Elliot's War Turtle

[Ben Ford 987]

I found this article in a number of New York and New England newspapers in late July and early August 1863.
A brief search turned up nothing about such a vessel by name or description?
Does anyone know anything about this?

NEW WAR VESSEL
A new war vessel is in process of construction, at Cincinnati. This strange craft is known as Elliot's War Turtle. It is shaped like a large punch-bowl, with the propeller, in the form of a turbine wheel, placed at the bottom, and so arranged as to take water in through eight radical tubes, which may be opened or closed by valves, said tubes connecting with the propeller, and the outer or hull edge of the vessel. The propeller presses the water downward from its cylinder and revolves always in the same direction, one or more of the valves is opened, thereby relieving the pressure on that side, while the pressure still remains on the opposite side to propel, the vessel. The turret is very similar in appearance to those on the Monitors, but is built fixedly and firmly on the top of the vessel, and lined inside with heavy timbers. It revolves with the boat, by the action of the water. upon the rudders placed in the mouth of the radical tubes. It mounts four guns.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

I found this article in a number of New York and New England newspapers in late July and early August 1863.
A brief search turned up nothing about such a vessel by name or description?
Does anyone know anything about this?

NEW WAR VESSEL
A new war vessel is in process of construction, at Cincinnati. This strange craft is known as Elliot's War Turtle. It is shaped like a large punch-bowl, with the propeller, in the form of a turbine wheel, placed at the bottom, and so arranged as to take water in through eight radical tubes, which may be opened or closed by valves, said tubes connecting with the propeller, and the outer or hull edge of the vessel. The propeller presses the water downward from its cylinder and revolves always in the same direction, one or more of the valves is opened, thereby relieving the pressure on that side, while the pressure still remains on the opposite side to propel, the vessel. The turret is very similar in appearance to those on the Monitors, but is built fixedly and firmly on the top of the vessel, and lined inside with heavy timbers. It revolves with the boat, by the action of the water. upon the rudders placed in the mouth of the radical tubes. It mounts four guns.

Interesting, but I had not even heard of it.

 

[WinterLeia]

It would have to be a vessel built for the Union's brown water navy, one of the many ironclads or tinclads that were made in Cincinnati during the war. But it probably wasn't called a turtle when it was done. During the war that seemed to be a term exclusively reserved for the seven ships of Pook's Turtles, and I don't think any of them were built in Cincinnati. Any idea what Elliot the article is referring to? I'm not familiar with that name in regard to Union gunboats. Could it be Ellet, as in Charles or Alfred Ellet?

 

[Rhea Cole]

Congrats, the search for Elliot's Turtle has been a lot of fun. Apart from one paragraph in the New York Times, There doesn't appear to be any other reference.

It was the glory days of the mad inventor. In the absence of science, any unhinged idea was as good as any other.

The vessel, as described, could not be expected to cast off & change berths, let alone navigate the Ohio River. The only way it could have made further news was to catch fire , drift downstream & blowup in Cincinnati.

 

[WinterLeia]

The vessel, as described, could not be expected to cast off & change berths, let alone navigate the Ohio River. The only way it could have made further news was to catch fire , drift downstream & blowup in Cincinnati.

If that happened I'd be inclined to think it was a covert Confederate operation .

 

[Ben Ford 987]

It would have to be a vessel built for the Union's brown water navy, one of the many ironclads or tinclads that were made in Cincinnati during the war. But it probably wasn't called a turtle when it was done. During the war that seemed to be a term exclusively reserved for the seven ships of Pook's Turtles, and I don't think any of them were built in Cincinnati. Any idea what Elliot the article is referring to? I'm not familiar with that name in regard to Union gunboats. Could it be Ellet, as in Charles or Alfred Ellet?

I don't think that any of the Ellets were involved, their activities are too well known to imagine that this vessel could have been overlooked. Their vessels were all modified commercial steamboats, not purpose built.
I have never heard of a propulsion system even remotely resembling this one.
Not sure how well it might have worked, but it sounds very impractical.

Is it possible that no such vessel was actually being constructed? Wouldn't "we" have seen some mention of it in ORN, other newspaper accounts, memoirs of steamboat men, statements of people involved in vessel construction at Cincinnati, etc? Surely if the Federal Gov't. was funding it there would be records.

 

[WinterLeia]

I don't think that any of the Ellets were involved, their activities are too well known to imagine that this vessel could have been overlooked. Their vessels were all modified commercial steamboats, not purpose built.
I have never heard of a propulsion system even remotely resembling this one.
Not sure how well it might have worked, but it sounds very impractical.

Is it possible that no such vessel was actually being constructed? Wouldn't "we" have seen some mention of it in ORN, other newspaper accounts, memoirs of steamboat men, statements of people involved in vessel construction at Cincinnati, etc? Surely if the Federal Gov't. was funding it there would be records.

Well, that's the problem with not knowing the source of the news article. Newspapers hardly get all the facts correct. In addition, both sides shamelessly exploited them for propaganda purposes.

 

[rebelatsea]

I have never heard of this vessel, nor it's inventor, but much earlier experiments had been made with US Navy Lt. William Hunters wheel, a form of horizontal paddle wheel embedded in the side of a ship. its efficiency was low, but reading the history. it suffered from the technology of the era more than anything and probably could have been made to work if the same level of attention had been paid to it as to Ericson's screw which began life with the same level of inefficiency.