The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-25
THE MlANToNoMoH.
She Arrived in Port Early Saturday
Morning.

The Portland pubic were quite surprised
Saturday morning to hear that the United
States monitor Miantonomoh was ly-
ing at anchor off Fort Allen park. she
ran down from New London and instead of
stopping at Portsmouth,as reported, came.di-
rectly to this port, making good run, which
would have been better but for the fog.
Two tugs took her in hand off the Cape, but
she came in without pilot, taking sound
ings from Portland Head. Captain Wallace
was much pleased at the ease with which
he entered and made his way up the harbor
The Miantonomah is not unknown to Port
land, although not in her present shape.
The original Miantonomoh had a low free
board, was double turreted and had no
military mast She was built during the
War of the Rebellion, and made cruise to
European waters, spreading the fame of
Ericsson, and proving her ability to en-
counter and navigate high seas. She was
built of wood, the great mistake in the
construction of this class of warship, be-
cause it necesstated the removal of the
armor when repairs were necessary. When,
in 1870, the remains of the great philan-
thropist, George Peabody, were conveyed
to this port in the English ship Monarch,
then the pride of the British navy, under
the command of one of the most popular of
British officers, Captain John Commerell
now an admiral of the fleet, the highest
British naval dignity-the Miantonomah,
Capt. Shufeldt, land Terror, Captain Ransom,
sister iron-clads, were detailed to receive
her and her convoy the American man-of-
war Plymouth, Captain Macomber.
In the PRESS of recent date. a full de-
scription of the present Miantonomah,-
which is virtually a.reconstruction of the
older vessel of that name was given. This
reconstructed Miantonomah was built at
Roach's yard in Chester, Pa, in 1889, and
we may say in brief here, that she is a low
free-board turretted monitor, built of iron;
armored with a steel belt extending the
entire length of the vessel, and carrying
four ten inch, breech-loading rifled cannon
in two armored turrets. She is 3,8l5 tons
displacement, $50 feet long, 50 feet wide,
and has mean draught of IA feet, and is
capable of steaming IS miles an hour or
better. She is protected by compound
armor, the side armor being seven inches
thick and the turret is made of armor IL
IL inches thick. Her armament is four ten
inch breech loading ri1ed cannon of the
modern type, and secondary battery of
two FOUNDER, rapid fire guns, two poun-
der rapid fire guns, revolving cannon of
37millimeter calibre and Gatling guns.
Her coal capacity is $50 tons, and she can
steam 1890 knots without re-coaling. The
machinery weighs 596 tons, and her COM
pound engines are 1.030 horse power. These
are the officers of the Miantonomoh:
Captain-R. r. Wallace.
.Lieutenant Commander-R. E. Carmody.
Lieutenants-John A. A. Rodgers, VIM. E.
Halsey. F. e. Beatty, Benjamin Tappan.
Ensigns-V. 0. Chase and t. p Magruder
Surgeon-Dwight Dickinson.
Paymaster-H. Il. B. Harris
Chief Engineer-Alfred Adamsons
p A. Engineer-W. ". WhiteI.
Mayor Baxter and Collector Dow were out
of the city Saturday, SO that the ceremonial
visits will probably be made today.
The hours at which visitors will be re-
ceived on board are between 1890 and Ii. 80
a. M, and and 4.30 p. m.
The Mary W. Libby makes frequent trips
to the Miantonomoh as will be seen by adj
vertisement. She carried crowds of people
yesterday, notwithstanding the cold
weather.