Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-04-04
IN THE TURRET.
ABOARD THE MONITOR WHILE SHE
 FOUGHT THE MERRImAc.
A Novel Situation and a Desperate Com- bat-ImPerfections of the Machin- ery-shut Up in a Revolving
 Drum Damage Done.
loom. s. D. Greene in The csn,urr 1

ANSAI D. b bEtcuc lu The century
 The drawbacks to the position of the pilot house were soon realized We could not lire ahead nor within several points of the bow, since the blast from our own guns would have injured the people in the pllothouse, only few yards of. heeler and ToGey passed the captains orders aud messages 10 me. and my in quiries and answers 10 him, the speaking. tube from the pilot house to the turret having been broken early in the action They performed their work with zeal and alacrity, but. both being landsmen, our technical com. munications sometimes miScarried- The situation was novel. a vessel of war Was engaged in desperate combat with a powerful foe; the captain, commanding and guiding all, was inclosed in one place and the executive officer, working and fighting the guns. was shut up in another, and communication between them was difficult and uncertain. It was this ex- perienCe which caused Engineer Newton, immediately after the engagement, to sug- gest the clever plan of putting the pilot house on top of the turret, and making it cylindrical instead of square; and his sug- gestions were subSeI Iuently adopted in this type of vessel.
 As the engagement continued the work ing of the turret was not altogether satis- factory. It was difficult to start it re- ~olying. or when once started, to stop it, vn account of the imperfections of the novel machinery, which was now under going its first trial Sinners was an active. muscular man. and did his utmost 10 control the motion of the turret; but, in spite of his efforts. it was difficult | not impossible to secure accurate firing. The .Jndilions were very different from those of an ordinary broadside gun. under which We had been trained on wooden ships My only view of the world outside of the tower was over the muZzles of the guns, which cleared the ports by few inches only. When the guns were run in the pOrt-holes were cov- cred by heaNy iron pendulums, pierced with small holes to allow the iron rammer and sponge handles 10 protrude while they were in use. To hoist these pendu- lums required the entire guns crew and vastly increased the work inside the turret
 The effect upon one shut up in a re- yolving drum is perpleXing, and it is not a simple matter 10 keep the bearings. White marks had been placed upon the stationary deck immediately below the turret 10 indicate the direction of the siarboard and port sides. and the bow and stern; but these marks were Oblitered early in the action l would continually ask the captain. How does the Merrimac bear7" lie replied, ~On the starboard- beam. or -On the port-quarter. as the case might be Then the difficulty waz to determine the direction of the star. board beam. or port-quarter, or any other bearing It finally resulted. that when a gun was ready for firing, the turret would be started on its revolving journey in search of the target. and when found it was taken ~on the fly because tho turret could not be accurately controlled Once the Merrimac tried tO ram us; but Worden avoided the direct impact by the skillful use of the helm, and she struck a glancing blow. which did no damage At the instant of collision l planted a solid 1SO- pound shot fair and square upon the forward part of her casemats Had the gun been loaded with thirty pounds of powder. which was the charge subsequently, used with simila. guns, it is probably that this shot would have penetrated her armOr. but the charge being limited to fifteen pounds. in accord ance with peremptOry orders 10 that effect from the navy department. the shot re- bounded without doing any more damage than possibly 10 start some of the beams of her armor- backing.