Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-03-25
TIE MONITOR.

CAPTAIN ERICSSON.
CAPTAIN Ericsson, tho inventor OF the Mcni-
tr, IVES before the Now York Chamber OF
Commerce on Wednesday last, and made many
interesting statements.
He said: | have the great satisfaction to tell
the gentlemen that this morning, a few min
I,tes after Was called upon 70 attsnd this
meeting I 20. A letter from Mr.. Sinners. |
will na% Rad you Captain Sinners Ie.ter.
IRoN-cLAD MONITOR,
Hampton Roads, March 8.
my Dear Sir: Aftor a stormy passage,
! which proved US to to be the finest sea. boat !
was ever in, We fought tho Mcrrimsc for moro
than three hours this forenoon, and sent per
back 10 Norfolk ia a sinking condition. Iron.
clad against iroG-clad. We manlvred about
the bay here, and went at each other with Inu.
tusl ierceness. consider that both ships
wero well fought We were struck twenty-five
tilnes-pilot house twice, turre! nine times,
aije aruior eight times, deck three times. The
only vulnerable point was tho pilot house
One OF your great logs (nine by twelve inches
outside Of @hcrs the captain had his eye, aud it
bss disabled him by destroying his left aye,
sud temporarily binding the other"
Iildl IL pitNCo tus NV " DS 6O. IL "a,
imagined at first that his eye was lost.
"Ths log is rot qlite in two, but is broken
and pressed inward ] inches"
This shoas the immense force OF these shots.
THIS beam is 8 inches By II, and of the best
aruugn; iron. This gives nm idea of the diff
Guilty Of resisting thcs. SHOT, and yrt We nave
succeeded in The turret in doing so.
"Shs tried 10 run Us down, and sink us as
IL Ia 49,. ll,t,-l ~ 49,. IT,.
go, tho worst Of it. Her bow passed over our
deck, and our sharp, upper. edged Side cut
through the light iron shoe upon her stem, and
w%oEinto her oak. She will not try that again.
She gave Us a tremendous thup.p, but did not
injaF US i'll the least. We are jus. l5ie to fird
the k1int OF contact"
Tia IS gratifying, that after such 4 c2ucus-
sion IL WIS d flcutt to SEES where shr struck
Der.
"UAo lurret is G s%plohd;i structure. don't
Think much OF The shield, but the pcrduiums
arc linz things, though ]lcannot tell gau how
Lhe7 %ouid stand the shot. rs ttisS were not
hit
The shield is All tylr. Thickness. oi iwp
inches on the fighting side. 1t VAS placed
thcro' principally on account Of tho sound. |
vas sfrsii that the force OF the shock would
KNOCK the mth down.
"iGi wore very correct III your estimate OF
the eject Of shot upon the man on tho inside
N thu tnrrct when il was struck near him.
Three men we're knocked down, Of VIRGIN ]
vas ME the other two had 10 DO carried be-
low, but Hns aot disabled ut all, and the utn.
ors recovered before the ba.;.u WAS over"
Before the Monitor left | charged the officer
particularly to tell the men not TO be frighterl-
ed. Fold him to tsll the ncr,, let eyery maa
60 dGEi Oil biz knees, and don't be alarmed
when tho 7eb2l sho. strikes y0u. because j.
won'rGurt YOU. They al! pm. III: question 10
hin, ''Ton't the sao; 60 through" M"
saga III, iii wIll 3taT ou!." Then so don't
cars r=y ss.i. But for ihls precautlon
there would have been great Consideration
when he turrct wcs struck. You may cSti-
mate tie shock when Ii SHOT o; 200 pounds
weight moving ut the rato Of 2,C00 feet in a
second, strikes within 4 loot Of a mans head.
