The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-12-16
MONITOR MERRIMAC.
ADMIRAL PoRTER'8 ACCOUNT OF TIE
MEMORABLE CONTEST.
Opening the Iiai!-Lieuh Worden'I Plan
The RIerrimao's DisGdvantaGes-In
structions from the Ordnance Bu-.
roau what Might Have Been.
Admiral Porter's History. u


Worlel xlywaI his confidence in the
Monitor AMI her eleven-incl guns by
stacrinz directly for the Confederate iron
clad. The later slowel her engines and
pau e ! rs il - -urvey her little adversary
and ascertain her character; but if there
was any doubt on board tho Merrimac thera
wa none on bo.rl the Monitor which kept
s,rui :ht on her c,ur5,, AMI tao Coufeder-
alto. saw that in q few moments she would
tie directly a!ony -ide Of them. The Morri-
mae opened liro from her forward gun upon
what sesIue more ike u large floating buoy
5aan a mln-ot-war, but, not having a frig-
ets'5 broa l,iis to aim at, tao shot passed
hlrmlessiy over.
MEASURING THEIR STRENGTH.
Ths Monitors answering guns were
etser aimei. The solid eleven zach shots
struck the Merrimac fairly, with blow
that reSOualel through the vessel This
wa; returned by Il broad tide from the
Ierrimac, but those shots that struck the
Iurrst glanced harmlessiy off. Both vessels
then turned and approached each other
ill closer tho Monitor firing about every
even minute, each shot striking the MeTri-
mac. The latter vessel, having lost part
If her smokestack the day before, was not
81 rking we'll, the chief engineer report.
luy that the draft was 50 poor that it was
Pfsn great difficulty he could keep up
lean. The Merrimac DIRE W twenty three feet
# water, an was thus confined to a narrow
rhaRnel, Will, the Monitor, drawing but
twelve feet, coIll take any position and
civayS keep Within range OF her antagonists
Gaas. AMI, through the enemy hal many
,AuTs gum, the Monitor stuck so close to
her adver ,ary that the latter could use but
a small p rprortion OF them.
Sordeu's plan was to keep near to his
H., 30,
VITA his solid shot. The Merrimac kept I'D
a.rapii a fire as possible upon what was
visible OF the Monitor, pausing now and
Jhoa when the smoke cleared off to sec
whether the little vessel had been demOl-
shed but always finding hsr apparently
nnharme an active as ever pouring in her
roi!l shot an shaking the great ironclad's
huge frame in a manner which her officers
feared mtgat IN tho long run cripple their
ship
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
THe Monitor had on board some forty
steel shot which it was intended to fire
with heavy charges in case OF an encounter
with tie Merrlmac, but previous to leaving
New York Lieut. Wordon received orders
from the bureau Of ordnance not to use those
hot with the increased charges, as fifteen
pounds OF powder was as much as the
clevon-incl guns would boar Worien felt
obliged t. conform to these instructions, as
the responsibility OF bursting the guns
would have fallen upon him. It was subse.
Queltly pfovel by experiment that the
eleyen-inch Bahlgrens would easily bear
twenty-five pounds OF p,wder, aui this
dHerenco in the charge of the -uEs as is
now known. would have made all tle diff
ference in the world in the result Tho
Merr.mac's armor woull havo bacn broken,
all she would have been at the money Of
toe Monitor as her speed WI, not +uIicsnt
to have enabled her to escape.
At last Jones thought h. saw n L:uca OF
sammng the Monitor, ami gave the or
d>v to go ahead ut full spoe!, but b5f,ry the
Great vessel could gather EeaiwaT tLa agile
Monitor turned, and the disable Prov OF
the Merrimac gave q glancing blow which
lii no harm whatever. Again The Monitor
came upon the Merrimac', quarter, her bow
actually against tha ships ST te. aHl q this
Ill tanco fired twice. Both shot, struck
about half way up the Merrimas'5 Grmor,
abreast cf the after pivot, AMI 50 seyere
tho blow that the sil was fOycei in
several inches. The crew Of the altar guns
were knocked over by tue conclusion,
bleeding from the nose and ears. 4 few
IN re shots in tho same place woJll have
made an opening, and had WorIeA known
tais at the Time he woulI doubtless have
taken the responsibility Of using double
charges of powder and the steel shot, and
thereby secured completa victory.