610 



NAVY, UNITED STATES. 



interference due to the attraction of the iron 

 mass of the battery itself ; and the consequent 

 plan of steering by a mirror. The leakage oc- 

 curring under the turret in the first Monitor, 

 when her deck was washed by a heavy sea, 

 was a serious inconvenience. Means have now 

 been devised by which, while the turret has the 

 requisite freedom of movement, the leakage 

 beneath it is wholly prevented. In the new 

 arrangement of the compass, this is raised far 

 above the disturbing influence of the iron tur- 

 ret and deck ; while, by means of mirrors suit- 

 ably placed, the movements and position of the 

 needle are rendered perfectly visible to the 

 helmsman at his place within the pilothouse. 



In reference to the sea-going qualities of the 

 Monitors, repeated experience has shown that 

 though in a storm or heavy sea the waves con- 

 tinually break or roll over their decks, yet they 

 possess remarkable stability and steadiness of 

 movement ; and since they are now rendered 

 water-tight, save for the water, easily removed 

 by the pumps, that may enter by the top of 

 the turret, they are safe against all casualties 

 except such as may arise by grounding on 

 rocks or springing a leak, and to which all 

 vessels are exposed. Again, since the boiler 

 fires need no longer be interfered with by 

 influx of water, and the boilers and engines 

 must continue to perform more successfully in 

 a tempest than those of vessels which pitch 

 and roll more, it follows that their chances of 

 weathering a storm are even better than the 

 average for vessels generally, and that they 

 may safely undertake sea voyages of any 

 length for which the coal they carry will suf- 

 fice. On the 20th and 21st of January, 1863, 

 the Weehawken outrode successfully and 

 without inconvenience, while on her way to 

 Hampton Koads, one of the severest gales 

 known to our coasts. The speed of these bat- 

 teries has not exceeded about 8 knots an hour. 



Up to the time of the attack (April 7, 1863) 

 on the forts in Charleston harbor full partic- 

 ulars of which cannot be included in this arti- 

 cle the new batteries had taken little part in 

 actual service. The Montauk was engaged 

 during at least three hours in the attack on 

 Fort McAllister, on the Ogeechee river, Feb. 

 27, 1863 ; and while her shot told with great 

 effect on the loose sand works of the fort, 

 the 40 shot received upon every exposed 

 part of the battery herself, and consisting 

 of rifle bolts and 8 and 10-inch solid shot, 

 occasioned no actual damage to her, but served 

 to show the possession of invulnerability in a 

 very high degree. The 5 or 6 shot which 

 struck the deck glanced, leaving only slight 

 furrows in the upper plate. The shot striking 

 the side armor of the battery (5 inches) were 

 smashed, and left on the armor dints of about 

 ^ the area of their greatest section, and an 

 inch in depth. Upon the turret (11 inches of 

 plates) and the pilothouse above it (8 inches), 

 the results were similar, save that the dints 

 were not so deep. Within, no perceptible ef- 



fect of the blows remained, except in the pilot- 

 house, where 7 of the bolt-heads, which had 

 been screwed up too tightly, were broken off 

 by the concussion of the shot striking the plat- 

 ing, or perhaps by the slight recoil of the plates 

 after concussion, and so were projected from 

 the wall into the enclosed space. There was 

 nowhere any sign of penetration? The 15-inch 

 gun was handled with ease ; and no annoyance 

 resulted from the discharge, the concussion, or 

 the smoke, nor from the impact of the enemy's 

 shot, except that the blast from the guns re- 

 turned through the eye holes of the pilothouse, 

 so as to prevent observing the effect of the 

 practice. In fact, but a part of the shot of the 

 Montauk were directed against the fort, her 

 principal fire being aimed at the ship Nashville, 

 lying under its protection. This vessel she de- 

 stroyed ; and the instance is the first in naval 

 history in which a war vessel, safely disregard- 

 ing the heavy fire of fortifications, has effected 

 the destruction of her antagonist lying under 

 cover of their guns. After the action, the im- 

 mense weight of the turret (160 tons), which 

 is supported upon a central shaft, had caused a 

 slight settling; but the shaft being keyed up 

 from below, the turret again revolved freely. 



In the attack at Charleston, above referred 

 to, the New Ironsides, flagship, the Monitors 

 "Weehawken, Passaic, Montauk, Patapsco, Cat- 

 skill, Nantucket, and Nahant, and the Keokuk, 

 were engaged. The conflict lasted in all about 

 two hours, the iron-clad vessels carrying all to- 

 gether but 32 guns, and firing only 151 shot. 

 During nearly three quarters of an hour, they 

 sustained the converging fire of the Cumming's 

 Point battery, Forts Moultrie and Sumter, and 

 Battery Bee, these probably mounting in all not 

 less than 300 guns, which threw 8, 9, 10, and 

 11-inch round shot and shell, and 5 and 6-inch 

 rifled shot, some of the latter evidently from 

 guns of the latest Whitworth pattern the 

 whole number of shot supposed about 3,500. 

 It has been stated that, as a result of the 

 fire of the fleet upon Fort Sumter, several 

 holes were knocked through the northeast face 

 of the wall, one or more of these apparently 

 3 feet across. While the number of guns in 

 the fleet was very small, it was practically re- 

 duced about one half, by the failure to bring 

 the casemate guns of , the New Ironsides to bear 

 upon the fort, beyond the extent of a single 

 broadside.. The firing commenced and ceased 

 at about 1,300 yards; during the period in 

 which it was at close quarters the range varied 

 from 300 to about 600 yards. In the conflict, 

 the Passaic was hit 58 times, one of the shot 

 hammering down the plating at the point 

 struck at bottom, so as to cause it to bind, and 

 interfere with the turning of the turret ; while 

 the gun-slides on which the 11 -inch gun were 

 placed were also sprung. The Weehawken 

 was struck 59 times; the Montauk 20; the 

 Nantucket 51 ; the Catskill about the same 

 number of times ; the Patapsco, 40. and the 

 Nahant about 80 times. The armor of the 



