The New York Herald Newspaper, November 24, 1862, Page 8

» aye from Vee time her hoot was inid. She sailed from New York om the Oth ef March, +862, and arrived at Harapion Roads on the evening of the #th. Tho nen Movning she engaged ihe Merrimac, and alter o severe fiabt tasting ever fonr hows, she drove the rebel, wound 00, Bech to her secure abode. ‘Thee foltew ing are the dimensions of the vesed — OUR AMERICAN IROR-CLADS eee American Iron-Clads Pirst in the Contest. week. 2 a Length of ay per eased WMEIR WCEPTION AND PROGRESS. | terewn tower vowel” * +. 1 ‘Beam of lowes verec) at junction wah opper 34 Bull Descriptions of the Monier, Rew (rem midus, Beauehe, Dictator, Western Wrea-Clacis, ae Hitbelitiel® usedek For 4 goneral description @e say that she is @ long, wide, fat bot Lomed vessel, with vertical cides and pointed endo, of very light draught of water, though loaded ‘with imprognadie armor on ber vides and a bomb-proof deck, on whieh is placeda shot-proof revelving turret’ ‘which contame two eleveu-inch gune She # go low ip | the water as te afford no target for the enemy, and every- Vhung and every body are below the water line, with the exception of the persons who work the guns in ¢he turret ‘The bull is conetructed of plate iron, half an inch thick, Outshie of which ia attached solid whxe oak, twenty-six inches thick, sad again outside of the wood is rolled iron THE WEBB RAM DUNDERBERO. MARF A:HUNDRED (MPREGNABLE VESSELS ported by heavily braced oak beams, upon which is laid planking, seven inches thick, covered with rolled’ iron one ined thick. ‘The turret is coustructed of a volied piate won skeleton one inch thick, to which are, riveted..two thicknesses of dae.inch each relied plates. . Outside.of this again are six piateref relied iron, all firmly bolted together with rivets insidé, 80 that if a plate should become loose it cap be ughtened again. The top is covered with a bomb-proef ‘pot, perfarated with air holes. The gua carriages are of owrought iron. ‘The ports through the side of the turret gre only large enough to permit the muzzle ef the gun to. Qe ran. throngh. Inside are wrought iron pendulums which clese them against the enemy as soon as the gun recoils. The turret revolves by, means of auxiliary engines. ‘The lower vessel isof iron, one-half inch thick, andmade im¢the usual manner. She carries her machinery, coal, &c., aft, and the officers’ quarters, stores aad ammuni- tion are placed forward. The two partitions of the ves- sels are separated by wrought iron bulkheads. The offi- cess’ rooms are large and quite comfortable, the light being obtained by means of dead lights in the deck. ‘The ventilation is produced by ® powerfal current of air from the blewers, carried under the berth deck, with registers opening into each room, through which the cool, fresb air drawa from the atmosphere » ters. Her machinery consists ef two horizontal tubular bdoil- ers, containing three thousand square feet of fire surface, and two horizontal condensing engines, with cylinders of forty inches diameter and twenty-two inches stroke of pistom. The propeller is four bladed, with nine feet diameter and sixteen feet pitch. Her victory was complete, and led to the eonstruction of quite2 number of others of this same class, which we will mention in their proper piace. Site: 21 Gi ad nega, 5 ‘WHAT YANKEES CAN DOIN A SKETCHES OF THE IRON-CLASS, fen Ben ae “The anys Of old things in navalarebitecture haye passed . Bway, and Debold all things have become new. We have ‘Reached a pew ers, andthe change is as great as that from ‘Whe open galley, propelled -by sweeps, te the fleet steamer: ‘The days of sailing vessels-of-war are fast drawing to a ‘@lose, and the naval system through which brave men or ‘the @id Werld vecame fameus will never be forgotten— @aye that gave fame te our Pan! Jones, Decatur, Hull, Maimbridge and a host of our own country—passed away ‘when steam became 8 power on the ecean as an innovator ‘en@a revolutionizer. Our country bas ever been slow to Sanpreve and enlarge her avval powers, clinging to sailing ebips and sailors wh 0 she should have sought steamers and engineers. But now the new era has come, and, although now cum- ‘Dered with quite a number of sailing vessels, we are ra- idly buikting up an iron-clad navy whieh, in point of wambers, will soon surpass the navies of the Old World. ‘Thongh jate in the ficld of construction of iron-clads, we had the boror of the iirst test of he superiority of iron @ fleet of vessels to cope with those ber common sevse taught ber we would improve upon The advent of the Monitor in Hampton Reads wag ihe rst pulsation of a great movement throughout the werid te reference te this all important subject. artillerigts Studied to construct guns whose power should cawe sbet to penetrate thicir heary plated vessels, white naval con- @tructors labored with the same energy to resist the force Of the guns. The conilict 's by no means ended, and there ane fair prospects of its continuance for many years. ever wood. It is true an unfortunate civil strife lh. | wpened the way; Dut by it we were enabled to revolu. (g' ‘tionize the whole of Burope and upstt the theories of her ot a i ‘best naval architects and engineers. Rogland trembled, =; a while France more coolly set to work to build immediately | |} a a SS ms THE GALENA. Tae next non-ciad vessel bujlt which attracied the