User:Eddie891/sandbox/Timby's Revolving Iron Tower

Timmy's Revolving Iron Tower was an invention proposed by Theodore Ruggles Timby

Theodore R. Timby
Theodore Ruggles Timby (5 April, 1819 &#x2013; 9 November, 1909) is credited as the inventor of the revolving gun turret that was used on the USS Monitor, the ironclad warship that fought in the American Civil War. He was born in Dutchess County, New York on April 5, 1822. Early in life, at the age of 16, he invented a method for raising ships out of the water for repairs by sinking a water-filled box beneath it, then forcing the water out through pumps in order to raise the ship.

Throughout the 1840s, Timby perfected a revolving gun turret for use on land or water. He constructed a 21 ft model and brought it to Washington but met with little success, as war was not imminent. However, with the outbreak of the Civil War, Timby brought his model to the Abraham Lincoln White House, and this time met with a much warmer reception.

Meanwhile, a Swedish-born architect named John Ericsson had submitted a proposal to build an ironclad ship for the Union navy. The Monitor was built for $195,000 and was sold to the Union Navy for $270,000. Timby received a 5 percent commission of $13,500. Timby spent much of his life in Saratoga Springs, New York, having moved there in 1860. He patented a wide variety of other inventions, such as a door sash, water wheel, paper cutter, needle case, and a globe clock that was sold in such numbers that some can be seen today on auction sites. There was an effort in the early 1900s to give credit to Timby for his turret invention. The Washington Post stated in 1909 shortly after his death that "John Ericsson has for years monopolized all of the credit for inventing and building the Monitor, but as a matter of fact he was joint inventor with Theodore Timby."

Proposal
Timby's Revolving Iron Tower: NYTimes article: "In all the history of the past, few revolutions have occurred so sudden and complete as that which was effected in the methods of maritime warfare by the contest between the Monitor and the Merrimac, and its accompanying incidents, in Hampton Roads. In an hour, as it were, the Great navies of the world, that have figured so much in human history, were blotted out of existence. Since that event, the maritime nations, by common consent, have ceased to construct merely wooden vessels-of-war. Iron-clad vessels have already become the recognized feature of future conflicts upon the ocean. The revolution, however effected by the memorable encounter, did not stop at this point. From the completely impregnable character of the Monitor, it was seen at a glance, that the ordinary means of harbor defence were altogether of no avail against assaults from vessels of this class. The various maritime nations of the world at once took the alarm; the erection and construction of ordinary forts was abandoned, and for a time the tide of public opinion set strongly in favor of armor-clad vessels of war as the chief reliance, even with regard to the protection of harbors. Time has, however, somewhat modified this opinion, and it seems now to be generally conceded that armor-clad vessels alone are unable to afford complete protection. A completely impregnable vessel, such as are now being constructed by our Government, could probably pass with entire safety any fortress in the world; and if two such vessels should meet in hostility, they could not seriously damage one another -- they might as well pass one another without firing, as to waste their ammunition by ineffective shots. Under these circumstances, it is clear that some other and more effective methods of harbor defence must be devised, or all our maritime cities are wholly at the mercy of the monsters of the deep. With this object in view, we take pleasure in presenting to the consideration of the readers of the TIMES the plans of Mr. THEODOE R. TIMBY, and invite special attention to them, believing that they present the strongest possible claims to favorable consideration at the hands of the Government and people. The plans of Mr. TIMBY have been drawn up and developed with unusual care, and evince a thorough appreciation on his part of the end to be gained, the difficulties to be overcome in securing it, and the best methods of accomplishing the general result. They are, moreover, indorsed by some of the best business talent in the country. The sketch at the head of this article will give a general idea of the plans proposed.

The system, as a whole, contemplates the use of absolutely effective means of opening and closing harbors at will. The positive exclusion of any and all hostile vessels is aimed at, and at the same time the arrangement is such as that, as soon as danger has passed by, the harbor may in a few hours be again opened to commerce. The means relied on to accomplish this result may be considered under three different heads:

First -- The towers as seen in the engraving.

Second -- The series of chains extending from one to the other; and

Third -- A line of submarine batteries, which cannot be shown in the engraving.

THE TOWERS.

The towers in the above plan are to be placed across the mouth of the harbor upon the most substantial and permanent foundations, to be rendered impregnable to shot and shell by an iron covering on the outside -- the tower itself to be made of iron, and of any thickness necessary to render it absolutely impenetrable, and to revolve upon its centre in two to three minutes, a speed not exceeding 1 1/2 miles per hour. Ordinarily, these towers will need to be about one hundred feet in diameter, and to contain not less than two tiers of guns of thirty each -- sixty in all; all the guns being trained to the centre of the tower, and under the complete control of a single individual, placed for this purpose in the small turret on the top of the tower, and discharged in a single line of five, by means of electricity, with unerring precision. All the guns being discharged at every revolution of the tower, it is manifest that such a battery as this would of itself be altogether without a parallel in naval history. We have not the space to go into great detail in this part of the arrangement, but we can assure our readers that the results described can be successfully accomplished by Mr. TIMBY's plans, which are singularly perfect and complete. It may be stated, in passing, that the tower is revolved by means of steam-power, out of reach of danger, and removed somewhat from the immediate vicinity of the tower, to avoid the possibility of injury from explosion.

THE CHAINS.

Across the mouth of the harbor, and extending from fort to fort, will be placed a series of massive copper chains attached to windlasses and moved by the steam engines underneath the forts. During a time of peace these chains will lie quietly upon the bottom, and being composed of a comparatively indestructible material, will resist the action of salt water upon them. When danger however threatens, they may be drawn up to any necessary deflection to prevent the passage of vessels. The weight of the chains and the power necessary to draw them up to a proper point is in great part relieved by air tight metalic buoys placed at intervals along the chains and attached firmly to them. It is believed that these chains would interpose an effectual barrier to the passage of any armed vessels whatsoever, while, at the same time, in approaching them, they would be exposed to the concentrated fire of all the forts, and in attempting to force the chains to that of two of them at point blank range, as the two forts would contain at least one hundred and twenty guns of the heaviest metal, and would be discharged in two to three minutes, it may fairly be questioned whether any vessel, however strongly built, could successfully endure such a bombardment as this. In order to render the passage of the forts and chains utterly out of the question, there is disposed a series of

SUB-MARINE BATTERIES,

of the most destructive kind, on the outer side of the chains, and sufficiently far from them to come near the centre of an attacking vessel. These batteries are stretched across the channel entirely, and are so arranged that they can be drawn from one fort to another, and placed in position at any moment, or their position changed, as may be necessary. The immediate destruction of the most thoroughly constructed vessel known to naval science, would be insured by the discharge of these batteries, the discharge being effected by electric conductors, running to the towers themselves, and thus out of the way of injury or observation. Brief and imperfect as is our description of Mr. TIMBY's plans, we have yet said enough, we doubt not, to attract to them that attention which they undoubtedly merit. An effective system of harbor defence is now a subject of overwhelming importance, and we believe that Mr. TIMBY has gone a long way toward solving the difficult problem. The harbor of New-York, defended by a cordon of these forts, would be rendered safe against the attacks of the combined navies of the world, and we commend them to the attention of the Chamber of Commerce and all others interested in the defences of our city." Public Domain, so not even copyvio! Eddie891 Talk Work 17:35, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Gave John Ericsson his idea Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Other stuff. Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

The board that considered his proposal consisted of Gens. BARNARD and CULLUM, and Capt. KELTY. Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Patent Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)

Eddie891 Talk Work 18:01, 3 June 2018 (UTC)