New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-18
MR., cRLsWOLD AND NAVAL CONTRACTS
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING OF THE PrRsr
MONITOR.

Inc IolloWmg facts touching the cOntracts
made and executed by the Hon. John A. GriswoId 10,
Government ironcad vessels during the Rebellion a.
published in The Troy Daily Times OF last Saturday Tbs
completely indicate Mr.. Grswod's course and re,n,s
the charges which have been brought against him nv ,h
Copperhead press lately. The Times says: III, WosI
outraged that it should have been claimed for Mr. Or
void that his private means were used in budng n.
first Monitor While re AiSeny Args j. in trouble thai
and was not made bankrupt by his s2
forts to sustain the National credit In paldins
these papers call for statement Of OF tho fact.
connected with the building OF the Monitors In the fscs
Of much opposition Is well known, Congress passed
bin which was approved by the President on Augusta
1851 the first section Of which directed the Secretary N
the Navy "to appoint board OF three skllfu naval
officers to investigate the plans and specifications sub
mted for the construction or completing Of iron-cIad
it be favorable the Secretary OF the Navy will one
more arnored or iron or steeiclad steamships float
ing steam batteries 70 be built and there is hereby
appropriated out Of any money in the Treasury nd,
S3s a9 agT e ssahy 9 Of Rs Navy az
Commodores Joseph Smith aud H. Paaldng and Capt
c. H. Davis as such Naval Board. A few weeks laier
John A. Grswold. @ s. Bushnell, and John f. WmsIov
closed a contract at Washington with the Governments
the Navy Department and Naval Board the claims Of AZ
iron clad vessel Of which they had model coHstruetsa
By oa E2 Mas Tine an MAS a TSt e Es @ s.e
dent Lincoln, AFTER the President much utter.
meeting at the Navy Department they should pre-
sent the model THIS meeting was held and attended By
Navy Department on September l6, 1901 the Naval
Board reported concerning Capt ErcssOns battery az
seems 70 be based upon pan Which wifi render The Bat
terry shot and shell proof We are somewhat apprehen-
gong vessel should possess But she may be moved from
one place another the coast IN smooth water We
recommend that experiment be made with one bat
tery of this description on the terms proposed Uh
0udrant and forfeiture On case Of failure u any o. ns
XIX pS0oS Mr. Griswold was one 70 present these
plans, because he had faith In Capt. Ericsson and hs
models. and willing with his associates 10 Hsk hs
means and business reputation IN the enterprise In hs
contract which signed October 1901 was stpa.
rc go tbe latter S date and the eStraordnaTy provision .
recommended by the Naval Board was introduced n The
feitre h ease Of qii0e III anyore properties ad points
o the resei as proposd7 The United states agreed TO 1T
out the vessel with men, guns etc, aud ore 81 the tes
Of the vessel upon Which its acceptance by the United
states Government depended ITS ability 70 Withstand
ranges raS ts The building Of the battery was begun in
October, 1861 She was constructed az the continental
Works, ,GreenpoiBt, L. l., by Mr. j. r. Rowland, under
the direct supervision q Capt Ericsson the entire ma.
chnery beng built at the pelanater Iron works New.
York On Jan 1892 which was The l0lst working deg
from the time the contract fSr 9ng He5 was ente,sa
Monitor and was delivered 10 TIE Government March S,
lsG2, for trial During the building Of me battery Mr.
strnction Of the vessel hirty-hve working days after
the vessel was commeneed the nrst OF several
nude The greater part Of the expense bad been Do
fIayed by the contraction before receiving ms paymest
nt FOR TRIAL threefourths of the contract price
Only had been pald on account BY the terms OF the con-
9s 9S g gf' sd W rafaSeed tie
would not only have lost Tho S680o withheld but would
paid by the Government on account. The Government
adyauced the money believing Mr. Gnswod
ana his associates pecunatily responsive ID
ease Of Of failure. Consequently, the Monte.