"Uat. Worlen stationed himself Ut the
pilot hose, Green fred tho guns, and ! turned
the turlet, until the Captain VAS disabled, and
was relevel by Greene, when | managed The
turret nyscli, Master Stuldrn having been
one of tic Two stunned men"
~proi0:si 10 the captain III I.t the sailing
master tIrn the turret. o. ona side OF tho
lucret hero ia a telescope, a reflector. the
ilnsse being hert by q frisn. This calling
%lIastcr, Who has nothing to 10 Oh he Monitor,
| proposed SHOULD be stationed theIa. He not
only locked throug}: the telescope, but by
meana oil n small rhee!! he turned the turrct
Just ex1ui7 where he liked. H. did that tn
admirs!hn, pointing il 2.crly On the anemy.
As the Norjt0r 1ant round, the li'ret KEEP
turning 1T 90 doubt astGaished Gspi. Euchan.
an,) 60 tln. wheraStr tie Monitor was, in what
eyer position it was placed, the lEo bull dogs
kept iouling at HIM all the time.
Qattain Ericsson, | congratulate you upon
your grHt succlas. THOUSANDS have :hls day
bic SD you. | haze heard whole creSs cheer
you. Es.ry mun leeIs that yGu have saved
ts,i, ,1ner TO tiu Nation by furnishing ui]ith
the mR.hs to whip IN iron ciad lrisata thai
wIs, nntiI our arrival, having it all hnr o*n
way ailkL our m0St powerful vessels.
/ am, with much es;ecm,
Very truly yours,
ALLAN G.. SGiMEHi.
! Uhpt. J E,ics4ol, NJ. rs franklin street, II. Y.
| caanut permit this opportunity to pass
without .ur ing tha. | lWuk upon the SUCCESS pf
that as being entirely owing to the presence OF
. master mind. The men were new; their PISS
sage mad heeD very rough, and tho master hsd
10 out bis vessel Iisli: undor tho hca:iu1t
guns that avs ever worked ca ship board. IL
IS evident that bat for the presence Of a nno-
ter mind on bjard Of that Vessel, that success
could not have been achieved. Captain Wor-
den, nn doubt acquitted himself in tho most
mastery msnnrr. But everything was quite
iew. Il. f:lt quite nervous before Re Ttlt On
beard. Tho fact that the bnlwark Of tine Ye.i-
sci was but one foot above the water l!ne wa;
enough to make bin so. When | was Delort
the Naval Committee, the grand Objection Tas
that in sca-way the vessel would not work. ]
ave il as my opinion that il would prove the
most easy working in sea~ay, and it is au OK
~ce!lent sea-ttst. The men are supplied with
fresh air, though there is NO opening except
through The turret, hy lnaaIs 9 fblo~ais worked
by the engines, aud theg ale perfectly com-
tortshla
They GIN remain on the top OF the turreL III
the Sea way; it IL sixty four feet in circum-
ference-qaito d promenade. Though the
tioch il but a foot above tho water line, the
top Of tue turret is nine feet above; and here is
| the important point, that this vessel is, in the
sss way, perhaps the ssiust vessel ever built.
Il takes 60, Coz pounds to bring her down
| There can be 80 danger Of her swnmping. II
is very much like s. bottle with a cork in it.
In relation to Inc point, whether the Monitor
is capable Of taking care OF the Msrrinlc, let
me say that sho would have sunk tic
Merrimac but for the fact of her having fired
too high. If they had kept of at a distance
OF 900 yartis, hnd held the gun exactly level,
the SHOT would have gone clean through.
But Mr.. Sinners had the guns elevated a
little, and the root OF the Merrimac is So strong
| that the balls rebonnied. Nazt Tins they IN.
counter The Msrrinac they will lsave the guns
level aud they won't mind if the ball strikes
the water, bscausc the ri:uchht will taiie II
where they want it. rns next time they 80
out I predict the third round will .sihli thu
M,rrimac. There is another great point
! They had 90 wrought iron shot which were
not used. Captain Dshlgren issued percup,,
- A-Aa.. 49, .hnn nhnrId nnt be rs.d and