Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/9

 The Merrimac or Virginia. 3

1. "That on June 10, 1862, Lieutenant John M. Brooke was di- rected to aid the Navy Department in designing an ironclad, and to frame the necessary specifications."

2. " That in a few days he submitted rough drawings of a case- mated vessel with submerged ends, and inclined iron-plated sides, which was approved by the department."

3. " That Chief Engineer Williamson and Constructor Porter were ordered to report in Richmond about the 23d of June for consulta- tion on the same subject generally, and to aid in the work."

4. "That Mr. Williamson and Mr. Porter approved the plan of having submerged ends to obtain flotation and invulnerability, and a clean drawing was prepared by Mr. Porter of Lieutenant Brooke 's plan, which that officer then filed with the department."

5. ' ' That the novel plan of submerging the ends of the ship and eaves of the casemate is the peculiar and distinctive feature of the Virginia, and was never before adopted."

6. "That Mr. Williamson, Lieutenant Brooke, arid Mr. Porter re- ported that the Merrimac could be utilized for this purpose, and recommended the submerged ends and inclined casement for this vessel, which was adopted."

Lieutenant Brooke claims that the material feature of his plan is that the bow and stern shall each extend under water beyond the forward and after ends of the shield or casemate, to give the sharp- ness for speed and buoyancy to support the weight of iron ; and a patent for this claim was duly issued to Lieutenant John M. Brooke, by the Confederate Government, July 29, 1862.

HER DISTINCTIVE FEATURES.

It will be observed in the above quotations from Secretary Mai- lory's letter that he regards the siibmerged ends of the ship and the eaves of the casemate as the novel and distinctive feature of the Merrimac. Lieutenant Brooke's patent is based solely on this novel and distinctive feature. So that Brooke's plan and the distinctive features of the Merrimac are one and the same. In the same com- munication of Secretary Mallory to the Confederate House of Rep- resentatives, in which he awards the merit of the plan of the Merri- mac to Lieutenant John M. Brooke and in response to that part of of the resolution, " and also what persons have rendered especial aid in designing and building the ship," the Secretary further replies: