CSS Columbia ironclad question

[paperboy]

I have a question regarding the CSS Columbia as built. I had Geohagan plans years ago from which i built a paper model which i gave away 4 years ago. The same information is used in P.C.Cokers book Charleston Maritime Heritage. With the interesting new information being brought forward by rebelatsea i'm wondering if the plans of the Columbia are still the most accurate. Any information is most appreciated.

Vernon

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.
I'm sure @rebelatsea and the other experts will will be around shortly to answer your question.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I'll let John (rebelatsea) field that one. I'm aware of William E. Geoghegan's work, but have never actually seen it myself, apart from bits and pieces noted in other authors' works...

 

[chellers]

Welcome aboard the good ship, CivilWarTalk.

 

[AndyHall]

Geoghegan worked at the Smithsonian in the early 1960s, with Howard I. Chapelle. I know some of his reconstruction drawings have been knocked around by subsequent research (e.g., C.S.S. Manassas), but they are beautiful examples of draftmanship and are wonderful to work with. My digital model of Will o' the Wisp is based on Geoghagen's tracing of the original builder's draught.

 

[rebelatsea]

William Geogehan did some things wrong ,his Mississippi for example, but the plan produces a beautiful model, of which I have two, 1 in 1/250 and one in 1/600 but a lot of his work is spot on.
Hello Paperboy and welcome. here is my plan of CSS Columbia, as she probably looked on completion.

 

[CT Ertz]

I played with your drawings John...

 

[rebelatsea]

I played with your drawings John...

Great as usual Corey. It's interesting that you have portrayed the three circles on the quarterdeck as ventilation cowls, as they are usually taken to be heavy glass skylights over the officers quarters , and indeed I have always portrayed them as such. I'm always willing to learn, so if my learned colleagues here can chip in it would be very useful.

 

[CT Ertz]

Hey John, I have them as glass under the vent as well...I thought about that... but at five foot in diameter that seems to be a lot of glass for a deck dead light. Also I saw that the Wilmington's dead lights are sometimes substituted with vents as well so I kind of stole that idea. But on any future model I can see doing it either way, vents or glass...

 

[mofederal]

Hello and welcome to the talk forum from Southeast Missouri located on the banks of the muddy Mississippi River.

 

[USS ALASKA]

@CT Ertz

Sir, was thinking the same thing as @rebelatsea only because that makes for a very restricted field-of-fire fore and aft if caught with them up.

Great renderings!
1182

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[DaveBrt]

@CT Ertz

Sir, was thinking the same thing as @rebelatsea only because that makes for a very restricted field-of-fire fore and aft if caught with them up.

Great renderings!
1182

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

No worse than being caught with the boats in the davits. I suspect the heat below decks, on a stationary ironclad, in Charleston would make extra ventilation far more important than we think today. There are plenty of comments about how bad life on the ironclads was; a little more air might keep down the sickness, improve morale, etc.