Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-09
MONITORS.

Two years ago there commenced a
struggle in Hampton Roads which sent a
thrill through the whole land, and COM
pletely revolutionized the whole world.
The Merrimac, upon which the rebels had
been so long and secretly working, made
her first hostile demonstrations towards
our shipping. and in less than three hours
brought down the Stars and Stripes from
two of our proudest men-of-war-the
Congress and the Cumberland. A battle
on the water is always terrific. The era
" motion of the vessel as she trembles
under the recol of her monster war-dogs
when they belch forth their fury-the en-
citing cheers of reviving courage-the
hum of shot and crash of shells, makes
up more exciting scene than ever can
occur on the battle field. But new fury
was added to the struggle which never
before was known to naval strife. The
great. heavy, iron Merrimac selected as it
were its victim. and then with demoniac
fury hurled against it shot and shell until
it was a perfect wreck. Then turned
on its comrade with the same fury and ef
feet, while the great heavy solid shot from
the two devoted vessels and from the
splendid, powerful Minnesota, glanced
from her sides without the least et-
feet. The terrible devastation made by
this iron monster showed that it was in
vulnerable to shot from the most powerful
wooden men-of-war atioat, and that It
could destroy fleet of them with impu-
nitv. But it was shortly to be shown
that she had an enemy at hand, smaller
bu; more powerful than herself. After
destroying the Congress and Cumberland,
the Merrimac retired for the night, TO
come down the next morning and demol-
ish in like manner the Minnesota, which
had grounded in trying to keep out Of
range of the monsters guns during the
first attack. But in the meantime Lieut..
Wordeu had arrived with his Monitor
the first of that powerful little class which
has since multiplied so rapidly-and then
at six o'clock in the morning commenced
such strife as the sea never before wit
messed. These two iron enemies belchcd
forth against each other miSSelS of tremen-
dous weight without the least apparent
effect. The contrast was as a pigmy to
giant. "and," says Captain Brunt, ''gun
after gun was fired by the Monitor, which
was answered by whole broadsideS from
the rebel. with no more apparent effect
than so many pebble stones thrown by a
child" For time there was pause in
the storm. Then the great iron monster
made another dash to get at the Mime
sofa. Here again let Capt. Brunt tell the
story:
By the time she had fred her third shell
the little Monitor had come down upon her,
placing herself between us, and compelling
her to change her position, in doing which
she grounded, and again l poured into her
all the guns that could be brought to bear.
As soon as she could get off she stood down
the bay, the little Monitor chasing her with
all speed"
From that day to this all the maritime
nations have been making prodigious ef-
forts to build these tremendous fighters.
This class of vessels so happily COM
menced building at that momentous pc
riod, and so efectually and successfully
tested, now guard all our coasts, from
Maine to the Rio Grande, and before this
time, but for an unforeseen accident, an
ironclad would have been protecting our
Pacific coast, and guarding the Golden
Gate. Forts may be strongly built, and
are, of course, in commanding situations
on narrow passages of the greatest value
but as a means of harbor and coast de-
fence, Monitors are now almost indispen-
sable.