The romance of the ship; the story of her origin and evolution (1911) (14592572547)

Identifier: romanceofshipsto00chat (find matches)
Title: The romance of the ship; the story of her origin and evolution
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Chatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble), 1878-1944
Subjects: Ships Shipbuilding
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott company London, Seeley and co., limited
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
for them-selves, discovered that although she was damaged shewas not by any means in a hopeless condition. Theyset to work, therefore, and determined to make thebest of her. Influenced by the new order of thingswhich La Gloire in France and the Warrior in Englandhad lately set going, the Confederates desired greatlyto possess a ship that was armoured, and so they setto work to transform the Merriviac into this condition. They began by cutting the wooden ship down to herwater-line and erecting an extensive rectangular vaultor casement * which reached from 2 feet below thewater-line to 7 feet above. The sides had a Humble-home or slope inwards at an angle of 35 degrees,being made of pine and oak, with externally two thick-nesses of armour-plating fastened thereto, and this hadbeen made from railway lines. Piercing the armour wereholes for her guns. On March 8, 1862, the Merrimac^fitted with steam-engine and a propeller, put to seaand fought the Cwnherland and Congress^ which were 140 r
Text Appearing After Image:
S ^ o 5 § P ^ W j2 Eh a> PQ ^ O J 141 THE TURRET MAN-OF-WAR but sailing frigates. The former she sent to the bottomby ramming, and into the latter she poured such ahot fire with shells that the Federal frigate had togive in. But the next day, in Hampton Roads, therewas to be given a lesson in naval warfare which theworld has not even yet forgotten. Against the Merri-mac was to come a ship worthy to engage in combatwith her, although this fresh arrival was in actual sizesmaller. Named the Monitor^ this vessel had beendesigned and built of iron by Captain Ericsson (whomwe spoke of earlier in connection with the invention ofthe propeller) for the Federal Government. She was173 feet long on the deck, had an extreme beam of411 feet, drew 10 feet of water, and had a tonnageof 614. Protected with iron armour 4; inches thick,fastened on 21 inches of backing, she carried twoheavy guns placed in such a manner that they wereparallel with each other and—this is the importantpoint—containe