Colorado 1874
| No | Name | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| Merrimack | Boston N Yd | 1854 | 15.6.1855 | 20.2.1856 | burned 20.4.1861 | ||
| Wabash | Philadelphia N Yd | 16.5.1854 | 27.10.1855 | 18.8.1856 | receiving ship 1876 | ||
| Minnesota | Washington N Yd | 5/1954 | 1.12.1855 | 21.5.1857 | loaned to Massachusetts Naval Militia 10.1895, sold 8.1901 | ||
| Roanoke | Norfolk N Yd | 5/1954 | 13.12.1855 | 4.5.1857 | ironclad, sold 1883 | ||
| Colorado | Norfolk N Yd | 1956 | 10.6.1856 | 13.3.1858 | sold 1885 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
Merrimack: 4635 Wabash: 4774 Minnesota: 4833 Roanoke, Colorado: 4772 |
|
Displacement full, t |
|
|
Length, m |
Merrimack: 78.3 pp Wabash: 80.0 pp Minnesota: 80.7 pp Roanoke, Colorado: 80.4 pp |
|
Breadth, m |
Merrimack, Wabash, Minnesota: 15.3 Roanoke, Colorado: 15.6 |
|
Draught, m |
7.98 (hold depth) |
|
No of shafts |
1 |
|
Machinery |
Merrimack: 1 HRCR, 4 water-tube boilers Wabash: 1 HS(steeple)E, 4 water-tube boilers Roanoke, Minnesota, Colorado: 1 HCET, 4 water-tube boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
Merrimack: 972 ihp Wabash: 1038 ihp Minnesota: 995 ihp Roanoke, Colorado: 996 ihp |
|
Max speed, kts |
Merrimack, Roanoke, Colorado: 8.8 Wabash: 9.1 Minnesota: 8.9 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | |
|
Armament |
Merrimack: 2 x 1 - 254/15 Dahlgren SB, 24 x 1 - 229/15 Dahlgren SB, 14 x 1 - 203/14 Dahlgren SB Wabash, Colorado: 2 x 1 - 254/15 Dahlgren SB, 28 x 1 - 229/15 Dahlgren SB, 14 x 1 - 203/14 Dahlgren SB Minnesota, Roanoke: 1 x 1 - 254/15 Dahlgren SB, 28 x 1 - 229/15 Dahlgren SB, 14 x 1 - 203/14 Dahlgren SB |
|
Complement |
646 |
Project history: Largest class of US steam frigates.
Modernizations: by 10.1863, Minnesota: was armed with 1 x 1 - 203/18 150pdr Parrott rifled, 4 x 1 - 163/22 100pdr Parrott rifled, 1 x 1 - 278/15 Dahlgren SB, 42 x 1 - 229/15 Dahlgren SB
by 1865, Colorado: 1 x 1 - 278/15 Dahlgren SB, 1 x 1 - 203/18 150pdr Parrott rifled, 46 x 1 - 229/15 Dahlgren SB
Naval service: Merrimack was burned 20.4.1861 before evacuating the Norfolk Navy Yard to avoid capture by Confederates. Later her hull was used for building of first Confederate ironclad Virginia. Wabash served as receiving ship till November, 1912.
© Ivan Gogin, 2014