608 



NAVY, UNITED STATES. 



menced. The following are the vessels inclu- 

 ded in the orders referred to : 



Name. "Where built. Date of Launching. 



1. Passaic Greenpoint, L. I April 31, 1862. 



2. Patapsco Wilmington, Del Oct. 1, 



3. Nahant Boston, llass Oct. 6, 



4. Montauk Greenpoint, L. I Oct. 9, 



5. Nantucket Boston, Mass Dec. 6, " 



6. Lehigh Chester, Penn 



7. Sangamon.. . " " 



8. Catskill Greenpoint, L. I Dec. 6, " 



9. Weehawken. .Jersey City, N. J 



10. Camanche . . . " " " 



These batteries were built and armored sub- 

 stantially in accordance with the plan of the 

 original Monitor, but of somewhat larger di- 

 mensions, and with some important modifica- 

 tions introduced from the start or when near 

 their completion, as suggested by further expe- 

 rience in working vessels of a style so unusual. 

 Exteriorly, they show an upper and broader 

 portion of hull, heavily armored and nearly 

 vertical, and a much shorter, as well as nar- 

 rower lower portion of hull, not armored : the 

 form of the actual hull (of iron), however, ap- 

 pears only from within, being somewhat mod- 

 ified from the shape usual in vessels of like size, 

 and not unaptly compared to that of the half 

 of an egg-shell cut lengthwise. Their decks are 

 mainly clear, and intended to rise but from 18 

 to 30 inches above the water. They are rated 

 at 844 tons burden ; and they have each 1 tur- 

 ret, revolving, and a total armament of 2 guns, 

 now, generally, of 11 and 15 inches caliber. 

 Their construction being substantially the same, 

 a description of one of these batteries will serve 

 for the whole class. 



The Passaic has a length of upper hull equal 

 to 200 feet, width 45 feet, total depth 12 feet, 

 draught of water when laden 10^ feet. The 

 lines of the hull are finer than those of the first 

 Monitor, and the buoyancy and speed greater. 

 The hull of the vessel is first built of j-inch 

 iron plating, fastened upon a frame of angle 

 iron, of 6 inches width by ,-inch thickness. 

 The broader upper portion of the hull com- 

 mences at about 5 feet below the deck, that is, 

 3| feet below the water line, by a sort of hori- 

 zontal iron shelf, upon which is first built up 

 the wood backing for the armor, consisting of 

 solid oak, to a thickness of more than three 

 feet, and braced with iron. Over this is ap- 

 plied the armor, consisting of 5 thicknesses of 

 wrought-iron plates, each 5 feet in length and 

 width. In addition to and beneath this, for a 

 distance of 50 feet from the bow, in the Pas- 

 eaic, are inserted a succession of wrought-iron 

 stringers 4 inches thick, the two combined be- 

 ing equivalent for this part of the boat to 9 

 inches of solid armor, and giving it immense 

 strength for use as a ram. The deck beams 

 are of oak, 24 inches apart, 12 X 12 inches at 

 the middle, and 12 X 10 at the ends. Over 

 these is a pine planking 8 inches deep; and 

 upon the whole two thicknesses of 1-inch plat- 

 ing. The hatches are of wrought iron, and let 

 in flush with the deck; in action they are 

 closed with covers of like material, secured be- 



low. Within, the vessel is strengthened for- 

 ward of the turret bulkhead by three rows, 

 and aft of the bulkhead by one row, of stan- 

 chions of 23 x 4 bar-iron, fastened with 1-inch 

 bolts ; and there are six water-tight com- 

 partments, formed by |-inch plates properly 

 secured, and between which communication 

 is furnished by means of doors.. The turret 

 has an internal diameter of 21 feet, height 

 9 feet. Its sides are composed of 11 thick- 

 nesses of 1-inch plating, each in 20 vertical 

 sections, but so put on that at any part in 

 the entire thickness but a single joint occurs. 

 It rests on a flat ring of composition metal, 12 

 inches wide by \\ thick, and provided at its in- 

 ner edge with a vertical flange of like thick- 

 ness, and 2^ inches in height. The pilothouse, 

 with a total diameter of 7 feet, 4 inches, rests 

 on the top and middle part of the turret, the 

 general framework of the top consisting of 

 stout forged iron beams alternating with others 

 resembling railroad bars, these being respect- 

 ively three inches apart. Over these, on the 

 part of the top not occupied by the pilothouse, 

 is a covering of ^-inch wrought-iron plates, 

 these being perforated at certain parts with 

 holes 1 inch in diameter, for the supply of air 

 to the turret and hull. The pilothouse, 6 feet 

 in height and in interior diameter, is formed of 

 8 inches of plates, and is pierced with 8 look- 

 out holes, each giving a horizontal range of 

 vision of 45, so that together these render 

 every part of the horizon visible from within. 

 The turret has 2 portholes near together ; and 

 the armament is an 11-, and a 15-inch Dahlgren 

 gun. The portholes are closed with ponderous 

 portstoppers, each weighing more than 6,000 

 Ibs. ; one man can readily open these preparatory 

 to firing, and close them immediately afterward. 

 The engines, 2 in number, built at the Delamater 

 Iron "Works, have cylinders of 40 inches diam- 

 eter, and 22 inches stroke. There are 2 boil- 

 ers, of Martin's plan, each 9 feet 3 inches in 

 height, and 12 feet 6 inches long, with 3 fur- 

 naces. The propeller is of cast iron, 12 feet in 

 diameter, and of 16 feet pitch. 



The hull and armor-shelf of this battery (save 

 about the upper 2 feet of height) being, when the 

 vessel is afloat, below the Avater, and the unar- 

 mored portion of the hull being in effect re- 

 moved 5 feet within the sides, and descending 

 in all but a few feet below them, it results that 

 no shot fired upon the battery can reach this 

 lower portion without first having penetrated 

 the armor and timbers, or in the rare case of 

 coming at a very small angle with the water, 

 having its force quite expended before striking. 

 Moreover, the armor-shelf or platform, which 

 projects no more than 5 feet at the sides, is ex- 

 tended at the ends so as to project at the bow 

 full 16 feet beyond the boat proper or hull, and 

 at the stern 25 feet. The effect of this arrange- 

 ment is to give complete protection to the an- 

 chor and capstan within the bow, and the pro- 

 peller and rudder at the stern. A propeller 

 well opens from the deck through the aft over- 