at- semsion of tae public was the Galena, built by Mason & Fish, at Mystic, Conn. In all her details she was entirely drffereat frem any plans preposed. We give the following Gimensions of this vousel, and then prossed to give the details in relation te her:— Buunédreds of active brains are at work this unoment ex- + 206 feet. perimenting on this subject. Tons of powder aad thous- Fan oa feet. ends of iron plates will be used before the question is ph poy wottled, and then it will be very uncertain as to whether the ortillerists or the nara! constructors wi!] bear off the win. Bagland aad France ave theorized upon the new ays. em of naval affairs. Taey bave done it at great cost, ‘ena employed the highest scientific skill, and it i# true ‘Wasy dave in a mesiure succeeded; but we claim the menor of the first practical tests. Aside from ihe fight of ‘the Monitor and Merrimac, we bave engaged ibe rebui ‘troa-ciads on the Mississippi, ani inene instance an old Teshioned steam sleop-of-war, with eight-ivch grime and eelid shot, completely disabled an iron-clad in three wel! Giwected broadsides. Bagiend and France nave constricied se large ‘tren-plated frigates; but as yet mone of them hare mace ‘Bentisfactory ‘rial trip. Up this side of the Atlantic Captain Krivseou buds a Peculiar style of iron-clad, surmounted by a turret, aut ‘Webel a Captain Coles claims the invention. wu: teat squestion has been so thoroughly decided as i leave our ‘She was deuigned by Mr. Jutivs Patiorsom, aad the work Was ender the general superintendence of Naval Con- strecter Pook. Her bull is of the best white oak, strapped with iron, ship. Hor sides, Rowever, shape inward, stan aagieof about shircy degrees from the perpendicular, with a voueding siem. The ourve is so arranged that it was ‘bought a shot would giance off at right angels. ‘Mer plating emmeists of tron bare twenty-four feet ia tougth and three igches in width; those everlap each other by one-tiird their width, or, as it is termed, “chair fash- ioned."* ‘“M@ese are fastemed te the weodon frame by scTew bolts; ewtside of tke char work lating of one inch iron, somarely fastemed by serew welts. ‘The Gphting desk i about seven feet in height on whch are perts fer eighteen gaps. The perts are closed vy means of large pendelum shuters. The upper or spar feck is covered with thie pinteiren. eaid to be bomb. proof. ‘The port shutters ave divided borizontelly, opening in the middle, sud are moved Dy levers. The port is per- farated sufficiently to allow the muzzle of the gun to protrnde, and thege holes have covers fitting cleee, which ‘MM enable the men to be in 4 measure secure. {he pilorheuse isof a eircular form, and has seveu “lowkoute.”? This Bouse is composed of nine plates of iron» ty. Yet when this tittle Monitor made her fi deb American waters she wes iooked upon as tbe resuli of a fevered brain; but time, which men mistaker i ODwiads deniy awakeued by « works how easily would be a failure until we were « proof of their efficiency against ourselves, The Mery § indi ean tt ok ng icae gmp Si ria gol cm ie. pate ne weing ene inch thick and the others half an ue day puts out ‘rom Norfoik, rams by afort of twowts ¢ Quon the whale she is a novel piece of naval architee- coe, sterrs hed on to the Cumberland, of twenty-two gune. crushing in her sides as if thes were made of paste board, sending ber to the bottom: fires ‘ate, captores ave Durne the Congress, itty gaps; riddier the Minursots forty uns. bolds at bay the St. Lawrence. fifty gums, ant the Roanoke. forty gine: <cares off & firet of gunboals aad, but for our American Manitor of two guns, our Bay wenld not have been left in those wa Te thet nat mongh to awaken the world, and to make us justly proud @our first ironclad Smace that time we have aol oar} Rave been cirained to their uimost im Carmising th ture; but in her combat with For, Darling, on the James rier, it was found that rhe was onable to wtand a plang ing fire of solid #hot. All her internal arrangements are eonvenient and well adapted to the purposes for which they were designed, Her armament consi+ts of eleven-inch ganr and one bun. dved-pounder rites, a the w works materials for the mo-t pow ru! ironclad fleet iu th works. Already bali a Unndced vosse * of thiv clase ave wamed, and two-thir € 1p commision be Pore the close of the year 1 ‘We are te have a fieet of Monitors, of light draught © ‘water, to aid in our harbor ‘elencer. Another fies! Gor eur Western river service; and by far the most midable is ow ficet of Dictators, which, for speed ané weight of fighting metal, as weil as ram powers, far ex. | al anything Europe has er even contempiater ‘We are destined to bevome the great uarai Power ‘when necessary, »ssert our supreni lover ihe watery of the great deep. ‘The world caanot fail te give ua credit THE NEW IRONSIDES. ‘Thie vessel is the largest tron-tind we have afoat at present. She was built at Philadelphia by the following firms:—Machimery and armor by rick & Sons and Bull, Cramp & Sons. she it ‘ons burthen, aad bas a nominal borse power of 1,000. * built somewhat afier the general piau ¢f the ud for ow She armor; five inches thick. The bomb-proof deck is mup.” ‘pre, for it “must be remembered that aii tb dnglish iron-ciad frigate Warrior. Her frame is of winte qmount of work has been, and is being, done while ine f osk, averaging in thicknesa @t her topsites ‘wenty oountry ie engaged in ene of the most gigantic revo) nehes, Her plating commences four feet below her tiene ever known in the history of the wows water lime, and extends up to the spar deck. Only tbe Notwithutanding this vast amount of work compisies end in proseas of completion, the goverament propese MM forther to increas their power, waiting only fer time We develop the most approved plans on which to eomstrunt ‘heir impregnabie vessels-0!