Artist impression while she never was launched.
Of the Kalamazoo-class designed by Benjamin F. Delano was she laid down on 1 November 1863 at the Philadelphia navy yard, completion stopped on 17 November 1865 although armour and engines placed, renamed Hecla on 15 June 1869 and on 15 June Nebraska and still on stocks broken up in 1874. This was probably mainly caused by the poorly seasoned wood which was used for the hull with as result that she rot while still on stocks. Her sister ships were the Kalamazoo, Passaconaway and Quinsigamond. These monitors were fitted out with two turrets and to be armed with 4-15”smoothbore guns. These turrets were protected by 10” armour, the sides by 6” and the deck by 3” armour. The machinery was designed by John Baird and were to exist of 2 2 cylinder horizontal direct-acting engines which added by 10 boilers drove 2 screws allowing a design speed of 10 knots. With a tonnage of 3,200 tons burden or a displacement of 5,660 tons were the dimensions 332’6” (between perpendiculars)-345’5” (over all) x 56’8”x 17’6”.
In the book Journey of the Common Council of the city of St. Louis to Pittsburgh…, (St. Louis, 1865) described Samuel Richard Weed 23 September during a visit to the yard on page 56 her as “Another big vessel, the Shackamaxon, is on the stocks, and will be a “scrouger”.”
