THE CRADLE OF THE MODERN NAVY. 13 



Reynolds came to the works and was made general superintendent and chief en- 

 gineer. Hugo B. Roelker was made chief draughtsman and James Miller head fore- 

 man. 



In the early forties Robt. I.. Stevens of Hoboken, one of the foremost engineers 

 of his day, conceived the idea of a floating battery with cannon mounted on deck and 

 operated by chains from below the deck, which was ironclad, as well as the sides for 

 some distance down below the water line. Considerable mystery surrounded its de- 

 sign, and its construction was shielded from view by a shed over the yard at Hobo- 

 ken which completely inclosed it. Stevens and his draughtsman, Myers Coryell, 

 worked on it for some years, but it was never completed. 



As fast as construction reached a point where it was considered invulnerable to 

 the impact of any existing gun someone would develop a gun with greater penetrating 

 power and work on the battery would he halted; then an overhauling would take 

 place until its original design was entirely changed. 



At the death of Mr. Stevens, his son, Edwin Stevens, continued its develop- 

 ment under the supervision of John Newton, Chief Engineer, U. S. N., who had the 

 work performed at the DeLamater Iron Works, but finally it was turned over to 

 the State of New Jersey and Governor Theo. F. Randolph in 1869 appointed a com- 

 mission composed of Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, Gen. Fitz-John Porter, and Wm. F. 

 Shippen to study its construction and report their recommendations. This com- 

 mission reported unfavorably upon continuing its development and some years after- 

 wards the DeLamater Iron Works was given the order to dismantle it, which work 

 was directed by Mr. Geo. H. Reynolds, who practically blew it apart with dynamite, 

 much to the terror of the citizens of Hoboken, who got out an injunction to stop 

 him. But Mr. Reynolds saw to it that by the time it was issued the principal work 

 had been accomplished, and it made no diflFerence. 



In 1864, Mr. Alexander Holly, a well-known metallurgical engineer, returned 

 from England, where he had gone in the interest of the Rensselaer Iron Works 

 of Troy, N. Y., to investigate the Bessemer process of making steel then just de- 

 veloped. He placed an order with the DeLamater Iron Works for a blowing en- 

 gine for' the converter of the plant, which was constructed at Troy, and the first steel 

 castings made in this country were cast in an experimental furnace at the Troy 

 works and used in the construction of this engine. A composite wood and iron 

 coast survey steamer was built and launched at the works at this time. 



In 1865 Mr. A. K. Rider, previously referred to, had recovered his health suffi- 

 ciently to be able to become active again and returned to the shop. His son, Thomas 

 J. Rider, a husky lad of eighteen years, came with him and served an apprenticeship 

 in the shops and finally found a place in the draughting office under Roelker. The 

 father had invented a cut-oflf valve for steam engines and this Mr. DeLamater took 

 in hand and exploited with Mr. Rider in charge. Quite a business in standard and 

 stock sizes of this engine was developed. 



Mr. Rider possessed a very inventive mind and he and his son proved to be 

 great acquisitions to the personnel of the staff, the father designing and the son 