-w The inventive telent ‘of the country and the age is now ai werk, and the ensu eg quarter of & century promises eolorea! wouders ‘ereught by American handy ‘With a view to give the public, who are co deeply inte rested in the progress of oar great arm of defence, a fair @n4 accurate statement of our iron-ciad oavy, we lay be. Gere them the following descriptions of the various classes ‘@ vessels composing our iren-clad navy. The reedet ‘WH doudtlons be curprised a1 the magnitude it har Giready assumed in the brief space of one year. tt 8 ‘Graly wonderful, but it only goes to show what Amer: comme can do if they are compelled to Despite al! the drawbacks, the work cn the uo completed vessels is progressing very rapidiy, end te being wel) done. The goverament propose te build ene or more monster frigates, whose dimensions are act Jet made public, Suffice it to say they will be of seven thoussnd three hundred tons burdeo, and furnished with he Bficen or twenty-inch guns. This class of vessel by tes exceeds anything yet constracted or coniempiated by ‘aay of the Furepese Powers. ‘Te aseint the reader is the contemplation of (bit great subject of the age, we have furnished eethevtie sketches ‘the various classes of iron-clads, ee TSB MONITOR. Gourteay, if not rank, demands at eur hands the placing (2 Wits Dottie scarred veteran ot the Bead of our list, The Mauer wes bajo the Continental Iron Works, a; Bresageiss hem fernishea » every detail by Cap 2s die FOS Jawnshed Ly cag buvdres portion ef the gun deck contatning ber armament i vlated, leaving a part at both bow aad stern unprotected by outward pistes. The bulkheads at each emd of th® gunroom, however, are bomb-proo!. Her plating is four toches in thickness, Mteen feet fn length, and twenty. five to thirty inches in width. The porte, of which there are right on side, are closed by means of twe wronght toa plates which drop together at the reco!) of the gun. Her dimensions are as follows:— Weoves But. Fatimated weight of wIG. Bark rig, short bowsprit, no jibboom. ‘BATTERY. Sixteen eleven-inch Dahigren guns. Weight of guos.. Weight of metal thrown at one broadside (shell) .1,100 Ibs. wi bn aby bundred-pownder Parrott rified guns. Four twetity four pounder boat howitzers. SxGINES. ‘Two horizontal direct acting engines. Diameter of cylinders. Hor "epars have been removed and temporary signal stall erected in their placo. She can carry quite o press of sat when ber masts and spars are in their place. Her officers’ quarters are large and well ventilated, and, ip feet, she ie a very fine vessel. ‘She to fitted with a heavy ram, which i securely (art. modem her bew. A circular pilothouse is placed upon the epar deck, from which the commanding officer cap @ommanicate direetty with the gum deck ana witb the man at (be wheel, who is located om the bert deck, oug of harm's way. She lacks tbat amount of speed which io 80 devirabie ww (bis age of ge-aheaditrvences. TEE ROANOKE. ‘Me frigate Reanoke was one of the five steam frigates ‘Duilt in 3855, Delonging to the same class as the Niagara, Wabaeh, Minnesota, Colorado and Merrimac. In her old trim she was one of the moet unfortunate vessels in the Ravy. Im launching she broke her back, and after » short service she came home and was repaired at a cost of $300,000 (her first cost was $500,000). She again made a short cruise, and $40,000 were cxpended upon her, and on her return from another short e¢ruise it was estimated that it would cost $160,000 to put ber im repair. it will cest to make her ap iron-clad about $450,000. The department was gimost im despair, and resolved te razee her and plate her. To do this she was cut down flush with the gun deck, and the work of commenced. The Novelty Iron ‘Waiks bave the. ach for plating her, although she is under thé fiiperintendenoe of gevernment officials, She is clad with iron plates ranging from three and a half to four and a balf inches jn thickness, which extend four feet Delow low water line. She will have three tarrets, end located forward and ¢w@ abaft the centre of the vessel. These ‘turrets are ths Ericsson model, each having two fifteem-inch guns. She will also be pro- vided with » ram on her bow. The plates of the ram are four and a half inches thick and twenty feet Jong, giving her a wedge on her bow nine inches thick. ‘The turrets will be twenty-one feet im diameter, the plat, ing being eleven inches in thickuess. Bach plate for the turret is nine feet in length by forty inches in width. ‘Two courses of rivet holes are punched in each, and they are all bent cold, in a powerful hydraulic press. The bed Plate of the press is concave, while the top plate is con vex. The plate for the turret is placed between the beds, end when preperly adjusted the pump forces up three rams underneath, and the plate is redueed to the proper curve against the top block, or bed. ‘The plates for tne sides are bent in form to suit the side ef the