The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-05
THE MONITOR DISASTER.
Additional Details Of the Loss Of this
Celebrated Iron-Clad.
Names Of the Officers and
Crew Drowned.
Admiral Lees Despatch to Secre-
tary Wellss,
6e.. Ge., a

WAMMoroN, Jan. {, 1893.
mo following has bees 1eoeived at the Navy Depart
mont
HAMPTON RoADs, Jan. 3--oP.N.
To Hon GipsoS WALES. Secretary OF the Navy
The Monitor in tow Of the Rhode Island, passed Hat
Shoals Tuesday afternoon. The weather ns
and promising
About nine O'Clock p. NJ squaily weather commenced.
and about ten blew hard At past one A. NJ on
Wednesday the sls the Monitor having sprung alsak,
went down.
Commander Bankhsad and the officers and Of tho
Monitor behaved noby and made every effort TO save the
vessel
commander Trenchard, tho officers and crew Of thc
Rhode Island did everything In their power to rescue the
officers and crew Of tho Monitor.
Tho Rhode Island has Just arrived She passed the
Montauk at hafpast three O'Clock this morning. fifteen 20
twenty miles TO the northwest OF Hatteras doing we'll
weather fne. s. r. LEE,
Acting Rear Admiral
Tho first month OF the now year, 1852 saw tho ad.
the ron-clad battery Monitor, aud In the
month, year later called upon to chronic
her destruction. Like the Merimac Arkansas and Cairo
she herself famous in terrific battle, and was not
destined to be destroyed by enemy guns The Mon
butt very peculiar circumstances Wash
ington bockaded. rebel fleet threatened It, aud
rebel ron-clad almost ready to ruin wooden men
or.war toward the close Of 1851. In November espe
oialy things looked darkest Something must be done
on-cad built. The Monitor conceived and laid
upon tho stocks. There only indispensable atri
butte that belong to her-she must be strong and
formidable enough to meet iron-clad enemy The
Potomac quiet river, and raft could move on IL
better than frigats. "a raft, with fashioned
vessel upon IT," q naval writer describes her, was
built and the result Of her first encounter with Commo
dorc Tatnas famous vessel showed her builders knew
what they were about.
But there were very important matters connected
with her construction which not by any means
well understood In tho nrst place. she not exactly
ike the vessels that have been built upon the same
general theory many persons suppose from the fact
Of these latter ships having been frequently described
every particular the copy Of each other unless some
accident which has TO Go with the prnc
pe Of their construction than the laundering Of tho Persa
with plan Of her model What this accident has boon
remains be learned Not being needed Tor any such
pressing their "progenitor there was no
necessity Tor making seagoing requirements secondary
lighting efficiency Tho great point Of their SINH
ariy, besides begsrent attributes, Ia this: that, not
withdrawing the disaster tho Monitor both tho old
and the new vessels perfect fcboats at sea- which
cannot possibly founder The chief points Of difference
between the Mentor and her successors are;Frst the
Monitor had dead nat bottom, with sides sopng 1t an
anglo Of eighty degrees 70 the vertical line.
The new Monitors have ordinary midship section ,
and an ordinary rise OF flow. and round bge. They
possess what ship builders term ia very easy midship
BODY
Sscond-The turrets In the new Monitors are support
cd bulkheads, two and two Longitude
ones very heavily braced with what called "ange
bars.n
Tue turrst, therefore, OF tho Monitors ID much
more 6rny supported than In the original, where Is
kept up by only single bulkhesd, running the
vessel
7Aird-The overhapg at tho stern Of the old Monitor
also much greater than in the vessels The lat
ter therefore, subject 10 far less strain in way
than their famous predecessor.
F5,0AThe distinguishing point Of difference between
the two classes Of vessels however, 10 the impregnabIe
chimney OF the ones which neither DO affected
by shot, which the original one did not have
FVAThe fresh air for supplying the boilers and for
vcntatng purposes s taken through the top Of tho
turret in the shps instead Of being drawn through
trunks In the direct Monitor which extreme
~ liable 70 be carried away In a seawsy.
These changes introduced by Captain Ericsson in
trip Of tho Monitor and but for these difficulties the
provements would not have been made.
COMMANDER BASKHKAD.
Admiral lee mentions the gallant conduct Of Com
.nander Bankhead, Of tho Monitor Commander Bank.
head fun commander In the United States navy IIe
native OF North Carolina, and entered the navy 10 the
mouth Of August, 1885, J. N. A. Nichols0a, samuel
Marcy, c. NJ Faunsroy, and others graduated with him.
He attached at various times TO nearly all the ships
Of the old navy. and cruised the Mediterranean the
Africa and Byrout. In 1861 he temporarily
attached 70 the Coast Survey and rendered good service
the government white acting in such capacity. lie Is
Credited with twenty years actual service The
bravery and chivalrous conduct displayed by him while
commanding tho steam gunboat Pemblna marked him
tho 10 succeed wordsn In command Of the re-
nowned Monitor. Although native OF North Carolina,
Capt Bsnkhesd appointed from Virginia lie Is per
sonaly very popular. There not many men In the
navy superior 70 him 10 geographical knowicdge-a fact
TINT would seem his reliability In nsvigalOn
especially coast familiar 70 him that surround
ing Hstterss.
LIEUTENANT GREEN.
This young ,ficer who sends despatch quoted sa
native Of Maryland and acts Executive the Monitor
appointed from the state of Rhode Island sepem
Der. 1855 lie has, nevertheless, performed important
duty sincs that time and has Isss than ak years
active service 10 hn credit He allotted 10 the Hart
ford Commodore Farragurs flagship; but IL chiefly
known Ia the navy. and TO tho public generally for his
gallant service connection with Tho Monitor. lie
only mldshipmsn 1891. nd II not for time
honorcd rules which regulate promotions In bs naval
service, hs would be . captain By this time.
THs MODE IsLAsp.
will be observed that the dispatches record the oss
Of some Of the Rhode Islands oBcers and men This
ordered few days since 10 proceed 10 For
trcss Monron and convoy the Monitor her important
mission She did 60 took the ron-clad In tow, and Of
course htched 70 her BY hawser whom the unfor
tcnate disaster occurred II was doubtless attempting
release the fatal oopnecton that the boats and
cficers OF the convoy lost
The Rhode Island was recently converted into gun
boat. she formerly tho sidewheeI steamer EAse
Ia ti7 tons burden, two hundred and thrty-sir feet
Icng thirty sx feet wide and eighteen feet deep. se
purchased In New York the 18th u July. 1891
and cost $3.50 600 The ar-t business 10 which aha VA
put ~ tho Navy Department ,ha, supply steamer
snd transport In which capacity she performed efficient
service Assbe known 10 be fast, she converted