Deposition of Joseph Ellis., the 1st day of September, 1863

Deposition of Joseph Ellis.

I, Joseph Ellis, of No. 161 Athol street, in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, shipwright, make oath and say, as follows :

1. I am well acquainted with the construction of iron-plated vessels-of-war, having assisted to build vessels of that description.

2. I was present in the ship-building yard of Messrs. Laird & Co., at Birkenhead, on Saturday the 29th day of August, 1863, when an iron-plated vessel, lately built by them, was launched.

3. The launch took place at about 11 o’clock in the morning, and before the vessel went off the ways I had an opportunity of seeing her perfectly well from the keel upward.

4. The vessel in question is a screw steamer, somewhat over two hundred feet long, as well as I could judge, and of great strength, and covered with iron plates from stem to stern. The said vessel would have about forty feet of beam amidships, and she has a space at the stern, and another space at the bow, both of which are covered in and protected by strong iron plating.

5. The said vessel is armed with a very formidable ram or piercer, which is made of iron or steel, and projects, as well as I could judge, about five feet from the stem. The said ram or piercer was nearly submerged when the said vessel was afloat after being launched, and when the vessel is in sea-going trim the ram will be quite under the water. The said ram was of great strength, and I am satisfied that it is intended to be used for destroying other vessels. It was similar in appearance to the rams which I have seen on other iron-clad vessels-of-war.

6. The said vessel’s bulwarks were not completed.

7. I was at Messrs. Laird & Co.’s yard, aforesaid, on the 4th day of July last when another iron-clad vessel, armed with a similar ram or piercer, was launched from the ways, on the north side of the ways from which the iron-clad vessel mentioned in the preceding paragraph of this affidavit was launched on Saturday last. The said vessels were, as far as I could judge, sister ships, and similarly constructed in all material respects. On the said 4th day of July last, one of Messrs. Laird & Co.’s workmen showed me one of the iron plates prepared to be used on the said vessel launched on Saturday last. Such plate was about four and a half inches in thickness.

8. On the said 4th day of July last I examined the said vessel which was launched on Saturday last, and I saw that she was prepared to receive two circular turrets, such as would be used for carrying turret guns. On the same day I saw in Messrs. Laird & Co.’s yard the frames of two turrets, such as would be used for carrying guns on board such a vessel. On Saturday last I saw in Messrs. Laird & Co.’s yard two turrets of the same description, but in a more advanced state, both of them being partially plated with iron.

9. The said vessel which was launched on Saturday last was built on and launched from the slip which is at the south end of Messrs. Laird & Co.’s yard, adjoining Birkenhead ferry. The other vessel above mentioned, which was launched on the 4th day of July last, was built on and launched from the adjoining slip, on the north side of the slip first mentioned in this paragraph. The said vessels were in fact built side by side.

10. The said ship which was launched on the 4th day of July last was on Saturday last lying afloat in a wet dock in Messrs. Laird & Co.’s yard, and I endeavored to get to the dock to see her; I was, however, stopped by some of Messrs. Laird & Co.’s men. I told them I wanted to go to look at the vessel lying in the wet dock, but they told me that their orders from headquarters were, not to allow any one to pass to see that vessel.

11. The said vessel launched on Saturday last as aforesaid, and the said vessel launched on the 4th day of July last as aforesaid, are, beyond all doubt, intended for iron-clad vessels-of-war, and not for any other purpose whatever.

JOSEPH ELLIS.