Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-17

The taxes in principle, unjustly discrimina-
ting against the poor and humble consumer, in
favor of those who have the means to purchase
the more costly luxuries.--Chicago Post.
Capt. Ericsson's Account of his Iron
plated ship, before tho Chamber of
Commerce, New York.
CAPT. ERIcssoN's STATEMENT.
Capt Ericsson, at the invitation of the Cham
Der. arose, and received with applause. He
said: have the great satisfaction to tell the gen.
tlemen that this morning, few minutes after
was called upon to attend this meeting, got
letter from Mr. sinners. l sent a copy of il TO
the Erening Post, so that the press should have
it this morning. | will now read you Captain
Sinners letter:
Iron. CLAD MONITOR,
Hampton Roads, March 3, Is62{
My DEAR SR-After stormy passage, which
proved us to be the finest sea boat was ever in
we fought the Merrimac for more than three
hours this afternoon, and sent her back to Nor
iolk in sinking condition. Iron-clad against
irun-clad. We unanswered about the bay here
and went at each other with mutual fercene-s.
| consider that both ships were well fought We
were struck twenty two times-pilot-house twice,
tnrret nine times, sde-armor eight times, deck
three times. The only vulnerable point was the
pilot house. One of your great logs % by IL
Just outside of where the captain had his eye, and
it has disabled him by destroying his left eye and
temporarily binding the other.
That is proved since not to be 1t was
imagined at first that his eye was lost
The log is not quite in two, but is broken and
pressed inward l y inches.
This shows the immense force of these shots
This beam is inches by IL, and of the best
wrought iron. This gives idea of the diff
Guilty of resisting these shot, and yet we have
succeeded in the turret in doing SO.
She tried to run us down, and sink US as she
did the Cumberland yesterday, but she get the
worst of it. Her bow passed over our deck, and
our sharp, upper edged side cut through the light
shoe upon her stem, and well into her oak. She
will not try that again. She gave tremen-
dous thump, but did not injure us in the least
We are just able to find the point of contact.
THAT is gratifying, that after such concus-
sion il was difficult to see where she struck her
The turret is splendid structure. | don't
think much of the shield, but the penduums
fine things, though | can not tell you how they
would stand the shot, as they were not hut
The shield is an extra thickness of two inches
on the fighting side. 1t was placed there princi
pally on account of the sound / was afraid that
the force OF the shock would knock the men
down.
You were very correct in your estimate of the
effect of shot on men on the inside of the turret
when it was struck him. Three men were
knocked down. of whom | was one; the other
two had to be carried below, but was not dis
abled at all, and the Others recovered before the
battle was over.
Before the Monitor left, / charged the officer
particularly to tell the men not TO be frightened.
l told him to tell the men; let every man get
down on his knees, and don't be alarmed when
the rebel shot strikes you, because il won't hurt
you. They all put the question to him, Wont
the shot go througha' NO." says he, sit will
stay out. "Then we don't care" they said.
But for this precaution their would have been
great CONSERVATION Shen the turret was struck.
| You may estimate the shock when shot of
200 pounds weight, moving at the rate of 1000
! feet in second strikes within foot of a mans
head
Captain Worden stationed himself at the pilot
house. Greene fired the guns, and / turned the
turret until the Captain disabled, and was
lieved by Greene, when / managed the turret
myself, Master Stodden having been one of the
two stunned men.
| RI proposed to the Captain to let the sailing
master turn the turret. On one side of the tur-
ret there is telescope, reflector, the image be-
ing bent by a prism. This sailing master, who
has nothing TO do on board the Monitor. | pro-
posed that he should be stationed there. He not
only looked through the telescope, but by means
of small wheel he turned the turret just ex
actiy where he liked. He did that to admiration,
pointing it exactly on the enemy As the Mont
tor went round the turret kept turning Git no
doubt astonshed Captain Buchanan), so that
wherever the Monitor was. in whatever position
it was placed the two bulldogs kept looking at
him all the time
| Capt Ericsson, i congratulate you upon your
great success Thousands have this day blessed
you / have heard whole crews cheer you.
Every man feels that you have saved his place to
the Nation by furnishing us with the means 10
whip an iron-clad frigate that was, until arri
val, having it all her own way with our most
powerful vessels. am, with much esteem, very
| truly yours, ALBAN &. SINNERS.
Capt j. Ericsson, No. 95 Franklin street,
New York.
cannot, said Capt. E permit this opportunity
to pass without saying that look upon the sue
cess of that as being entirely owing TO the pres
ence of a master mind The men were new;
their passage had been very rough. and the mas
ter had to put his vessel right under the heaviest
guns that are ever worked on shipboard 1t is
evident that but for the presence of master
mind on board that vessel, that success could not
have been achieved. Capt. Worden, doubt,
acquitted himself in the most mastery manner.
But everything quite new. he felt quite
nervous before he went ON board. The fact that
the bulwark of the vessel was but one foot above
the water line was enough 10 make him so. When
Il
objection was that in way the vessel would
not work. | gave it as my opinion that itwouid
prove the most easy working in sea way, and it
| is an excellent sea boat. The men supplied
with fresh air, though there is no opening save
through the turret, By means of blowers worked
by the engines, and they perfectly comforta-
ble They can remain on the top of the turret IN
the sea-way; it is sixty-four feet in circumfer-
ence-quite promenade Though the deck is
but a foot above the water line. the top OF the
turret is nine feet above aud here is the import
ant point, that the vessel is in the sea way per-
haps the safest ever built. II takes go 600 lbs
TO bring her down. There can be no danger Of
her swampng. 1t is very much like bottle
with cork in il. In relation TO the point wheth'
er the Monitor is capable of taking care OF the
M.rrimac, let me say that she would have sunk
the Merrmac but for the fact of her having bred
too high. If they had kept off at distance OF
900 yards, and held the gun exactly level, the
shot would have gone clear through. But Mr..
Sinners had the guns elevated a little, and the
roof Of the Merrimac IS so strong that the balls
rebounded Next time they encounter the Mer-
rimac they will leave the guns level, and they
won't mind if the ball strikes the water, because
the ricochet will take it where they want it, The
next time they go out, predict the third round