Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-01-16
The Loss of the Monitor.
ACCOUNT BY SURVIVING OFFICER.

ACCOUNT BY A SURVIVING OFFICER.
The following account of the loss of
the Monitor is related by Assistant Sur
geon G. M. Weeks, one of the survivors
of the wreck of that noted vessel, and
published in N. Y. paper. The doc
tor had his right hand shattered and bis
arm disabled in attempting to prevent a
collision between the whaleboat and
launch of the Rhode Island, while en-
gagged in taking the officers and crew off
the deck of the sinking Monitor:
"The Moaitor, in tow of the steamer
Rhode Island. started from Fortress
Monroe about 3 o'clock on Monday af-
ternoon, Dec. 29th. The Passaic, in tow
of the steamer State of Georgia, had
gone out some time before, and was per-
haps ten miles at sea. On board of the
Monitor were 63 persons all told. The
sea was calm and smooth as glass, and
the weather warm and pleasant. The
vessels proceeded at the rate of five or
six knots an hour, with a percepiible
motion less than that of any other YES
sci. Everything seemed auspicious for
q pleasant trip, and at night all went be-
low to sleep. Then they began to ex-
perience the effects of close air.
In the interior of the Monitor, as will
be remembered by description, a few
feet forward OF the smoke-staek to the
stern is located the machinery, fire-room,
&c. Under the turret, and few feet
forward of the main hatch, is the place
occupied by the sailors. Still further
forward is the cabin and ward-room.-
This is lighted by turret holes. Around
this are four large rooms, say z by s
feet, and four smaller ones by 8 feet,
occupied by the officers. She had biow-
er engines put in at Washington for the
purpose of drawing all the air possible
through the holes of the turret and the
blower-stacks.
With the exception noted OF the close
ness Of air, which indeed was almost in
supportable, there was nothing to mar
the comfort of the first night. The next
morning broke beautifully, but with a
light breeze that smashed up little waves
against the turret, just enough TO make
small rainbows when the sun was shi-
ming upon the bows. So the weather
Thursday afternoon, when it became
cloudy, and as the sky grew darker it
was thought they might have rain. Soon
the wind, however, cleared all the clouds
away, and they thought there would be
agreeable weather all the way down -
but later in the afternoon, Cat . O'clock
il commenced TO blow.
AT 6 o'clock they stood S. S. w. from
Hatteras Light having cleared the Cape,
the breeze fresbing more and more, but
no apprehensions being felt of a gale
About z they discovered the Passac
some three or four miles to the north
east. When they saw the Passaic thus
in the stern, she having been ten miles
ahead at the start, all on board the Mon
tor could not but feel pride that she
was the first there, as everywhere else
that she was the first iron-clad that had
rounded Cape Hatteras, as she led in
naval achievements. The conclusion
was arrived at that the storm had not
overtaken them, and therefore that it
was not necessary to run toward HATTIE
ras Inlet.
The breeze was blowing pretty fresh
ly and increasing in violence, but there
were indications in the west of its clear
iUB Ou uLtil uUOut o v CtuCh, Wutu III AilC
space of few minutes, storm oe wind
and rain gathered in the southwest,
the wrath of the waves augmenting,
with a sea so rough that it began TO dash
against the tower, throwing up fountains
that leaped 80 or 40 feet in the air, wash
ing all over the turret. The fury of the
storm kept on, every wave dashing over
the whole vessel from stem to stern, and
entering at every creyice intended for
the admission of air. The vessel was
thumped about in manner indescriba-
BILE. The rain lasted from quarter to
half an hour, but the gale ragged even
more intensely than before.