vessel, and it requires a deat of time to at them. A plate of eleven and a half feet in length weighs ‘ebeut four thousand two hundred and ferty pounds. The plates for the ram each weigh over four tons. The engines of the vessel are the same as prepelied her when she was a wooden steam frigate. ‘The turrets will each carry one, if not two, fifteen-inch guns. She will be, no doubt, one of the most fermidable vessels ever built. Her speed will be about ten knots: and with her beavy armament she will provea terrible antagonist. THE STEVENS BATTERY. Mr. R. 1. Stevens commenced the building of this bat- tery some years ago, and until within two years the public were kept in ignorance of ite peeuliarities, which are many. Her hull in general features resembles that of an ocean steamer, having fine lines, &c. The government, after several careful surveys, condemned it; but Mr. F. A. Stevens is now engaged in Gtting her up. ‘The following are her principal dimensions:-- Length over all... Breadth of beats Depth to gun deck......- Minimum draught of water. Draught in aghting trim. ‘She has been so emtensively described in the columas of the Hamat thet @ repetition does net sow seem called fore THE NAUGATUCE. ‘This vesse] was converted into an iron-clad from an old propeller te exemplify the workings of the iarge battery: ‘She is one hundred and oue feet in length, twenty feet beam, and seven feet in depth. She carried a one oun. dred-pounder, which was loaded below decks, and in the engagement before Fort Darling it burst, since which time abe has not seen service. THB PASSAIC—THE NEW MONITOR BATTERIES. The success of the Monitor led the Navy Depart, ment to. contract with Captain Ericsson for eight of bis style of iron-clads. He has adhered, with some improved modification, to his original plans. Im the new Monitors the design of the construction ie to keep ‘the muzzle of the guy inside the turret, so that it is at ‘all times unexposed toa chance shot of the enemy, which might aisable it. The guns,only twe in aumber, it is highly essential to keep in good order, and the resuit of their success may be looked opon as another grand triumph of the skill of Capt, Ericsson. A decription of one of these vessels will suffice for the outire number. As the Passaic was the frat launched, we give the particuiars of her dimensions, &c.:— Length over wll. Depth of vold Draught of wat Launching drat The form of this vessel is not unlike the Moniter.er eopting that her lines are fier, giving more speed and greater buoyancy. ‘The iron hull ws built of three-fourths iuch irom plating, fastened on toa frame of angle iron, stz inches wide by three-quarters of an inch thick. From & point three ana a balf feet below the water line a shelf extends outward, on which rests the wooden backing for the armor plates. This is covered by Ove wrought | iron plates, each ome inch thick and five feet | long by five feet wide. Im addition to the armor plating, the Passaic has wrought tron stringers feur inches thick inserted wnder the plating for a distance of fifty feet from the bow, making the armor nitfe inches thick, and fiving this vessel immense power as aram. The deck beams are of oak, twelve by twelve inches in the cen. tre, and ten by twelve at each end. placed only ‘twenty-four inches apart. The deck is planked with pine seven inches wide by eight inches deep. The deck is flush, with a geatie slope upwards from the csptre. The hatches are wrought iron frames, let in fush with the depk, and in action they are closed with wrought tron covers, which are securely fastened from below. The deadlights in the deck which light up the lower deck are also fitted with covers, and fasten in the same manner as the covers. ‘rhe plating on the deck is composed of two plates ove inch in thickness, rendering ft bomb-proof. The turret is twenty-one feet in diameter and nine feet in length. It is consructed of eleven thicknesses of one-inch tron, and is pierced for two guns, which stand parallel with each other in the turret. The pilothouse is placed on top of the turret, and is eight inches in thickness, six feet in diameter, and six foot in length. [t is piereed with eight ookout holes, se that every part of the horizon is visible, each hole covering about forty-five degrees of it By means of heavy pisces of wrought iron, each weigh- ing upwards of six thoussed pounds, the ports are closed up immediately after the repoil of the gun; one man cao readily open and close these ponderous port stoppers. The mechanism fer working this gun, both by compressing and to run it out, it ie not proper to give, but suffice it to say three mon can readily ron out or in that monster Afteen- ineh gan, which weighs 42,200 pounds... The English were obliged to abanaon the use of their fourteen ton gun, be- cause they Gould not get men onsugh in the cupols to work it. ‘The top of the turret is framed over with heavy rafters of wrought fron, apon which are isid bars resembling raiiread iron, and these are covered with wrought iron plates, perforated with holes, to allow a free cireulation of fread air through the vessel, MH AAOY Two Diowers, driven by suaall egies. furnish the air $0 the verse! and the furnaces while ip action ‘They have two of Martin's boilers and two direst act tug engines of forty-inch cylinders, swo feot stroke, ‘capable of giving them a epoed of at least nine boots per