iron pipe

A pipe or tube made of iron. iron-pyrites, s. [MEN ACC A NITE.] Magnetic Iron-pyrites=(1) Pyrrhotite, (2) Troilite; Prismatic, or White Iron-pyrites=Marcasite. iron-rations, s. pl . This term is applied to the supplies taken and carried by the troops themselves on service beyond the sea, when detached from their transport. The ordinary iron rations for two days should be 2 lbs. of preserved meat and 2 lbs. of biscuits, supplemented in such a manner as circumstances admit. ( Voyle .) iron-rutile, s. Min.: The ferriferous variety of Rutile (q. v.). iron-sand, s. Min.: (1) Men acc a nite; (2) Magnetite. iron-sheathed, a. Sheathed or cased in iron; iron-cased, ironclad. pine, pit, sire, sir, marine; gō, pot, 3 IMG:content-0049.png:[blocks in formation] and clad.] A. As subst .: A naval ve cl protected by iron plates. The system of plating ships with iron first tried on some of the French floating batteries used at Kinburn in 1855; but, though the results were satisfactory, no advance was made until 1858, when the French again took the lead with the "Gloire," but were quickly followed by the first English armored ve els of the "Warrior" cla , to which were added, to strengthen the ironclad fleet, altered wooden line-of-battle ships, such as the "Royal Alfred," which were cut down and plated. All the early ve els were constructed of wood, but the later specimens have been built of iron framing, and few of the modern ships are alike. The first crucial test to which ironclad ve els were subjected, however, was reserved for the American navy to apply. An old wooden steam ve el, the "Merrimac," was razeed by the Southrons, and covered with iron (railroad rails, .), the sides sloping up to an apex like the acute angle formed by an old-time house roof. In addition to the iron plating thus applied, the ship was armed with a spur or point for the purpose of ramming the enemy's ships. Operations were begun against the federal war ve els in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the early part of the year 1862, and as a result several of them were either sunk, battered, or run aground in their endeavors to escape from the for midable foe. After the "Cumber land" and "Congre " had been irretrievably injured and the Minnesota" run aground, the "Monitor," the first turreted ironclad ever used in active warfare, the production of Capt. John Eric on, a Scand in avian denizen of the United States, appeared in the roadstead, and then began the first naval duel between ironclad ve els. Neither the "Virginia," as the "Merrimac" had been rechristened, nor the "Monitor" was much injured in the fight, but owing to the le draught of the "Monitor" the Southern ve el was rendered practically usele and obsolete, and in a few days thereafter was run down the James River to Craney Island and sunk by Lieut. Chas. H. Hasker, an English naval officer who had immigrated to this country and joined the Confederate service. The "Virginia" was commanded by Capt. Frank Buchanan, while Lieut. John L. Worden commanded the "Monitor." During the engagement between the two ve els Lieut. Worden was seriously injured by fragments of a projectile which struck a grating through which he was looking, the flakes of iron flying into his face and blinding him. The succe of the "Monitor" gave rise to numerous ve els of the same type, the salient features of which were a low free board and a revolving turret, and practically revolutionized naval warfare. After honorable service the "Monitor" foundered off the North Carolina coast, along which she was being towed to one of the Southern ports. The "Warrior" had 4%-inch iron plates tapering off to 3 inches toward bow and stern, but her steering gear was unprotected, and she had a projecting bow. The next pattern was protected throughout with armor of the same thickne , which covered the steering gear, and in these models the bow was made vertical or inclining inward. At first the plates were bolted on teak, with a thin inner skin of iron, but later on this was strengthened by angle iron, and the plates have been steeled. The thickne ranges from 41⁄2 inches, with the "Warrior" cla , tapering to 3 inches at stem and stern, to about 3 feet with the Italian "Duilio." The next change was to thicken the belt along the water-line, and in front of a central gun battery, the ends of which were also armored and pierced on the upper deck to fire fore and aft. In other cases the guns were held in turrets, either movable or fixed, on each side of the central line of 2377 irradiate