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Union Ironclads under construction at Carondelet ship yards
In the view at left, the two boats are positioned bow-to-bow during construction. The dark cylinders visible in the foreground boat are the five boilers. The upward-jutting wooden beams on either side will eventually support the iron plating of the casemate whose sides were angled so as to deflect enemy projectiles. In the image at bottom, all four boats can be seen at similar stages of completion. The dark lines at the left of the image are the "marine ways." When completed, the boats will slide down these into the Mississippi. |
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