hour. ‘The accommodations for the officers amd crew are Of & Very superior order, aad oe without seviag hem could scarcely Believe they could be half 80 cosey and comfort able. ‘The recent seccessful experiments with the Mficen-iach gun will now lead te the placing of two Giftece-ineh guse each turret. Thus armed, no ironclad vessel yet built Dy any foreign Power can withstand sucha ebeck and crash as two such terrible projectiles would be able 10 make. Two guns of this largo calibre can be as readily fired in the turret at ene time as one; 90 that im striking, Doth guns being at the same elevation, the effect would De'fearfully deatructive; and, if the result of the series of should cause any wonder ameng the public, it 9 well to say to them that, of what i# to come im the combination of ram, tarret ané guo, half is not secom- plished; for in the monster ships we aro pow building, im yatio to timo 60 is to be our progress, and six meathe wil! not rel? around Defore the world will be astonished by the great regulta of Yankee ingenuity and skill. Each day is developing our skill as mechanics, while cach e@r- responding day brings other natiens to respect us for our progress im the feld of naval arts. ‘THE. KBORUK. * The Keokuks, or Waltney’s dattesy, 19 tot only atwe qurreted xeenal, Wat te alse» fermidedle ram. She ie smaller than the Rriceseo Moniters, being one hundred and whick is five fect Imag, She has s beam of thirty-six feet, with a depth of hold ef thirteen feet six inches, and draws nine feet of water. Her sides slope inward at anangle ef thirty-seven degrees, to sbed the enemy’s shot. ‘She is built of iron, and her armor extends nearly foor feet below the water line, the horizontal deck is five feet above the water line. Her propulsion power is furnished by two propellers and two engines of five hundred bherse power. The bull of the vessel is constructed of balf-incb rolled iron. She has three keelsoos running the whole length of the vessel, and two fore and aft bulkheads, leaving eb ach side a space and forming an inner skin, which would probably keep out the water im the event of the outer skin being pierced by chot. In addition te these she bas two bulkheads--one forward and one aft—which can be filled with water; so as to settle the vesse! down while in action. Theso can be filled in fifteen minutes and pumped out In forty minutes. In using the ram, should the vesse! be wrenched so as to cause leakage, the compartment al” Inded to would preserve the vessel from siukimg. The vessel is submerged one foot by ‘he appliance of these water tanks. ‘The turrets are immevable, tke gun revolving to the ‘three ports pierced in each turret. They weigh each forty tons, and are built of @ groundwork of half inch rolled plates, like the hull, covered with bars of iron four inches thick, standing edgeways, placed one and aauarter inches apart, the interstices being filled with yellow pine. Over all this are three plates, each five-cighths of an inch thick—the whole structure bolted together with one and one-eighth inch belts, with countersunk heads, one foot apart. The turrets, therefore, are six and a quarter inches thick. Each turret is to have three ports, with heavy shutters, working in two halves; one port on each side and one ferward and aft. Each turret will have an eleven- inch gun, carrying a one hundred and eighty pound shot. ‘These guns move on revolving slides, which are placed on ‘a floor twenty inches below the level of the deck, thus giving a greater height to the turrets, which are twenty feet in diameter at the base, fourteen feet at the top— being cone-shaped—and eight feet eight inches-high. ‘The turrets are additionally supported within by bars of five by ene inch iron set edgeways, fifteen inches apart; and the ports are made sufficiently large to give the guns ten degrees vertical and eight degrees lateral range. ‘The rudder and propeller are guarded by an everhang- ing structure and a wreught guard on the after part. This little verse! will carry one hundred men all told, and has capacity in her two magazines for two bundred eleven-inch shot, one hundred and fifty eleven-ineh shell, with shrap- nel and canister, smal! ammunition and powder in pro portion. She seems admirably calculated for river work, her light draft and easy guidance, by means of two pro- pellers, fitting her especially for intrieate navigation. Her builder is confident that, though in some respects novel in constraction, she will be found as ehot-proef and serviceable as any; and the care and completeness with which he bas applied every precaution, aod multiplied means for offence and defence, give hopes of a most ‘efficient boat. Mr. Whitnoy was one of the earliest to urge the propriety of building a shot-proof fleet, and his studies in the question, as well as his knewledge of the qualities of iron, give his opinions weight. ‘The ventilation of the vessel has becn carefully attended to, and the accommodation for the officers and crew wil; be of an excellent character. ‘Tn many points the details of this vessel are uew and interesting. For instance, she entire lower portion of the sides of the turrets can be thrown open to admit light and air, and, of course, to effect the expulsion of foul air; and, there being 3 passage on cach side of the vessel, commu. nicating from one turret to the other, « constant circula- tion of air is