The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-07
THE CRUISE OF THE MIANroNoMoh
Her Electrical Steering Device and the Dues
tion OF Leaks In the Monitors.

Her Electrical SteertnE Device and the Que -
tion OF Leaks In the Monitors.
WASHINGTON. June 0-while the double
turret monitors are not intended to he sea-
going vessels In tho fullest sense OF the term.
they must protect any part Of tho coast where
they aro required. and be able to make tho
voyages necessary for this purpose. 1t was
seriously proposed last winter to scnd tho
Miantonomoh to Chill In case OF trouble with
that country; while the original Miantonomoh
OF quarter OF century ago. In which Assist
ant Secretary Fox went to England. behaved
admirably on that cruise. and showed that the
theory OF Ericsson In regard to letting tho seas
breek unmpeded over these low freeboard
vcs sells was correct.
| 1t IL so many years, however. since tho days
when monitors we're In service that the recent
run OF tho Miantonomoh around Cape Charles
and UP Chesapeake Bay possesses much In
forest. Two fncts appear to be OF special
prominence. Tho first is In regard to hcr
steering. This was objected BY electricity. and
1t is said to have been the first instance Of n
shin 80 steercd on regular voyage. That the
device was successful seems to be conceded.
although 1t was found that improveme nts
could be made as the result OF this first eS-
perience. To no class Of war vessels. perhaps,
is electrical steering more important than to
monitors, with their great breadth In proper
ton to the length.
Tho other point OF interest was the leaking
OF the Miantonomoh between the turrets and
the dock. 1t is a reminder Of old times to find
this chronic objection to the monitors brought
up again. after so many yoars: md 1t Is also
curious to observe that the remedy resorted to
In the recent case was that Of caulking. exactly
AS with the original monitor OF thirty years
ago. 1t appears that. as the liability to leak at
this point was vol remembered in the navy.
iron bands lined with leather had been pro-
vided to cover tho joints In tho AIiantonomoh
made by the turrots with the deck. But these
turrcts. and; as the sen was rnthor rough. the
waves. washing over the decks several feet
decp. sent streams Of wntcr into tho ship Mt tho
bases Of the turrets. snilor has q horror Of
l"' tk;. and the ship was put into Delaware
tho Of 10
Then the Miantonomoh put to sea again and
there TS. was ,s no more leaking. -,
voyage to, Hampton Roads this same trouble
vas experienced. Lieut.; Greene. her cxecu-
Ing, wrecked. and TINT "thc wator came down
under the turret like waterfall; 1t would
beautifu! curves. and come through the mar
row eyeholeS OF the, pilot house with such
force rs to knock the hclmsman completely
-FOUR through the ,hawseholo and over and
down the smok estacks and blower pipes in such
tho "' won Sfe wns ut so oanSc 6"
those troubles were due TO the novelty OF this
invention. which had to ho used Us soon as 1t
been i Inserted between the base Of the turret
out r Sn o FIX e nrsnn y ons s It
the water. which rushed in abundantly Erics-
KNOWN: that a watcr-tIght Joint there was
out out OF the question, and that some discom-
forts must be expected; The entrance Of great
Quantities OF water through the hawsepipe
could easily have been prevented.
Although the original Monitor was nfterwnrd
sunk. Ericsson declared that this was due to
raising hor turret before going to sea. and
then putting oak um under its base The tur-
ret. on being let down. rested on few thick
of Of the IN sss nd
take away: But the vessel did not e" down win in
hours before the stream OF water under the
turret oyerpowered the pumps" Again. tho
CMeehawken after her great victory over the
anchor in Charlie harbor during a gale:
but Ericsson declared this disaster was duo to
the forward dock hatch having been left open
the sen made a clean breach over the vessel"
Pnssaic on the, ground that the SEQ acted
full strain, 1t was found on examination that
not single rivet had boon started at any point
where the side nrmor-sholf joins the hull.
recent ,oxrerience Of tho Miantonomoii is that
according to the accounts. the old expedient
81 caulktng the space between tho turret and
not appear that thereafter she was subjected
to anything like q gale: Nut whatever the seas
sho encountered. they did not make her leak.
be baffi"d over tho problem Of the seam at the |
OF the Miantonomoh on Delaware Breakwater
what should be done in her case and In that OF |
all the other monitors.