April 11, 1863, The New York Herald
The report from Charleston is that the Keokuk was disabled on Tuesday, and on the following day was sunk on the beach off Morris Island.
Subjoined is a sketch of her: – […..]
The Keokuk was designed by Mr. C. W. Whitney, of this city, and was built at the yard of J. S. Underhill & Co., Dry Dock Iron Works. She was launched in the early part of last winter, and sailed from New York on the 11th of March, arriving at Port Royal on the 26th. The following is a description of the vessel: –
The Keokuk was not only a two turreted vessel, but was also a ram. She was smaller than the Ericsson Monitors, being one hundred and fifty-nine feet six inches over all, including the ram, which was five feet long. She had a beam of thirty-six feet, with a depth of hold of thirteen feet six inches, and drew nine feet of water. Her sides sloped inward at an angle of thirty-seven degrees, to shed the enemy’s shot.
She was built of iron, and her armor extended nearly four feet below the water line. The horizontal deck was five feet above the water line. Her propulsive power was furnished by two propellers and two engines of five hundred horse power. The hull of the vessel was constructed of half-inch rolled iron. She had three keelsons running the whole length of the vessel, and two fore and aft bulkheads, leaving on each side a space and forming an inner skin, which would probably keep out the water in the event of the outer skin being pierced by shot. In addition to these she had two bulkheads – one forward and one aft – which could be filled with water, so as to settle the vessel down while in action. These could be filled in fifteen minutes and pumped out in forty minutes. In using the ram, should the vessel be wrenched so as to cause leakage, the compartment alluded to was to preserve the vessel from sinking. The vessel was submerged one foot by the appliance of these water tanks.
The turrets were immovable, the gun revolving to the three ports pierced in each turret. They weighed each forty tons, and were built of groundwork of half inch rolled plates, like the hull, covered with bars of iron four inch thick, standing edgeways, placed one and a quarter inches apart, the interstices being filled with yellow pine. Over all this were three plates, each five-eighths of an inch thick – the whole structure bolted together with one and one-eighth inch bolts, with countersunk heads, one foot apart. The turrets, therefore, were six and a quarter inches thick. Each turret had three ports, with heavy shutters, working in two halves – one port on each side and one forward and aft. Each turret contained an eleven inch gun, carrying a one hundred and eighty pound shot. These guns moved on revolving slides, which were placed on a floor twenty inches below the level of the deck, thus giving a greater height to the turrets, which were twenty feet in diameter at the base, fourteen feet at the top – being cone-shaped – and eight feet eight inches high. The turrets were additionally supported within by bars of five by one inch iron set edgeways, fifteen inches apart, and the ports were made sufficiently large to give the guns ten degrees vertical and eight degrees lateral range.
The rudder and propeller were guarded by an overhanging structure and a wrought guard on the after part. This little vessel carried one hundred men all told, and had capacity in her two magazines for two hundred eleven-inch shot, one hundred and fifty eleven-inch shell, with shrapnel and canister, small ammunition and powder in proportion. She appeared admirably calculated for river work, her light draught and easy guidance, by means of two propellers, fitting her especially for intricate navigation. Her builder was confident that, though in some respects novel in construction, she would be found as shotproof and serviceable as any; and the care and completeness with which he applied every precaution, and multiplied means for offence and defence, gave hopes of a most efficient boat. Mr. Whitney was one of the earliest to urge the propriety of building a shotproof fleet, and his studies in the question, as well as his knowledge of the qualities of iron, gave his opinions weight.
The ventilation of the vessel had been carefully attended to, and the accommodations for the officers and crew were of an excellent character.
In many points the details of this vessel were new and interesting. For instance, the entire lower portion of the sides of the turrets could be thrown open to admit light and air, and, of course, to effect the expulsion of foul air; and, there being a passage on each side of the vessel, communicating from one turret to the other, a constant circulation of air was kept up without artificial means, although such means were provided, and which would, in the opinion of many, have rendered the vessel, in point of ventilation, second to none.
THE COMMANDER OF THE KEOKUK.
Lieutenant Commander Alexander C. Rhind, the commander of the Keokuk, is a native of the State of New York, but was appointed from Alabama, and is now a citizen of Minnesota. He entered the United States naval service on the 3d of September, 1838. He received his present commission on the 16th of July, 1862. He has been attached to Admiral DuPont’s squadron since its organization, and is pre-eminently a man of fight. His courage, bravery and judgment are very marked, and if the Keokuk is really disabled no one will feel the blow more deeply than he. His sea service amounts to nearly sixteen years. He was unemployed seven years, and on shore duty about two years, giving him a total of over twenty-four years in the service.