kept up without artificial means, although such means are provided, and which will, in the opinion of many, render the vessel, in point of ventilation, second to none. SE BRENTON, In the eariy part of the rebellion a fleet of gunboats was improvised from the best materials then at hand. Subse- quently severalof the most powerful of the Mississippi river oats were built up as iron-clac#. The Benton was among the number, and, as there were several of her class con structed, @ description of her will serve to give an idea of their pesuliar style. She was constructed of two hulls Joined together, 80 as te form a powerful Bull one bun- dred and eighty-six feet in length and seventy. four in breadth. These bulls wero sealed up inside with four. inch oak plank. She is divided into forty water-tight compartments, and the whole struetare plated over with balf-inch iron. The plating commences seme distance Delew the water line, The plates are bolted en and the bolt heads let into the iron so that a anot could not knock them off. ‘She draws about four fect of water. She bas, in addi. tien to her plating, e bomb-proof bew, and should the en- tire forward part of it be shet away she will etill and protection will be afforded to the forward gui crews. She bas four boilers, which, with her engine, are securely located below the gan deck. The wheels are in the centre of the boat, vo. wards the stern, and are driven by two en- gines, with twenty-inch cylinders and seven fest stroke. The wheolhouses are shot-proof, being ‘covered over with heavy timber and heavily plated The gun deck i» seven feet four inches intongth. The sides of the vessel are sloped,inward, at an angle of forty- five degrees. Her armament consists of eighteen nine and eight inch guns. In the operations on the Western rivers the Benton, and the vessels of her class, performed admirably, being rarely, if ever, cut up much, sithough very many times subjected to the tremendous galling fire ‘Som the enemy's works. THE wesex. None of the Western iron-ciade figured more conspicu- ously than did the Essex; and as'‘she’bas many-peculiaritien about her construction uot in the other vessels we will briefly notice her. She is twe hundred and five feot in length and sixty feet beam. Her hold is four fect six inches in depth. He bull is almost entirely submerged io the water, and her casemates aro mach higher than any other vessel on the rivers, being seventeen feet aix inches high. Her forward casemate is of wood, thirty-nine inches in thickness, covered with India rubber one inch thick, over which there is plating of iron one and three- quarters of an inch thick. The side casemates are of wood, sixteen inches thick, covered with one inch of India robber and three-quarters inch fron. The roof or deck is bomb-proof, ‘The pilothouse is of wood, eighteen inches thick, covered with India rubber and ove ané three-quarters ine iron. Sue is previded with bips or false sides, which render it impossible for aay ram to butt her effectually; and eogm if it could she hanforiy water tight compartments. Wan NEW YORK HERALD, MUNVAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1662. Sho hae two engines, with twenty-three web cylinders find'six feet stroke. Her three boilers are twenty-six feet Jeng and forty-two inches in diameter. She has two whose twenty.cin feet im diameter, with eight fect ‘Her efficer®’ quarters are eommodious and comfortable. Mer armament consiews ef ibree pine-iach Dabigren Sune, one ten-inch shel! gun, two Sfty-pounder rifles, one eng Wirty-two-pounder ané@ one twonty-four-pounder deat Bewitzer. TROW-GLADS POR RIVER SERVICE. ‘The Pitteburg irom-clads will have a length ef one hun dred and* seventy-fve fect, with SMy feet breadth of Deum and seven feet depth of hol. I appearance, when finished, they will difter materially from any other war vessle afloat. After looking at the plans wo should say that were ome ef eur large coal barges made quite sharp at the bow, and then covered with a flush deck, through which we will suppose the usual Monitor turret protruding, it would not be a bad representation of what these batteries will be when completed. The sides ‘wil not be #0 perpendicular as those of a barge, and the depth of hold will, of course, be greater; but in other re- specte the illustration will be found a good one-—sufficient ly good, at least, to enable the reader to form a tolerably fair Mea of what they will iook like when ready for ser- vice. ‘Though the fires blow upon them was struck in August last, 80 tedious has been the process of their construction that but for their iron bows, pointing high into the air, ‘you would find. some dificulty in determining what the iwamense iron surfaces, which greet your vision as you eater the yard, are inteniied for. The bottom of each will De entirely flat, the hull rising eut of the water and be- potning quite sharp as it nears the bew. The bull is being ‘made of boiler iron, and’ is being bolted and riveted together im the strongest manner. Thera are ever one ‘Thus far the bettoms have occupied the priveipal at- tention of the workmen, They are(rmly braced, so that 48 Will be next to impossible to strainthem. The ribs to receive the sheeting for the sides are now being bent, and as soon as they pave been got in place the work will go ‘rapidly forward. It was first intended to make them of Tiron; but it was found