THE MONITOR IN ACTION. better related than in the simple, authentic narrative of the officer whom we have just cited. Certainly, as an interested observer of the proceedings, no one could have better claims to attention than the commander of the beleaguered Minnesota, while he recounts those anxious hours of the fight, when the lives of his crew and the existence of his noble ship hung upon the issue. "At six o'clock," says he, "the enemy again appeared, coming down from Craney Island, and I beat to quarters, but they ran past my ship and were heading for Fortress Monroe, and the retreat was beaten, to allow my men to get something to eat. The Merrimac ran down near the Rip-Raps, and then turned into the channel, through which I had come. Again all hands were called to quarters, and opened upon her with my stern guns and made signal to the Monitor to attack the enemy. She immediately ran down in my wake, right within the range of the Merrimac, completely covering my ship as far as was possible with her diminutive dimensions, and, much to my astonishment, laid herself right alongside of the Merrimac, and the contrast was that of a pigmy to a giant. Gun after gun was fired by the Monitor, which was returned with whole broadsides from the rebels, with no more effect apparently than so many pebble-stones thrown by a child. After a while they commenced manuvering, and we could see the little battery point her bow for the rebels, with the intention, as I thought, of sending a shot through her bow porthole, then she would shoot by her and rake her through her stern. In the meantime the rebels were pouring broadside after broadside, but almost all her shot flew over the little submerged propeller, and when they struck the bomb-proof tower the shot glanced off without producing any effect, clearly establishing the fact that wooden vessels can not contend successfully with iron-clad ones, for never before was anything like it dreamed of by the 305 greatest enthusiast in maritime warfare. The Merrimac, finding that she could make nothing of the Monitor, turned her attention once more to me in the morning. She had put one 11-inch shot under my counter, near the water-line, and now on her second approach I opened upon her with all my broadside guns and 10inch pivot-a broadside which would have blown out of water any timberbuilt ship in the world. She returned my fire with her rifled bow-gun with a shell, which passed through the chief engineer's stateroom, through the engineer's messroom amidships, and burst in the boatswain's room, tearing four rooms all into one, in its passage exploding two charges of powder, which set the ship on fire, but it was promptly extinguished by a party headed by my first lieutenant. Her second went through the boiler of the tugboat Dragon, exploding it and causing some consternation on board my ship for the moment, until the matter was explained. This time I had concentrated upon her an incessant fire from my gundeck, spar-deck, and forecastle pivotguns, and was informed by my marine officer, who was stationed on the poop, that at least fifty solid shot struck her on her slanting side without producing any apparent effect. By the time she had fired her third shell, the little Monitor had come down upon her, placing herself between us, and compelled her to change her position, in doing which she grounded, and again I poured into her all the guns which could be brought to bear upon her. As soon as she got off she stood down the bay, the little battery chasing her with all speed, when suddenly the Merrimac turned around and ran full speed into her antagonist. For a moment I was anxious, but instantly I saw a shot plunge into the iron roof of the Merrimac, which surely must have damaged her, for some time after the rebels concentrated their whole battery upon the tower and pilothouse of the Monitor, and soon after the latter stood down for Fortress Monroe, and we thought it probable she had sage, which proved us to be the finest exhausted her supply of ammunition or sea-boat I was ever in, we fought the sustained some injury. Soon after, the Merrimac for more than three hours this Merrimac and the two other steamers forenoon, and sent her back to Norfolk headed for my ship, and I then felt to the in a sinking condition. Iron-clad against fullest extent my condition. I was hard iron-clad. We manuvered about the bay and immovably aground, and they could here and went at each other with mutual take position under my stern and rake fierceness. I consider that both ships me. I had expended most of my solid were well fought. We were struck shot, and my ship was badly crippled, twenty-two times: pilot-house twice, turand my officers and men were worn out ret nine times, side armor eight times, with fatigue; but, even in this extreme deck three times. The only vulnerable dilemma, I determined never to give up point was the pilot-house. One of your the ship to the rebels, and, after consult-great logs (nine by twelve inches thick) ing my officers, I ordered every prepara- is broken in two. The shot struck just tion to be made to destroy the ship after outside of