The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-05


the incident related In this mar
II ratsve occurred served on
- board the United States iron
clad srigate New Ironssdes. at
tachsi 90 the Charleston baockading squad
ron. under the late Rear Admiral Dans-
gren. Commodore Stephen Cornelius
Rowan Patty Rowan as we loved to call
hirn} commanded our vessel. and our first
lieutenant and executive officer was the
present Rear Admiral George E Belknap.
retired The vessel. huEt in Phs'ade. paia.
was Of most peculiar construction. and
had the appearance OF a floating battery
rather than a sdip-of-war, for. while on
the blockade and during our engagements
with the forts and batteries of the enemy
-e never carried any masts and rigging.
bus only temporary. thin poles, which
could be replaced when shot away. Orig
.naEy. however. the vessel was bark
rugged. Our masts. yards and rigging
Were stored az Port Royal. $. C.. during
this time ard We did not rig the vessel
up until We left the blockade and started
for Philadelphia In june. 1894.
TIE vessels sides had a thickness Of
eleven inches OF hardwood with four
inches 81 iron plating. Her sides sisnted
outward toward the water. after the style
II the rams OF that date. and her bottom
was quite fiat. She had three decks OF
ron and wood. and on her bow was a
steel Earn. On the upper. or spar deck,
IA IL Is called. she carried only a couple
OF guns OF small csliber; the main battery
was on the second or gun deck. 1t con-
sisted OF sixteen nine-inch Armstrong
Misunderstanding guns. eight on either side.
OF which the second forward ones tstar-
board and porD were rifed, the others
being OF smooth bore. The shutters of the
gun deck ports were of solid iron, and
instead OF being thrown upward and out
ward as on Ii wooden vessel, were drawn
sidew+se by means OF levers and tackles
when the guns were run out for firing.
and at their recoii after firing were i'm
mediately closed. These shutters were
made in two pieces. each half pivotei
on a strong bolt. and could thus be opened
any desirable width. allowing the long
handles of the ramrods and sponges to
be worked when loading the guns Each
gun had crew of thirty-four men and
a captain. and at the order man both
sides" the crew would divide. and the
quarter-gunner of each respective division
would sight and fire one Of the guns
-Four guns-two on either side of the deck
comprised division. commanded by an
officer. When in action nobody was on
the upper deck. iron-barred matches closed
the sanGways the ship was steered from
the gun deck, the pilot and the commo-
oore stationed in the iron turret, which
protruded on the spar deck, directing the
Vessei's movements and noting the actions
OF the enemy. This turret could be en-
tered by means OF an iron ladder from the
gun deck and contained peep holes for
observation We carried a large crew,
including guard of marines with drums
ana ffes. In command OF L.euts Bartlett;
and Young. The engine and fireroom
employed a great many men. bu, the
vessels speed was very slow withal
On the third. or berth deck. were the
messes. sick bay and dispensary, AZ also
the orig prisoners quarters the master
alarms office, the store rooms of the
pursers. yeoman's and boatswain's de-
paftments and the quarters of the marines
etc The water tanks and ships Prov
sions were stored in the vessels lower
holds. and the magazine. which could
DE Hooded at short Eotice in time of dan
ger. was likewise below the berth deck
me engines and the fiyeroom were located
IN the center of the ship just below the
gun deck. the galleys for the shtp's com
pany and the officers were in the for
"afo part OF this deck, where also the
armorer and carpenter shops were s,tu-
ated The wardroom. commodcre,s cabin
and the officers staterooms took I'D III.
afterpart
Having thus described some OF the mos.
prominent features Of this unique craft, I
proceed to state what In all likelihood led
the Confederates in planning our destruc-
ton by means OF torpedo
The banoardment of Sumter by the fleet
had IT first but little effect on the fert's
strong walls and nombproofs inside of
which the ''Johnnies" were passing the
time playing cards and drinking whisky.
undisturbed by the outside world. save for
the occasional bursting of mortar shells
thrown from some vessel OF the hlockading
fleet, which were the only ones that would
drop and explode inside of their works ana
disturb their peace and safety. Therefore.
In September. 1868. the admiral determined
on stormiug the fort and accordingly or
dered a landing party of marines and blue
jackets from the feet. A dark night was