Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-29

OF the Allegheny an iron steamer for The
navy. and while engaged in that work con
ceived the idea Of an ironclad vessel. and
| prepared the plans, which no transferred ,
20 n. :r sketch-9ook OF naval designs. which
ne stIi has IN his possession Copies of the
plans were submitted to the Navy Depart
ment nj Washington. but the times were
not lar enough advanced for iron-clats.
ana tney were not acted upon. model &C
cgmpanied the plans. Upon the secession
OF Virginia Mr. Porter. who was then con
etruct0r IN the navy, and the only south
eerner holding that grade. was stationed at
| the nayy-yard IN this city. resigned his
1 commission and entered the Confederate
navy shortly after the formation of the
confederate government. Lieutenant John
III. Brooke. OF the navy, was considering
lhe question OF an ironclad. He was in O
position where he could command the ear
OF Secretary Mallory, of the Confederate
navy, and. at his request, Dir. Joseph
! fierce, then master ship-carpenter at the |
navy-yard here, and a skilled mechanic
was sent to the capital to assist him, but
nothing came OF the conference. Mr..
that Lieutenant Brooke had no matured
plan; that he had no practical ideas,
ana did not know what he
wanted" Seeing the failure Of Lieutenant
Brookes scheme Constructor John l..
Porter then had another model made like
the one he made at Pittsburgh in 1s47 (the
carpenters are living now who worked on
1t, and can substantiate the fact if neces-
sary). took 1t to Richmond personally, and
submitted il to Secretary Mallory, who I'M
| medlately ordered q board consisting Of
| Constructor Porter, Chief Engineer w. p.
Williamson, and Lieutenant Brooke TO ex-
anime it and report. Messrs. Porter and
Williamson were skiltul naval architects
and stood at the bead OF their profession, |
lI0UfonQnf krnnEa uao oh in
navigation and gunnery. but totally I'M
skilled IN the architecture Of q man-of- |
| war.
THE MODEL CONSIDERED AT RICHMOND.
The board met in Richmond June %. 1861, |
| and according to the statements of Messrs. |
Porter and Williamson. the only thing |
considered by Thorn was the model which |
Mr. Porter had taken TO Richmond with |
| him. Up to that time he was wholly IN |
acquainted with Mr.. Brooke, though he |
and Mr.. Williamson were old friends. The |
| board decided TO recommend the building !
of an irOnclad like the model, and while |
discussing the length Of time it would |
take TO complete it-for time was a very |
| important feature to be considered Chief !
Engineer Williamson remarked, 1T will |
| take at least q year to build the |
| engines, &C., unless we could utilize /
some of the machinery in the Merrimac." |
| (This vessel was burnedto the waters edge |
and sunk alongside wharf at the navy
| yard IN this city by the Federas in April, /
| 1861, when they abandoned the yard, and |
| had been subsequently raised by the Con
federates as an obstruction to navigation) |
| Mr.. Porter Immediately replied: " ! can
adapt this model TO the Merrimac and uti-
| lie her machinery in her" tie had pre-
viously made an inspection Of the burned
hulk and was the only one of the board
who was acquainted with it's actual cOndi-
t,,t, and hi go ID o4 rt,O. Il cd e.. 80
commend that this be done, and the fol
lowing formal report was prepared and
submitted to Secretary Mallory:
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
RICHMOND June 20, 1861. !
"Su,-In obedience to your order we
have carefully examined and considered
the various plans and propositions for con-
structing shot-proof steam battery and
| respectfully report that, IL our opinion,
the steam-frieate Merrimac. which IL IN
such condition from the effects of fire "a
to be useless for any other purpose with
out mourning heavy expense IN her re-
building, can be made an efficient vessel
of that character. mounting ten heavy
guns, two pivot-guns, and eight brOadslde-
guns of her original battery, the
plan to be adopted i'll the arrangement of
her shield for CHANGING shots, mounting
guns, arranging the hull and plating TO be
in accordance with the plans submitted
for the. approval of the department"
Signed by the Board.
THE PLANS.
The facts are that at the immediate time
the report was made no plans were sub
mitted, but the board adjourned DIR.
Porter returned at once to the hayward
in this city to prepare them, Chief-Engineer
Williamson came down TO take charge of
her machinery, and Lieutenant Brooke re-
manned in Richmond. He never furnished
any plan whatever. As soon as Constructor
Porter had completed the plans. which he
did without consulting Lieutenant Brooke
or anybody else. he returned to Richmond
with them, submitted them in person TO
Secretary Mallory, who approved them
without any alteration whatever, and wrote
the following autograph order to Commo-
dore Forrest, commanding the navy-yard
here, which he handed to MIR. Porter for
delivery;
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
RICHMOND, July IL, 1861.
Flag Officer +. Forrest:
Sir.-You will proceed with allIpracti-
cable dispatch 10 make the change IN the
MeITimac, to build, equip, and ft her in
all respects according 10 ne designs and plans
Of he constructor and engineer, AeSSrs Porter
and williamson. As time is of the first i'm
portance in the matter you will see that
the work progresses without delay to com
pletion. >. Ii. MALLORY.
Secretary Confederate States Navy.
Later Commodore Forrest received the
following order;
CoNFEpERArR STATES NAVY DEPARTMENT,
RICHMOND, August 10, 1861. J
Fdg- Officer F. Forrest, Commanding Napy-
Yard, GOsport;
Sir,-The great Importance of the service
expected from the Merrimac and the urgent
necessity of her speedy completion IN
duces me to call upon you to push forward
the work with the utmost dispatch. Cnief-
Engineer Williamson ana Constructor
Porter, severally in charge of the two
branches of this great work, and for ichich
then triH De held personally responsible. VIII re.
ceive therefore every possible facility at
the expense and delay of every other work ,
on hand If necessary. S. X. MALLORY.
Secretary Confederate States Navy.
PORTER AND WILLIAMSON.
Thus il seems when the work was in its
incipiency the Secretary OF the Navy as ,
we'll as everybody else recognized that 10
Naval Constructor John IL Porter (for the
hull) and to Chief-Engineer William +.
williamson TOR the machinery was the '
Department indebted for the plans OF the I
shin. and the Secretary went 50 far as TO /
declare in an official order that those two
officers would be held personally responsible {
for the success of their plans.
Well, the ship was completed and reyo,,
naval architecture. She would l
have been better and stronger but TOR the I
limited means at the command OF the Con /
federacy, but after she had fought her fight
and proved her metal, then for the first
time TO the knowledge of anybody Lieu
tenant Brooke put IN an appearance as {
claimant for the credit of having projected
her. and a communication appeared IN the ,
Richmond Examiner claiming II Tor nlm 1
aud later still, when the real facts OF the
matter had faded from his memory. Sc, !
cretary Mallory was, we believe, persuaded !
to give credence to his claim.
BRooKE's PATENT 8
Mr.. Brooke, believe, took out patent {
for an ironclad with slanting roo5 and !
submerged ends like the Merrimac. but his
natent was not contested by the builder of J
the Merrimac, because no one would have {
Thought of building such vessel with 6
ends, except as matter OF ne Y
eessity. for II lett the crew no place 70 ex- J
ercise and no other vessel was built that I