was quietly making her regular trips.
The building was literally damned nearly
all the time during the two or three weeks
the fair lasted. No boat ever drew such
crowds, not of spectators-
at % cents each. When the fair
was over it was found that Moni-
tor Hall had collected the largest
share of the receipts of the five depart
ments, think about $4,000. The entire
gross receipts were 1926, 900. After this
success she was exhibited
under the management Of Col. Joseph
Kaye, now deceased, at Baltimore, Wheel
ing, Boston, Philadelphia, and, lastly, at
Chicago. where she was sold, making
cords Of money at each place for the SAM
tary Commission. Perhaps less is now
known Of this monitor than any of them,
but undoubtedly she is entitled to a con-
spIcuOus place in the history of our de-
funct navy.