, 1884-02-17
iii LITTLE MONITOR.
The Graft Which Was such q Suo-
cess at the Sanitary
Fair.

&c. W. Crawford, in Marine Journal
. Writing about steamboats, brings to mind
the fact that | once instigated and helped to
build the smallest successful steamboat, and
the most successful small boat, one shat made
more round trips and more money than any
small boat that ever existed. 1t was about
this way: During the war the citizens Of
Pittsburg and Allegheny determined TO got
up a big fair for the bensft Of the sanitary
commission.
While this was being worked up / deter
mined to build a miniature model Of the
Monitor to be operated In the basin of a
fountain In ono Of the departments. While
l was engaged at this, Mr.. William Metcalf,
superintendent of the Fort Pitt foundry,
where l was then employed, proposed to
furnish all tho money and material required
and to enlarge on my plan, And add another
department to the fair exclusively for this
vessel and other war material. This resolu-
ton was unanimously adopted and the boat
built accordingly. Mr.. John Il. McElroy,
Co. Joseph Kaye, Mr.. p. Kirsch and myself
were the builders Of the boat. and Mr.. Met
calf superintendent tho erecting Of a building
about l75x75 feet. inclosing a large elliptical-
shaped reservoir for the accommodation Of
the craft Tn hull was made OF a single
sheet OF copper ten feet long between per
PNH1h1hAhAhr All hOOuI twenty IuCutD DtdLl
nfter tho model of the monitor Manayunk,
then building at Pittsburg.
The deck plates were wrought iron, and the
turret and guns were cast iron. The vessel
was driven by a beautiful oscillating engine,
designed by Mr.. McElroy, Of one and a.half
inch stroke. which was OF ample power. The
boiler was made Of copper Of a fat elliptic
section, about two feet long with vertical
tubes, the furnace being a series OF alcohol
lamps covering the entire bottom surface Of
the boiler. This arrangement worked
well and made plenty Of steam. The
propeller, which was OF brass, was geared at
a speed Of about two to one OF the engine.
When completed she ioated on an even keel
with about two inches freeboard. A trial
trip was made OF a quarter OF n mile In the
Allegheny river against the current on a
June rise, under convoy Of a feet of skins,
but unfortunately when rounding In her
wharf she swung against the head of a raft,
and sunk In twenty feet of water. This
calamity was gotten over by procuring O
diver who fetched her up In a short time.
The guns were mover found, and had to be
made over again. In due time the fair was
opened, and the crowd attained access tc
Monitor hall, where the boat was quietly
making her regular tripa- That building was
literally damned nearly all the time during
the two or three weeks the fair lasted. No
boat ever drew such crowds, not OF passan.
gerS-spectators at IS cents each. Whom the
fair was over 1t was found that Monitor
hall had collected the largest share OF
the receipts Of the Eve departments,
think about $4,000. The entire gross re.
ceipts were $325, 900. After this extraordi-
nary success she was exhibited under the
management Of Col. Joseph Kaye, now de.
ceased, at Baltimore, Wheeling, Boston,
Philadelphia, and lastly at Chicago, where
she was sold, making cords OF money at each
place for the sanitary commission. Perhaps
less is known Of this monitor than any OF
them, but undoubtedly she Is entitled to a
conspicuous place in the history of our do
funct nav