bnit ~ Mr a o1v hsvpr noS
nal lien upon her 70 the extent OF TIE payments MADE ON
account Tie s ana sd q IN. toItr5Sed greaS
10 the success OF the Upion cause in the Rebellion.
writer on our navy I'LL ks t' d ns o. sSS nanu,s
.srs 20 4isf pDailOr ead Eo7sy IN h7 eoHrues vee s
,lI .sS.s We ne l su& os r TIE CEREAL, At 70. hc,d Of oar
F, Ss 'E5 iSsI g9s . sa AID s
rss5uro relied uPoa cary cut the enterprise va yoha A.
g.. s5 6 p o-SarSs rt . that Mositor 10.
0S Ss ss 5 has been made that Mr. Grswold adj
vanced the money to buy the Monitor. The truth s
tpe and III. assoclses The Plan Of Ito Monitor
was garded by engineers and salors throughout ths
country visionary and mpraetlcaele In te AtTeme
M N9yal BoaId SeTed 4 iR similar sht Ehen
the secretary Of the Navy they advised mat the eonracs
be surrounded Win sqGa l,,d LIZ eWod
Bat the energy and PATRIOTS OF Mr.. Gr1swod prompted
him 90 risk $4,000 IN this s0eaAcd visionary Gh.erta@
ing Furthermore II should be remembered That tina
vcssel bad been accepted By the Government when
she engaged with the Metrldac Iae oPpoSugn Was 20
would have been accepted without triumph In that
memorable combat, Net Mr. GTisw0lds confidence IN
subject her TO such terrible ordeal With the risk Of ID.
nonacceptance by the Soyerninent even thn
eruuent with hberality and magnanimity but rare1
equaled in history yet mallgners and traducers az.
91RG oSa SS SP 81! ~ 9 s IN the I
juring their fame and destroying their reputation no
try as cordially as Northern Coprerheads aud Southern
Rebels hate it, and furthermore, Is eved that be We,
when traitors we're contrivng rs ruin.
Mr. Griswold was jealous denouncing the Rebellion
fomlt inception It's close In October 1884, whchvsa
10 months after the attack on Sumter he was dominated
y the pemoeraue pary tpr t Dnng bat cpD.
tfaced to build other ironcad vessels for the United
cane according to The Argus. shoddy contractor" IN
fact had done AL those dreadful desds for when tnS
Democratic papers magn him. Yet, In view q All
these henous oeIces the Democrats party selected Tim
t0n Soon Ser lis nomination the Very Afgs that to
day defanes him. adopted this language concerning him.
and declared that Mr GrtSr0id togcHer tcH dllona
a. te tiho Of her terrific encounter With the Rebel Mer
rimack" On June IS. IS64, Nr Rice OF Massachusetts,
from the CGmme on Ha n eee be Nav 70
amend the contract with Capt Ericsson for the c0nsruc
9O1 t 2I Wien contact Mr. CriSwod vas
one Of the suretes The resolution provided that the
ssSa Of s H % PpPan as M es eoTed and
the material hand thought necessary for her consruc
famed less the amounts ALREADY advanced toward the
petiOn OF the vessel, and then the property should
belong the United staes. II was further provided
upon terms Of the original contract and tat the
resolution should not take effect untl the completion ana
delivery Of the Dictator The reasons ior sleh ae9n ~
explained In this were that the fact had been
demonstrated by experience that the Improvements OF
more than years had neceStated much greater csh
rendering II impossible for the contractor to complex
them under existing circumstances ana mat was VI
the utmost importance 10 the honor aud Interests q
he country, that they shonld be finished ana
readv for service nc the earliest moment"
Tie discussion on this provision ELECTED the fact mat tha
Government had Itself caused delay and Increased he
cost of the vessels that material and labor bad risen In
price aud there were many for modifying terms
OF the contract as proposed in the reQluuon On ths
passare Of this resolution, MIR GrswOd voted ailrnar
lively AS an honorable could he have done other
wsel The Government by introducing changes M me con-
their cost but while these changes going on peesi