New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-28
TO THE MI4NTONOMOH.
RECOMMENDATION THAT SHE BE SOLD FOR
SCRAP IRON.


Consigned to the scrap heap is the verdict
which the Naval Survey Board has rendered upon
the world known, double turreted Miantonomoh,
a vessel that has had its ups at downs for about
two generations The Sur, gord was detailed
toward the close of 1899 to held most searching
inquest upon the Miantonomoh with view OF
determining the overhauling necessary to place her
in commission again. The Board completed Its
work at Philadelphia. 1t found that 1t would cost
s450OOO to put her condition for effective SER
vice, and recommended that she be disposed of by
sale. Experience has been that when vessels OF
the Navy have been sold being out of date
they have been broken up the wood being sold Tor
fuek and the metal sent to the scrap heap
The Miantonomoh has a history that includes
both the Civil War and the war with Spain When
the original Monitor built, and later halted
the Confederate Virginia (yclept Merrlmac) In
her work OF destruction in Hampton Roads, new
era began in warship building. When, soon after,
the United States Navy built other ships on the
same model. the Federal Government for the sec
end time in history possessed the most powerful
Navy in existence. The Miantonomoh was one of
these-and the most powerful of them, for she had
two turrets.
POWER IN HER DAY.
Although completed in the Civil War, she did not
see active service in battle then. She was begun
as a wooden ship covered with soft iron and
armed with smoothbore cannon carrying spherical
iron shot 1t was contended by experts of the
Navy that should she be called upon to meet
fleet of the sort she originally was she could send
every one of them to the bottom in hour, and
had the Merrimac been Of her design and prowess
she could have scuttled Ericssons original Monitor
with q single shot, and could have done 1t, too,
while lying beyond perilous range of the Monitors
guns.
Soon after the close of the Civil War and to
prove whether not the carping critics were cor
rest in their assertions that the Monitor class Of
vessels were not, and could not be built to be,
worthy the Navy Department prepared a trans
atlantic cruise for the Miantonomoh. at the sug
gestion Of Assistant Secretary Gustavus V. Fox,
who obtained leave of absence to make the cruise
on her. The cruise extended far as st. Peters
burg, and her seaworthness amply vindcated.
Soon after her return home 1t was recommended
that improvements that had been made upon other
warships should be carried to the Miantonomoh.
but there vexatious delays. AS originally
built the vessel was OF oak. Her hull was built at
the New-York Navy Yard. and her turrets and
machinery made by the Cornes. The present
Miantonomoh may be said to be a reproduction of
the original Miantonomoh. although she is now
steel clad, little larger in size. and carries bat
terry OF modern breechoading guns
CHANGES IN DESIGN
Originally she was an ironclad-that is the armor
bolted over the hull; her turrets were al
most twice high the present ones and were
surmounted by protected decks, from which the
manoeuvres of the ship could be governed In time
of action 1t was arranged that the guards around
the decks could be removed and the movements of
the vessel be governed from coming towers built
above the turrets. The original dimensions of the
vessel were: Length. 257 feet breadth OF beam, SO
feet; draught of water IL feet and Az inches. Her
dimensions at present are two feet longer and two
and half feet broader OF beam. She is OF the low
freeboard type, the top of her deck being only
twenty-five inches above the water line. She Is
built upon the cellular system, with eighty-seven
water tight compartments and a double bottom
The latter extends 223 feet of her length, and Is
divided into forty-six water tight compartments
by transverse water tight floors, and a vertical
keel through the centre.
In 1872 her wooden hull was found to be rotten
George NJ. Robson, who was then Secretary of
the Navy, made contracts with the Roach Ship
building Works to rebuild her of iron. Neglect OF
Congress to make the necessary appropriations de-
layed the work of reconstruction and It was not
until five years later that she was launched at
Chester, Penn. She was Immediately fitted out and
placed In commission, with Captain Francis Hig-
ginson In command. Alterations and additions were
made in her from time to time. Finally in 1883 she
was afterward finally improved.
The turret armor was changed three times. Lami-
yielded to blended steel and iron half and half of
each, welded into a solid armor 1914 inches thick
The turret adopted was Of the Coles, or English,
pattern. This does not rest upon a spindle as the
old Ericsson turret does but upon a row OF steel
balls laid horizontally In circular groove. over
these ball bearings the turret revolves with ease.
In each turreO bTeechloading guns. two 6-pound
rapid firing guns and four smaller guns
VENTILATION PROVIDED FOR.
AS all the living spaces are below the water line
no recourse can be had to natural ventilation while
at sea. There are powerful centrifugal fans, with
capacity OF 10000 cubic feet Of air a minute,
"a me aftss paEt % tbs vessel are the cabin Cor