where the captain had his eye, all hope was gone to save her. On and it has disabled him by destroying his ascending the poop-deck, I observed that left eye and temporarily blinding the the enemy's vessels had changed their other. The log is not quite in two, but course, and were heading for Craney is broken and pressed inward one and a Island; then I determined to lighten the half inches. She tried to run us down ship by throwing overboard my 8-inch and sink us, as she did the Cumberland guns, hoisting out provisions, starting yesterday, but she got the worst of it. water, etc. At two o'clock P. M. I pro- Her bow passed over our deck, and our ceeded to make another attempt to save sharp upper-edged side cut through the the ship by the use of a number of pow-light iron shoe upon her stem and well erful tugs and the steamer S. R. Spaulding kindly sent to my assistance by Captain Talmadge, Quartermaster at Fortress Monroe-and succeeded in dragging her half a mile distant, and then she was again immovable, the tide having fallen. At two o'clock this morning, I succeeded in getting the ship once more afloat, and am now at anchor opposite Fortress Monroe." To this interesting narrative we may add a spirited letter, giving an account of what was going on within the Monitor, written by Chief Engineer Alvan C. Stimers, of the United States service, who was on board, in the capacity of Government inspector. It was addressed to the inventor, Mr. Ericsson, and was read by him, with comments, before the Chamber of Commerce in New York, a few days after the action. It is dated "Iron-Clad Monitor, Hampton Roads, March 9, 1862," and thus reads: "MY DEAR SIR: After a stormy pas into her oak. She will not try that again. She gave us a tremendous thump, but did not injure us in the least. We are just able to find the point of contact. "The turret is a splendid structure. I don't think much of the shield; but the pendulums are fine things, though I can not tell you how they would stand the shot, as they were not hit. You were very correct in your estimate of the effect of shot upon the man inside of the turret when it was struck near him. Three men were knocked down, of whom I was one; the other two had to be carried below, but I was not disabled at all, and the others recovered before the battle was over. Captain Worden stationed himself at the pilot-house, Greene fired the guns, and I turned the turret until the Captain was disabled and was relieved by Greene, when I managed the turret myself, Master Stodden having been one of the two stunned men. 'Captain Ericsson, I congratulate you WORKING OF THE MONITOR. 307 upon your great success. Thousands had used the wrought-iron shot with have this day blessed you. I have heard which she was provided-they were whole crews cheer you. Every man forged in square blocks and afterward feels that you have saved this place to turned by a lathe, each ball weighing one the nation by furnishing us with the hundred and eighty-four pounds, and means to whip an iron-clad frigate, that were not employed by direction of Capwas, until our arrival, having it all her tain Dahlgren, in consequence of his Own way with our most powerful guns not having been tested for the purpose the armor of the Merrimac would have proved no defence against them. He confidently predicted that in another encounter between the two vessels the Merrimac would be sunk.* vessels." เ Happily the statement made with respect to Captain Worden's loss of sight proved to be incorrect. That officer, though stunned by the concussion and blinded by some loosened cement, in a short time recovered from the injury. On his first rallying from his insensibility, he asked if the Minnesota was safe, and being informed that he had not only preserved that ship, but driven off the Merrimac, he replied, "I don't care then what becomes of me." He was taken to Washington, where he was visited by the President who was moved to tears at the sight of this suffering defender of the nation. In explanation of one or two points of the letter, Mr. Ericsson stated that the "log" alluded to was of wrought iron of the best material. The "shield" spoken of was an extra thickness of two inches on the fighting side of the tower. Of the effect of the concussion in knocking the men down within, he remarked, "Before the Monitor left, I charged the officer particularly to tell the men not to be frightened. I told him to tell the men, Let every man go down on his knees, and don't be alarmed, when the rebel shot strikes you, because it wont hurt you. They all put the question to him, ' Wont the shot go through?' 