Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-26
TIE MIAHYONOMoH,
The New n nDitor for Defense Of New
York Halbor.

Dor Will have Its hfet afmored protector
soout Oct. l. The monitor Mtantonomoh
lacks only the placing Of two great guns in
the fore turret to be complete. The guns
are done and are already on the decks Of
'he monitor as she lies At dock in the
Rrooklyn navy yard She is to be
paced in comm ssion at once, even if the
WORK is lot entirely complete. The haish-
ing touches can be put on later.
The Miantonomoh will be under the
command of Capt. Munig Imery Sicnd,
Lieutenant Commander Asa Walker will
be the executive Ifiicer, and the machinery
will be IN charge OF I h eff Engineer George
w. Msgee. The other officers have not
been selected. The Miantonomoh will
probably make her 1rst cruise to GARDENERS
bay for the trial Of her new l0-inch guns
The big double turreted monitor has
long history. che was one Of the feet Of
ironclsds built towards the close Of ,he civil
war after the model Of the fam rus little
Monitor. At that time UGcle Sam had, for
the second time 10 his history, the most
powerful navy in the world, and the Mian,o-
omoh was the most formidable ship in it
OngiI ally she vas built Of osk. and her
huh vas laid in the Brooklyn navy yard.
She wss 257 feet long. 80 feet broad, and
drew Is feet 3 | 2 inches. Her Afmor,
which vas Of iron, was boited on ,ver her
hul. Is 1872 she was rebuilt in iron, to-
gether with ,hs Amplitude, Terror, and
Monadrotk, AID pIsc. in commission for
3 St cond time. In 1888 the was brought
again to the Brookly navy yard. AMI has
r.msi ed there ever since, nearly all the
time in II pair or alteration. During this
time The construction OF srmoied ships has
b,.n revolutioplz d.
The Monitor now has IL l 2 inches Of
blended steel and iren on her sides, and Two
Goes tur,e's, each holding two l0-inch
modem rifles Her length 10 359 l-2 feet
Aid her beam 55 2 feet. She 10 net COM
pletely modern even now, after all her
str.sgle to catch up with progress in naval
architecture. Her afmor 10 not Of Ine
nickel stttl which will probably encase the
Msine and ofher big war ships v hich Uncle
Sam is rap diy quifiDg. But the mingled
.teel and irun are amply sofficient for q
ship Of her build. for sh. squas down in
the water 20 that she practically presents no
target except her slight superstructures,
and these can be shot sway without Grip
pling her.
The picture shows the Miautonomoh %
che will very soon appear in our harbOr.
As she lies nov in tie sill ws,er Of the
her nose rises only f1ve feet out
Of water. and her deck slopes away till only |
two or three feet above the surface at the |
stern. When she breasts wind and tide In
the lower bay the waves will dash over her
bows and her decks will often be awash. |
Water can be let into compartments in her |
hull, 80 as 10 enable her 10 sink lower and |
hide her a 1t body almost completely.
The Miantonomoh is the ftst really for |
midable ship Of the new navy. She 10 3
battle ship in one sense Of the word. for
there Is No ship Of var fl rat in any water |
v hich she could not meet with some chance |
Of victory. But is she primary 8 harbor
defence ship. Her business is not to 20 out
10 meet The en-. my in any other waters, but
10 lie in wait for an approaching foe. To |
,uth . foe she would give q welcome |
" or ny Of / er fi.g. for in every respect ex
cept her armor, she 10 powerfully modern.
The eporn Ous ten-iDch rIfea In her tufrets
ire the largest and most sffsctive marine |
runs ever Luilt in this Country. Tney
Ihrow soIid steel proj ctiles shiDg 800
pounds each vi h an effective yhtIng range
,f seven miles, and Can huri them thirte en-
miles. Besides these big guns. she will
larry on her superssfuct0re and military |
mas two 6 FOUNDER shd Two 2-poundef
'spid-fre aun-, t~o 81 mnt revoivmg can
30 =; and Two Gstlirg,. Tnese will be USE
ful for clb fshnns and % drive oG tor.
ped, boA,s
thus "a iipred ths Misntonomoh can lie
BETS er n sbe Nafro~s aid sink with her
big guns an uparmed cruiser OF Sandy
II ,ok. She could steam ous in tae lover
boy sI d clear 'he cossf nesr CoLy Island
lid Kvek4ssy Beach Of hostile craft 10
for tue A 81 TN, sInc the days Of
the iistle Mouit Nav York eiiy has Iro-
,eetor wnich i, ~ortuy OF the name She
uil be . welcome sddiuon to the h.et Of
.wIf cruis - which vii q .th their white
4 les in our waters. She 10 nos graceful
bor swift bot rhe can fxh AMI they csunot.
A. Tho Mi.nioi ON b nears her period Of
lciivty the work bpIn her sisters. the
Puri AZ and the Terror grows more lisely.
] hese monitors ~efs built at aboui the
,sme time with the MiantoDmo oh and have
passed through s'mevhst similar expert
snces. The, we're originally af wood and
> ere also febui { in iron. Appropfia-
ions wsYe made six years ago {, mod
srpiz. AID complete them. The Misnto-
1omoh's tonnage 10 5000 That Of the
/ ufitAn ard Terror are 1918 each. The
fa-isn vii, carry tso IL Iacb breach load-
ca rif.s 10 each Of her turrets. six inch
'sp;d IRE auns, tso poundef and four 8
pvundsf rspid 6fe Runs, four 81 nm re-
soiving Cannon. aud four Gatlinss. She
will have IA inches Of srmor. The Terror
viii be i3en,ic.l with the MinsDtonomob,
'sve that she y III have two more rapid 1re
Euns. 1h,se no monitors have nov been
brought aiop gside the docks, and echo
with the hammers Of the work
men. Both siil probably be completed in