A MONITOR CROSSING THE ATLANTIC.

Southland Times, Issue 574, 5 October 1866, Page 3

A MONITOR CROSSING THE ATLANTIC.

(From Lloyd's Messenger, Tune 2t.)

The American Monitor, the Miantonomoh, with other United States vessel s of war — the Augusta and the Ashuelot — have arrived at Queenstown. The " Times " gives the following account of the Monitor and her voyage : — " The stranger is like oiothing that has been hitherto familiar in those waters. She is not only destitute of spars and rigging, but her hull at a little distance seems so low as barely to mark a line upon ths water. "With her broad flat base, and her confused superstructure of turrets, funnel, and hurricane deck, she might very well pass for a novel description of dredging machine. The hull of the vessel, however, is not, as is popularly supposed, submerged. About 3_- feet now rise above the water : but when her size is taken into account, this height appears very insignificant. She is 268 feet long by 59 feet broad, of 1500 tons burthen. The shell of the vessel is, for the most part, an oblong box, fined away at the stern, and yet more sharply at the bow, but having in her main length a bottom as flat as the sides and top. Out of this box, or the deck (which is without bulwarks), rise two turrets, and between those a funnel for smoke, and a shorter one for ventilation. A latticed platform also passes between them, supported upon pillars, on which, when the ship is at sea, all the nautical duties are performed. Above the turrets are iron shotproof wheel-houses, in which the captain, pilot, and helmsmen are protected when the ship is in action. The deck is perfectly fiat, and of great strength, having, exclusively of the beams, twelve inches of thickness, the lower layer being six inches of timber, above which are three 1 inches of iron, and over all three inches of timber again. The combings of the ! hatchways are of stout iron, and two feet higher, with weather boards of nearly a foot, some inclined outwards*. These are battened down water-tight when out of the harbor. The sea is then free to wash over the deck without in the least degree affecting the comfort of those on board or at work ; the communication between the platform and the lower part of the ship, being maintained through the turrets. Though an armoured vessel, the monitor is not made of iron. Her framing is of timber of great stoutness. Below ribs, 3 feet thick, and sheathed with copper, while from 3 feet or 4 feet beneath the waterline up to the deck her sides aro of timber 7 feet thick, outside of which is an iron plating of 7 inches in depth. The upper portion of the sides, therefore, project about 4^ feet beyond the lower part. The junctioi between the iron and the copper is prevented by a heavy timber moulding; but even that, it is said, has not been found sufficient to prevent injury to the iron by galvanic action. Her floor is quite flat, and in addition to 'her central keel she has at each angle

helow a sort of keel or bilge log, against which is borne the weight of the stays that helo to support the turrets. t The turrets themselves are roughly finished cylinders, more than 8 feet high, eomnosed of iron It inches thick, and within are 23 feet in diameter. Their weight is principally borne by a stout iron spindle. Each has two Dahlgren guns. The gun and the carriage is of the enormous weight of 42,000 lbs ; it is smooth bore, and throws a snherieal shot of 480 lb or a 15 inch shell weighing about 360 lb with a bursting 16 lb of powder. The ordinary charge for round shot is 35 lb, but as high as 60 lb might be used. The shot is stated to be effective at a mile and three-quarters distance. By those on board, the voyage appears to be regarded as a perfect success. She has come here from New York, bavin cr called at Halifax and at St John's, Newfoundland ; and from the last port she has made the voyage in ten days and ten hours. Crossing the Bay of Fundy, she encountered weather which, without amounting to a gale, was considered very boisterous, but she rode through it easily, On the voyage to Queenstown, the indicator marked no greater rolling than seven degrees, while two degrees is stated to be the average. Her paddle-wheel consorts on the other hand, rolled to a maximum of eighteen degrees and twenty-four degrees respectively. The speed she attained was respectable, and, considering her build, rather surprising. Her average was about seven knots an hour. Her maximum speed would be about nine. There appears to be no reason to suppose that she is not a fairly comfortable ship for sailors, notwithstanding her submersion. The Miantonomoh proceeds in a few days to Portsmonth, her ultimate destination being Russia,