'No,' says he; it will stay out.' Then we don't care,' they said. But for this precaution there would have been great consternation when the turret was struck. You may estimate the shock, when a shot Lieutenant Worden, a native and citiof two hundred pounds' weight, moving zen of New York, entered the navy as a at the rate of two thousand feet in a sec- midshipman in 1834. At the breaking ond, strikes within a foot of a man's head." out of the rebellion, it will be rememIn regard to "turning the turret," he bered, he was sent as a bearer of dismade this explanation: "On one side of patches to Captain Adams of the Sabine the turret there is a telescope, or reflect- in reference to the reinforcement of Fort or, the image being bent by a prism. Pickens, and was arrested on his return The sailing-master, having nothing to do, and held as a prisoner for some months was to turn the turret. He not only until his exchange. His presence of looked through the telescope, but, by mind and energy peculiarly fitted him means of a small wheel, turned the tur- for the novel and responsible position of ret exactly where he liked. He did that commander of the Monitor. If he were to admiration, pointing it exactly on the a trebly brave man, as the poet tells us, enemy. As the Monitor went round, the who first trusted himself in a frail bark turret kept turning, (it no doubt aston- to the winds and waves of the Adriatic, ished Captain Buchanan,) so that, wher- something, certainly, of confidence was ever the Monitor was, in whatever posi- required in a crew experimenting in the tion it was placed, the two bull-dogs kept midst of wintry storms on the Atlantic looking at him all the time." Mr. Ericsson further remarked that, if the Monitor of Commerce.-Tribune, March 13, 1862. Report of a special meeting of the New York Chamber ** or facing the enemy in a stifling submerged iron case, from which the only exit was by a narrow aperture through a turret. ance of the youth, inspected his drawings, and pronounced these memorable words of encouragement, "Continue as you have commenced, and you will one Lieutenant Worden was succeeded in day produce something extraordinary." the command of the Monitor, on the 13th, An appointment to a cadetship in the corps by Lieutenant W. M. Jeffers, Lieuten- of engineers, with a rigorous training in ant Selfridge from the Cumberland hav-mathematics, followed, and then at the ing performed this duty in the interval. age of twelve a responsible position as This officer had been recently in charge surveyor, or leveller, on the works then of the gunboat Underwriter at the taking in progress of Count Platen's favorite of Roanoke Island and the engagement enterprise, the Grand Ship Canal, conat Elizabeth City, and had distinguished necting the North Sea with the Baltic. himself by his gallantry and seamanship. In this capacity, we are told, while he He was appointed by Commodore Golds- was not tall enough to look through the borough, the commander of the depart- levelling instruments, but was obliged to ment, with whom he had just arrived at mount a stool carried by an attendant Fortress Monroe from the squadron of for the purpose, he superintended the gunboats in the waters of North Caro- labors of six hundred men. At sevenlina. His intimate acquaintance with all teen, much to the disappointment of his relating to ordnance and gunnery, it was patron, the Count, he left these mechanithought, particularly qualified him for cal duties for the army, which he entered the position. as ensign. He was soon, by the aid of his scientific skill, raised to a lieutenancy, a military map, which he had produced, deciding the point in his favor. We then find him engaged, under orders of the government, as a surveyor of a large district of northern Sweden; while the time at his disposal in the intervals of this active duty was employed in laboriously illustrating an extensive work on canals, for which he drew the plans, and constructed a machine for engraving them. We may turn a moment from the invention to the inventor himself. The story of his life is full of interest. It is one of those demonstrations of the force of genius which impels its possessor, through a persevering career of toil, to struggle with reluctant nature till he has forced from her, for some great end of usefulness to the world, the secret of her mighty energies. Born in 1803, in the province of Vermeland, in the iron-producing mountain region of Sweden, the son of a mining proprietor, John Erics- In the midst of these engagements, he son was familiar from his cradle with the struck upon a theory of producing a moelementary processes and elaborate ma- tive power by the condensation of flame, chinery connected with the first working which he illustrated in an experiment, of the material, of which he was to be- the success of which led to his visiting come, in after years, so skillful an artifi- England in the spring of 1826 with the cer. He exhibited a rare mechanical intention of carrying it into effect on a talent even in his boyhood. At the larger scale. But there proved to be early age of ten, he planned and model- practical difficulties in the way, and he led with his own hands a miniature saw- was compelled after various trials and mill, and constructed tools of his own in- considerable expenditure to relinquish vention to put in shape new designs of his design. Ericsson, however, was not his own contrivance. This precocity long to be without a triumph on his new came to the hearing of the eminent theatre of exertion. In 1829, he planned Count Platen, who made the acquaint- a steam-boiler on the principle of artifi |