impossible to bring it to ‘the proper shape, amd angle iron had to be sub- stituted. It is the intention to plate the bull with four. inch iron, we believe, two feet below the water line. The deck is'to be of wood, covered with iron, anda wil, toa certain extent, be bomb-proof. ‘The turret will also be of iron, six inches thick, with the pilothouse on the top, and carefully protected. Each boat will de prepelled by four engines, will carry two of the heaviest guna, and) when loaded and ready for action, wil) not draw more than five feet of water. ‘The contractors are Messrs. Tomlinson, Hartutee & Co. ; but the work is being done under the superintendence of Mr. Easley, who has the reputation of being thoroughly fa- miliar with his business. It is the intention to have them ready for service by the Ist of February; but, looking at matters as they now stand, we doubt the ability of the contractors to finish them so soon. The turrets are being made at Tomlinson & Co.’s shop. These boats, as is evident from their builé, are intended wholly for river service. In connection with this article ‘we may state that the contract for a third Monitor bas been given out here, and arrangements for her construc- tion are now in progress. She will be two hundred and sixty feet in length by sixty feet breadth of beam, with eleven feet depth of hold, and will be far more powerful than either of those abovenoticed. THE DICTATOR. Captain Ericsson bas contracted with the government for two great sron-clad batteries and rams. They will bear a general resemblance to the Monitors. One of them is to bethree hundred and twenty feet in length, and the other three hundred and forty-one feet, eash with fifty feet beam. The vertical sides are <ix feet in depth, and are to be protected with irom armor, compozed of ‘wrought iron slabe and plates together, ten av: e- half inches in thickness, backed with four fect 0: lid oak, The turrets are to be absolutely invulnerabio—ile contract says two feet in thickness; but the contra! has permisaien to reduce the thickness, provided be satisfy the department that less will beeufficient. ii: ‘will be made sufficiently thick to withstand the four ac: dred and thirty pound balls of the Afteen-inch gun. These vessels will carry more propulsive power than any other vessels afloat. Each ship will have two engines of one hun- dred inches diameter of cylinder, with four feet stroue, and will make seveaty revolutions per minute: The doller surface will be 35,000 feet and 1,180 feet of grate surface. The boilers are a modification of Martin’s. The propellers are Ericsson’s, twenty-one and a half t diameter and thirty feet pitch. The contractors guar ‘& speed of sixteen knots per hour, or nearly nineteen n...cs, ‘We are not at liberty to describe the vessels at leugth, and refrain from giving the particulars of their armanent, which will be of a Kind yet unknown in modern warfare. It ia, however, as ramp these vessels are to be the most formidable. Where the plates and armor stringers meet ‘at the bow they form an irom wedge twenty-one inches thick at the base, and terminate in s sbarp edge. This wedge is sustained by the plates and stringers behiud it, ten ands half inches tp thickness, six feot in depth, extending the whole length of the vessel, forming the most powerful ram it is possible to conceive. There will be adifference in the armament of these vessels; but as it is yet deemed unwise we cannot give the facts. Suffice it to say that the Dictater will be a bost in herself, while the Puritan will be another. THE ONONDAGA, OR QUINTARD BATTERY. The Onondaga, in process of construction at the Con tinental Iron Works, Greenpoint, is a medification of the Ericsson batteries, being very buoyant and somewhat larger. She is of the following dimensions:——Length , 296 feet; beam, 48 feet; depth of hold, 18 feet. She will have two turrets, each twenty-one feet in diameter and nine feet high. She will be moved by one propeller and will have two powerfu! engines. STEAM SCREW RAM DUNDERBBRG. Almost every one has heara that Mr. W. H. Webb was about to construct a gigantic engine of war; but any- ‘thing deGinite in relation 60 her size has thus far been a profound mystery, tothe reading public at least. Already her large sides have become visibie over the fence around the yard where she is being built, but as yet mo one can obtain any idea of her appearance when Gnished. We do not prepose w give at this time avy particulars of thie craft whereby the enemy may be benefitted, but jn general terms and description give our readers on ides of her immense size and power. ‘The following are her principal dimenstome:— Extreme length, feet. eo ny 64 Whole depth .... + 32 Engines, horse power on 6,000 ‘The hull is built of wood, placed together so as to form a solid mass. The decks, sides and floor are also solid, and of & great thickness, so much so that if the Agures ‘Were given sil would be greatly surprised at the amount of weod used in the construction. This enormous wooden bull is beavily piated with rolied iron plates, which eover the entire upper portion of the vessel, and extend six feot below the water line. The weight of thie terrible armor is net far from-twelve hamdred tons. ‘The bow of the veusel, for fifty feet abaft the stem, is Of solid wood, with o@ space between the sides of the vessel, this being covered with ton, forming