The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-03-28
A VISIT TO THE MONITOR.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERIOR AND
EXTERIOR.


Effect Of the Balls OF the Merrimac.
Correspondence of the Baltimore American
FORTRESS MONROE, March Is, 1862.
VISIT TO THE MONITOR.
had the pleasure to-day of accompany
lng Lieutenant VIM. M. LETTERS vixen he
proceeded, under orders from Commodore
Goldsborough, to take command of the
Monitor, and relieve Lieutenant >SeIfridge,
of the Cumberland, who had been appointed
temporarily in the absence of Lieutenant
w orden. AS we approached this novel
naval wonder l was struck with the pertness
OF the Norfolk description OF her as ga
Yankee cheese box on a raft" 1t gives a
better idea Of her appearance than any Of
the engravings or descriptions in the New
York papers.
They all fail to afford correct idea of
the general appearance OF the vessel, and
especially when she is in action. She is
oval shaped, l72 feet long, and Al feet in
width at the center. Her hull rises perpen-
dicularly out of the water, as straight all
around as the sides of stone wall, and as
flat on the top as table, without any rail
or guards around her. She has two square
smoke stacks, about seven feet in height,
but IN time of action these are removed,
and the smoke and steam come through
CRATES in the deck, the iron OF which is
about eight inches thick. Nothing remains
on her deck but the pilot house, which is a
square iron statue, about three feet high,
and about the size of an ordinary dry goods
box. When walking her deck, although
anchored at the end of Hampton Bar,
where the sea is quite rough, not the slight
est motion of the waves could be felt. Her
deck is as firm and steady as rock. This
position, half way between Newport News
and Sellers Point, has been chosen in order
to keep watch and ward over the M=rrimac,
should she make another attempt to visit
the Roads. Steam is oil the time kept up,
and a man on the lockout with glass keeps
a constant watch from the top of the tower.
The tower rises about nine feet high from
the deck, and looks, when close to it, like
large gasometer or gas holder. On closely
examining it, however, you fnd that its
sides and top are about one foot thick,
whilst the whole tower is % feet in dame
ter, and that it has two Oval.shaped ports
holes, close together on one side, not more
than two feet apart, and not more than
three feet above the deck. The interior of
the tower exhibits still stronger the superior
strength of the vessel. There is solidity
about it that makes the thought of any
earthly power disturbing its movements or
penetrating its interior seem simply ridicu-
lous. An examination of this part of the
vessel explains the confidence which her off,
GERS and men have in her entire and complete
invulnerability. They say" We fear moth
ing on land or water, and are ready, when
ever the order is given, to proceed direct to
Norfolk or Richmond"
INTERIOR OF THE TOWER.
The guns set side and side in the centre
of the tower, and are intended TO be fired
simultaneously, the close proximity of the
muzz!es of the two guns enabling the two
balls to strike the sides of the enemy in SIM
liar proximity to each other The moment
the guns are fired two immense pillars OF
steel, on the inside, about six feet long, be
fore the portfolios, completely closing them
and protecting the gunners from the balls of
the enemy.
EFFECTS OF THE SHOT
There are marks on the tower and hui! of
about twenty balls, and some of them seem
to have struck the tower fair and square
with no more apparent effect than could be
produced by the blow Of sedge~hammer
The paint is rubbed off, and if reprinted
it would be difficult to discover where most
of the shots struck. The gunners of the
enemy seem, however, to have early aban-
doned the attempt to damage the tower,
though most of their balls even there were
aimed at the port holes, three striking in
close proximity. Two of the six or seven
marks on the tower are said to have been
accidental shots from the guns of the Min
nesOta.
The greater part of the shot marks are
on the edge of the hull, which it should be
remembered, does not rise more than twelve
inches out of the water. They seem to
have been under the impression that there
must be a weak spot underneath the water
line, and they hammered away all round,
but here too the invuinerabiity of the Mon
itor was equally great, and the indentations
are only to the extent of fraction of an
iuCus 1uVtO 10 cuolI IL dCtuLC vi luC CUSc
of the iron at one point, which only serves
to show its great strength at point which
might be supposed to be weakest.
The shot that struck the square pilot
house did little more than knock the cement
out. Had the pilot house been round in-
stead OF square, as it is now proposed to
make it, the ball would have glanced and
lost half Of its force aud failed to injure the
eyes of the gallant commander. He is,
however, am pleased to learn, rapidly re-
covering. The retiring of the Merrimac
from the contest with her insignificant an.
tagonist is not to be wondered at, when the
exercise OF all the power she possessed for
five hours, had done little more than deface
her paint. The attempt of the Merrimac
to run her down left no mark on the iron,
except some splinters from her timbers,
which are sticking to nut and screw on
her hull. She struck her precisely amid
ships, directly opposite the centre of the
tower, and this experiment having SO en-
tirely failed, it was evident that no hopes
could be entertained from its repetition.
WHAT THE GUNNERs SAY.
bad conversation with the gunners,