The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-05-01
Loss OF Lrrr-KExARKs on THE FIGHT.

OIL tue tulpplnB III l0t IOduss ALL prIudl ONhtI
property beside. Had she come a day sooner,
she would have saved two Of the nOblest frigates
in the service and hundreds of lives.
The loss Of life it is impossible to give. On
the Cumberland 1t is believed TO be about $50 !;
none Of the officers were lost. On the Congress,
Capt. Smith, it i probably about the same. 1T.
Joseph Smith was killed by a shot striking his
head. The Cumberland never struck her colOrs,
and fred "a broadside a. she went down. Those
who escaIed swan ashore or were rescued IN
small boats. The officers of the Congress only
were retained a. prisoners, the crew being allow
ed To 20 ashore. Company ID, of the Union
Coast Guard-Capt. Mcintyre and Lieut.. Elder
were a Iart of the crew on the Congress.
About 30 of The so men comprising the COM
pany have been accounted for. | understand
that Capt. l.. and LIEUT.. f, are prisoners Both
Frigates were fighting calamity, and hear esPe-
cal praise awarded to the officers OF the Cumber-
land, Capt Norris and Lieut.. Selfridge. Capt.
RadfDrd, Of the Cumberland, was at the Fortress
on special duty 1T the time the action commenced,
and though he took the quickest conveyance, he
did not reach Newport News till II was all over.
The loss on the Minnesota Is 3 killed and Is
wounded. the wounded being but slightly hurt.
On the Whitehall 3 were killed. During the ac-
ton to-day, the Jug Dragon received n shot in her
boiler and bluw up killing = men. Tho Monitor
lost none as l am 1T present advised neither did
she sustain any material injury; she il 4 complete
success. Lieut.. WOrden is deserving of the high
est praise for the truly heroic manner in which
he fought his new and novel ship. lie has rem
deTed a service To the country, which no sum in
dollars can repay. The Minnesota, Capt. Van
Brunt, sustained her high character she will
SION be rescued from her present position and
live to honor the cause of the Union. 1t is said
that a tug carrying ammunition to the Merrimac
was sunk early during the day.
Assistant Secretary OF the Navy, Fox, came by
the Baltimore boat this morning and witnessed
the battle. It WIS his intention to order the
Monitor away frUm here to another field. L be-
lieye he has concluded not to do SO. especially as
there is no certainty how soon the MeIrimac will
be repaired and pay US another visit, This is far
more doubtful than was the present visit of the
Merrimac. Three weeks ago Gen. Wool received
strictly Trustworthy information that she would
soon come out. This intelligence was sent specially
to the War and Navy departments, together with
every particular concerning her, at the same time
giving the Secretaries to understand that as we
were situated We would be ut her mercy. The
Monitor came a day or two later, followed by the
acting Secretary OF the navy, TO order her away.
Eight months the rebels have been preparing,
building batteries and putting iron clothing on
the Merrimac. We have seen one result of in
difference. Shall we see others?
FURTHER INCIDENTS OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
Eyewitness of this most extraordinary naval
engagement on record, say
AT Cd O'Clock on Sunday morning the Merri-
mac accompanied by the jamestown and York
town, and steamtugs came in sight, headed for
the Minnesota. A shot from the Monitor, which
steamed up to meet the Merrimac, surprised her
and she seemed to start back as if finding an I'M
welcome assailant.
From half past eight till ten minutes past twelve
the battle raged-the Pigs Point and Sewall's
Point batteries joined the rebel fleet in the assault
on the Monitor and Minnesota, which was assist
ed by the gunboat WHITEHALL, once u ferry-boat,
and one or two other vessels.
The interest of the contest conferred in the strug-
gle between the two iron-clad vessels, as the reb-
ell wooden boats kept their distance. and only
manifested themselves by an occasional shell, and
the Minnsota's brOadsides glanced off harmlessly
from the Merrimac's mailed planks.
The Monitor for nearly four hours steamed
round and round the Merrimac, sometimes at a
distance of half a mile, sometimes touching her,
constantly hammering her with immense shot from
her two guns. The effort was to hit her stern,
which was believed to be the heel of this Achil-
les but the Merrimac, aware of this, kept turn
ing, also trying to strike the Monitor with her
beak.
Once only the Monitor got into position behind
the Merrimac, but unfortunately, the current
didn't stop rotating at the right moment, and
the shot missed their work. In the course of the
fight the Monitor discharged from so to 80 shots
and the Merrimac, flying, rs some officers think,
a black flag, some 2U0. At length the Merrimac
retired with her consort.
Her stern seemed to observers to sink lower in
the water than when she came out. She was
towed off by the tugs, and some say that her crew
or n portion of them were seen upon her roof, as
if afraid she would go down. Lieut.. Worden,
commander of the Monitor, is sure that he put
three shots through her, and the general opinion
at Fortress Monroe is that she was disabled, but
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Fox, who was on
the ground, thinks otherwise.
The Monitor was entirely unframed. Not a
man was killed, and the only one injured was
Lieut.. Worden, whose face and eyes suffered
twice from the flame and iron particles from
shells bursting outside, which penetrated through
n small aperture into the pilOt-hOuse through
which he was directing the fight.
The crew and gunners felt thoroughly safe, so
inquire where the fight was going on. lie was
hard of hearing, and could not make it out below.
An English naval officer who saw the fight says
that no vessel in the British navy could withstand
the Monitor. 1t is believed that our loss both
days is not far from 500, including the missing.
Washington correspondence of March 10th
says -
Lieut.. Worden, who, still suffering from his
wounds, is in town staying ut the house of Lieut..
Henry n. Wise OF the Ordnance Bureau of the
Navy Department, with whom he came up this
morning. On his arrival in Baltimore, Gen. Dix
sent ON an ambulance to take him to the cars
and Mr.. Smith, Agent of Transportation, furn-
ished a special car To take him to Washington.
The President visited him to-day and expressed
the warmest sympathy with his sufferings, and
admiration of his bravery and skill. He will
be promoted, as he richly deserves to be. The
services of Assistant Secretary Fox and Lieut..
Wise, who arrived at old Point on Saturday
NIGHT wara invaln,hla