the mest gigantic ram on record, having unequalled in every respect. The above the water line, are seven feet thick and of solid wood, added to which is the beavy iron piating. This vensel bas two rudders, one at each end, so pro- tected that should oue become disabled from any eause the other cam be instantly used. ‘The engines will give this vessel a very high speed, se that when she strikes @ vesse! she would crash through hor with perfect ease, Above the main deck the build is very peculiar, but at present eannot be described. In addition to & iarge casemate, containing heavy broadside gans, there will be two of Kricasen’s revolving torrets, each containing two @tteen-inch guns. Tho naval register puts hor armament down as ten guns; but it will be much larger. ‘The accommodation for the officers and men are to bo oy ® superior Kind—large, airy and a9 well ventilated as an ordinary ovean steamer, yet giving to them all the neces. sary cecurity in time of action. t every respect she will be one of the wonders of the age. She fe intended more partioularly for arbor defences, ‘but can readily go to ses, as she possesses all the qualides- tions fer buoyancy, &e. ‘Scientific men who have seen her phas are unsaimows in thelr opinion of her success as s war voese), while Mr. ‘Webb's known ability as © shipbuilder gives at oncee of her future performances. She will be s most torriole affair, and will de@y anything olse in the shape of ee jron-clad, She is to be finished as soom an circum. stances @ill permit; and them, as fer ag New York harbor ie fe ‘concerned, we may net Rave any-feare- of tho vemete of amy country disturbing her. ‘THE WESTERN 1RON-CLADS. It is eb desirable at the present time to give aay eo tails im reference to the Western iron-clads, Thove (ine rebela) who are tho most anxious about them will ine out soon enough ax to how they are armed and beili. ‘They comprise a variety of forms, and are built axpresely for high speed and light draught of water, Some of thew will have turrets, while others will be casemated. The Western Tron-Olad Rams. THE INDIANOLA. ‘The Weetern waters require a somewhat different class of vessels, and in consequence vessels of light draught acé high speed have been built. ‘Tho Indianole is one ef the Rew class of gunboats andrams combined. She is armor- ed with three inshes of iron, securely fastened to ibe ‘wooden sides of the vessel, which are three feet in sbick- ness. The wheel, wheelhouse and roef aré boind-proot. ‘The quarters for the officers and men are not shiot-proot, and are liable to be damaged in siction, Her engines ore of four hendred horse power, and, with the Hoilers, sre well protested. She'draws vight feet of water. He cons is abont $25,000. ‘TER CHOCTAW. ‘The Choctaw is another of the same class, but, a2 the sketch shows, is of a different appearanes. She carries heavy armament, and with her high speed she is truly formidable craft, Sho is abontready, and will be at- tached to Admiral Porter’s Westora flotilla, which, for ef- fectiveness, wil) 20 doubt be one of the best of our squad” rons. OTHER TRON-OLADS. ‘The government have in contemplation other iron-ciads, which are for the present not named, or the contyacts awarded. A large number of plans have been subroitiee to the department for inspection, and it is not oniike ly some of them will be adopted. Aboutdwo thirds of the iron-clads in the following list will be provided with the Er icsson turrets. RECAPITULATION, ‘The fo:lowing is a list ef the iron-clads of the Amerxen Ravy now in service and in process of constrowtion — sbeberteseest 50—Stevens’ Stew sub- } PE nay ued. ‘That the plaintiff, Rebecca Doniphan, had one of the seceded States, and was there rebellion ment of the United States, quently, forfeited to the uey , &c., under the prov: President :aving issued his aa provided fe by said act, warning all thse in rebellion to return to their allegiance, more Mey ep betore the commence ment of the actien, and plaintifin, notwithstandiny ‘8 bar to all actions to and prove that the p! au rebellion against the government. ‘The seeond section of the third article of the coostitu tion of the United States:—The Congress shall have pewer to deelare the punishment of treason; but no at- tainder shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, ex copt during the jife of the person attainted.”’ If the objert and ihtentions of the Confiscation act is to work © forte: | ture ot the estate of the rebels without previous indict ment, trial aod conviction for the crime of treason im & court of com} Jurisdiction, as agreed. then. the of tl court, it was clear infrection of that of the constitution quoted above. In sustaining this view of the question, the court aptiv aliuded to the practical worting of the law, if carried inte ‘execution. In effect it clothes every judicial officer, from. the Chief Justice of the United States down to the police judge of the pettiest village, with power indirectly to try suitor, plaintiff, in his court for a that must be for quarters millson the dollar,for the vito ig purposes , For schools, three-quarters of a mili, per chapter 180, laws of 1856. For canals, one quarter of « mill, chapter 271, iaws of 1859. ey rae eee mill, chapter 518, awa For general purposes, one mill, chapter 456, laws of 1965. For the United States, two mills, 466, a 1962, 1 wT. RORINBON, Compéieler. <>.