Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/36

and stern shall each extend under water beyond the forward and after ends of the shield C, which protects the crew and guns sufficiently to give the sharpness necessary to the attainment of high speed and the buoyancy to support the weight of iron applied without an inconvenient increase of draft.

"JOHN M. BROOKE,
"Lieutenant C. S. Navy.

" Witness:

" GEORGE MINOR,

"Commander, C. S. N.

" CHARLES J. OST."

drawings of the CSS Virginia's ability to submerge two feet in combat and rise again when safe.

⁠ Mr. Porter continues:

⁠" But his patent was not contested by the builder of the Merrimac, because no one would have thought of building such a vessel with submerged ends except as a matter of necessity, for it left the crew no space to exercise."

⁠One might suppose that Constructor Porter, as deeply concerned as he was in maintaining his claim, would have welcomed the opportunity to establish it.