A Comparative Analysis of Confederate Ironclad Steam Engines, Boilers, and Propulsion Systems by Saxon T
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Abstract “How A Vessel of This Magnitude Was Moved”: A Comparative Analysis of Confederate Ironclad Steam Engines, Boilers, and Propulsion Systems by Saxon T. Bisbee November 2012 Director: Dr. Bradley A. Rodgers Department of History The development of steam propulsion machinery in warships during the 19th century in conjunction with iron armor and shell guns resulted in a technological revolution in the world’s navies. Warships utilizing all of these technologies had been built in France and Great Britain dating back to the 1850s, but it was during the American Civil War that ironclads powered solely by steam proved themselves in large numbers. The armored warships built by the Confederate States of America especially represented a style adapted to scarce industrial resources and facilities. The development and / or procurement of propulsion machinery for these warships have received only peripheral study. Through historical and archaeological investigation, this thesis consolidates and expands on the scattered existing information on Confederate ironclad steam engines, boilers, and propulsion systems. Using a comparative analytical approach, the steam plants of 27 ironclads are assessed by source, type, and performance, among other factors. This has resulted in an analysis of steam machinery development during the Civil War and also adds to the relatively small knowledge base relating to Confederate ironclads. “How A Vessel of This Magnitude Was Moved”: A Comparative Analysis of Confederate Ironclad Steam Engines, Boilers, and Propulsion Systems A Master of Arts Thesis Presented To The Faculty of the Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Saxon T. Bisbee November 2012 ©Copyright 2012 Saxon T. Bisbee “How A Vessel of This Magnitude Was Moved”: A Comparative Analysis of Confederate Ironclad Steam Engines, Boilers, and Propulsion Systems by Saxon T. Bisbee APPROVED BY: THESIS DIRECTOR: ___________________________________________________________ Bradley Rodgers, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ Nathan Richards, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ Wade Dudley, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ William Still Jr., PhD CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: ____________________________________________________ Gerald Prokopowicz, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ____________________________________________________ Paul J. Gemperline, PhD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS No research project of this scale can be done alone. Pondering and researching for years is one thing; actually writing satisfactorily is quite another. I have many wonderful people to thank for helping me in this regard. I hope I have not forgotten anybody, and ask forgiveness if I have. First and foremost, I thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Brad Rodgers, for his patience and in helping greatly to make my work more readable; and my other committee members: Drs. Nathan Richards, Wade Dudley, and Bill Still. All are experts in their fields, and I feel especially privileged to have had on my committee such an expert on the Confederate Navy as Dr. Still. In presenting the facts, I owe much to Bob Holcombe, who next to Dr. Still is probably the world’s leading expert on Confederate ironclads. There is a great amount of material in this thesis that he kindly provided me, and I would have been much less comprehensive and sure of myself without his knowledge. I also wish to thank the staff of the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, especially Bruce Smith, Ken Johnston, Jeff Seymour, and Jerry Franklin. Their hospitality and dedication made my research and stay in Georgia very enjoyable. Others who helped me greatly are David Rousar, who kindly allowed me to use never- before-seen scans of original machinery plans he owns, and the staffs of the National Archives (College Park / Washington, DC); the Emory University Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library; the UNC Chapel Hill Southern Historical Collection; the University of Alabama Special Collections; the Alabama Department of Archives and History; East Carolina University’s Joyner Library; the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch; and The Mariners’ Museum Library. I must thank my family and friends for being there and believing in me. A final “thank you” is also due to Dr. Fred Hocker, who ultimately convinced me to pursue this difficult topic. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................. vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 Formation of the Confederate States Navy................................................................. 5 The Confederate Ironclad Program............................................................................. 11 Confederate Ironclad Hull Types................................................................................ 18 Marine Steam Engine Operations in the Mid-19th Century....................................... 23 CHAPTER 2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEAM-DRIVEN ARMORED VESSELS.......................... 31 The First Steam-Powered Warships........................................................................... 33 The Screw-Propelled Warship................................................................................... 39 The Iron-Hulled Steam Warship................................................................................ 47 The Armor-Plated Steam Warship............................................................................. 51 CHAPTER 3 STEAM MACHINERY TYPES IN AMERICA, 1800-1860............................................ 59 Engines for Paddlewheel Propulsion......................................................................... 61 Engines for Screw Propulsion.................................................................................... 76 Boilers........................................................................................................................ 85 Conclusions................................................................................................................ 92 CHAPTER 4 MANUFACTURERS AND OTHER SOURCES.............................................................. 94 Tredegar Iron Works.................................................................................................. 95 Columbus Naval Iron Works..................................................................................... 100 Shockoe Foundry / Confederate Naval Works.......................................................... 105 Charlotte Navy Yard.................................................................................................. 107 New Orleans Manufacturers...................................................................................... 109 Other Sources............................................................................................................ 113 Northern-Built........................................................................................................... 124 Conclusions............................................................................................................... 133 CHAPTER 5 IRONCLAD ENGINES IN PRACTICE—FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS.......................... 135 Regarding CSS Manassas......................................................................................... 135 Regarding CSS Virginia............................................................................................ 138 Regarding CSS Baltic................................................................................................ 145 Regarding CSS Louisiana.......................................................................................... 146 Regarding CSS Arkansas........................................................................................... 149 Regarding CSS Richmond......................................................................................... 158 Regarding CSS Chicora and Palmetto State............................................................. 159 Regarding CSS North Carolina................................................................................. 162 Regarding CSS Savannah.......................................................................................... 164 Regarding CSS Virginia II......................................................................................... 168 Regarding CSS Columbia.......................................................................................... 170 Regarding CSS Missouri............................................................................................ 171 Conclusions................................................................................................................ 175 CHAPTER 6 ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS OF 27 CONFEDERATE IRONCLADS............... 176 CSS Manassas (ex-Enoch Train).............................................................................. 177 CSS Virginia (ex-USS Merrimack).......................................................................... 179 CSS Baltic................................................................................................................. 184 CSS Arkansas...........................................................................................................