504 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



made bj merchantmen. The failure to take Charleston was, in ray opinion, 

 much the fault of the Navy Department. They sent down there a non- 

 descript which they called a " Devil," and without the least explanation or 

 orders how to use it. The want of confidence and the want of orders was 

 felt everywhere. The monitors did not g"o up to Charleston on account of 

 the obstructions placed in the water at the entrances, and these obstruc- 

 tions are a wonderful arrang'ement. Yet strange to say the inventor of 

 these same obstructions, a man of undoubted loyalty, presented his plans 

 of them to the Navy Department at Washington, but they declined having 

 anything to do with them. After this, by some means unknown, they found 

 their way into rebeldom, and we now see the result, 



Mr. J. L. Jones, St. Louis, Mo. — Mr. Chairman, it was my intention, so 

 far as I was concerned, to discontinue this subject on the last evening we 

 met, but as there seems to be a deep interest manifested on the part of the 

 gentlemen attending these discussions, T am willing to do all I can to throw 

 light on this important subject. In fact I am fully impressed that the time 

 has arrived for the voice, as well as the sound of the hammer of the mechanic 

 to be heard if we wish our nation to advance in the art of nautical architecture. 



It is true vessels have been built that have come nearer being invulnerable 

 to cannon balls, in the United States, than in any other country on the face of 

 the globe. While this must be admitted, I wish to ask the important questions: 

 Are they seagoing vessels that will live in a storm or heavy gale at sea ? 

 Have ample provisions been made to prevent the injurious effects of con- 

 cussion ? Have there been proper mechanical arrangements applied to 

 prevent the bolts from breaking, when acted upon by the sudden impetus 

 of cannon balls ? Have the constructors adopted any device that will pre- 

 vent the iron plates from being broken, or the fiber of iron from being 

 granulated or crystalized by percussive impetus ? Have the plates been 

 secured so as to prevent their being torn off" ? 



So far as I am informed, I will answer. No. And to verify my answer I 

 have only to call 3'our attention to facts which were read at the last meet- 

 ing, by Mr. Osbon, from the official report of Capt. Worden ; as well as to 

 facts that have appeared in the public prints ; also to Mr. Osbon's own 

 admissions. He, Mr. 0., said that he was on board one of the Monitors 

 while in action, that he received several wounds inflicted by fragments of 

 bolts, that had been broken by the percussive impetus of the enemy's shots. 

 That he was, while in the vessel, knocked down by concussion, and that 

 many plates were cracked, broken, &c. 



Similar accidents to these can and have been prevented, by using the 

 Compound Armor invented by Commodore Porter and myself We have 

 explained to you the manner in which it was done on board the gunboat 

 Essex. 



If these proofs already offered are not satisfastory, one can easily make 

 the experiment himself. 



Take a thin piece of iron and lay it upon a piece of vulcanized India rub- 

 ber, one-half or three-quarters of an inch thick, and drive a nail through it 

 if you can. Then lay the same iron plate on a solid block of w^ood and 

 drive the nail through the iron. I think after you do this you will be irre- 

 sistably led to the conclusion, that granite walls and banks of " hard pan" 



