THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE NAVIES,

617

THE NAVY YARD, WASHINGTON, IN 1861.

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and. appropriating $1,500,000 for the work. After another delay of fiveprecious days, on the 8th of August the board was appointed, composed ofCommodores Smith and Paulding and Commander Davis. The hoard tookoccasion to remark that it approached the subject “ with diffidence, havingno experience, and but scanty knowledge in this branch of naval architecture.”Inconceivable as it seems, this statement was literally true; for althoughfive months had elapsed since the new administration had come in; althoughit knew, or should have known, what the Confederates were doing at Norfolk ,and that time was of vital moment, the very best men whom it could selecttook six weeks to reach a conclusion on the subject. Even at the close of itsprotracted deliberations, so little did the board understand the tremendousimportance of its work that in its final report it sagely remarked:

“ Opinions differ amongst naval and scientific men as to the policy of adopting the iron arma-ture for ships-of-war. For coast and harbor defense they are undoubtedly formidableadjuncts to fortifications on land. As cruising vessels, however, we are skeptical as to theiradvantages and ultimate adoption. But whilst other nations are endeavoring to perfect them,we must not remain idle. ... We, however, do not hesitate to express the opinion, notwith-standing all we have heard or seen written on the subject, that no ship or floating battery,however heavily she may be plated, can cope successfully with a properly constructed fortifica-tion of masonry.”

The same inability to understand the situation is shown in the Secretary’sreport transmitted to Congress in December, in which he contents himselfwith this perfunctory utterance:

“ The subject of iron armature for ships is one of great general interest, not only to the navyand country, but is engaging the attention of the civilized world.”

The board selected three plans, offered respectively by Bushnell & Co., ofNew Haven, Merrick & Sons, of Philadelphia, and John Ericsson, of NewYork , from which were subsequently built the Galena , the New Ironsides , and