Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-05-27
THE MONITOR AT SEA.

THE MONITOR AT SEA.
The following account of the trip of the
famous iron clad Monitor from New York
to Hampton Roads, previous to her encoun-
ter with the Merrimac, is taken from United
Service. The description of the voyage was
written by an officer of the former vessel:
SAT II q. m. Thursday we started down
| the harbor, in company with the gunbo ats
Sachem and Currituck. We went along
very nicely, and when we arrived at Cover
nor's island tue steamer Seth Low came
alongside and took her in tow. We went
out past the narrows with light wind from
the west and very smooth water. The
weather continued the same all Thursday
night. turned out at 6 o'clock Friday
morning, and from that time until Monday
at p. M think lived ten good years.
About noon the wind freshened and the sea
was quite rough. In the afternoon the sea
was breaking over our decks at a great rate,
and coming il our hawse pipes forward in
| perfect floods. Our berth deck hatch leak
ed in spite of all We could do, and the water
came down under the tower like waterfall.
1t would strike the pilot house and go over
| the tower in most beautiful curves. The
water came through the narrow eye hcles
in the pilot house with such force as 10
knock the helmsman completely around
from the wheel. At p. m. the water had
gone down our smoke stacks and blowers to
such an extent that the blowers gave out
and the engine room was filled with gas.
sThen occurred a scene I shall never for
get Our engineers behaved like heroes,
every one of them. They fought with the
gas, endeavored to get the blowers TO work,
until they dropped apparently dead. / was
nearly sutfocated with the gas, but got on
deck, after every one had left the engine
| room, just in time to save myself. Three
fremen were in the same condition as the
engineers. Then times looked rather blue.
We had no fear as long as the engine could
be kept going to pump out the water, but
when that stopped the water increased rap
en- the Berth deck, but as We zee Wefs 6blssd
to lead the hose out over the towers there
was not force enough in the pump to throw
water out Our only resourse now was TO
bail, and that was useless as we had to pass
the buckets up through the tower, which
made it very long operation. What to DO
now we did not know. We had done all in
our power, and must let things take their
own course. Fortunately the wind was OIL
shore, so We hailed the tug-boat and told
them to steer directly for the shore, in order
to get in smooth water.
''At o. m. we managed to get the ell
gines to 60 and everything comparatively
quiet again. The captain had been. up
nearly all the previous night, and, as we
did not like to leave the deck without one
of us being there, I told him l would keep
the watch from to 12, he take it from y to
4, and + would relieve him from four
to eight. Well, the first watch passed
of very nicely; smooth sea- clear sky,
the moon out, and the old tank going
along Eve and six knots very nicel y. All
| I had to do was to keep awake and think
| over the narrow escape we had had in the
afternoon At II o'clock things looked SO
favorable that told the captain heneed not
turn out; would lie down with my clothes
on, and if anything happened ! would turn
out and attend to it. He said Very WELL
| and went TO my room and hoped to get
little nap.
II had scarcely got to my bunk when |
was startled by the most Internal noise
had ever heard. The Merrimacs firing was
music to it, We were just passing shoal,
and the sea suddenly became rough and
| right ahead Tt came up with tremendous
| force through our anchor-wel and forced
the air through our hawse-pipe where the
chain comes, and then the water would rush
through in a perfect stream, clear to our
berth-deck, over the wardroom table. The
noise resembled the death groans of twenty
men, and was the most dismal, awful sound
have ever heard. Of course the captain
and myself were on our feet in q moment,
and endeavored to stop the hawse-pipe
We succeeded partially but now the water
began to come down our blowers again, and
we feared the same accident that happened
in the afternoon. We tried to hail the tug
boat, but the wind being dead ahead they
could not hear us, and we had no way OF
SIGNALING them. as the steam. whistle had
aot been put on.
"We began then to think tho Monitor
would never see daylight. We watched
carefully every drop of water that went
down the blowers, and sent continually to
ask the fireman how they were going. his
opIy answer was Slowly but could fot be
kept going much longer unless the water
could be stopped from coming down. The
sea was washing completely over our decks,
and it was dangerous for man to go on
them, so we could do nothing to the blowers.
Tn the midst of all this our wheel-ropes
iumped off the steering-wheel, owing to the
nitchiug Of the ship, and became jammed.
She now began to sheer about at an aWful
rate, and we thought our haWser would
certainly part. Fortunately it was new,
and held on we'll. In the course OF half an
hour we freed our whee-ropes, and now the
blowers were the only difficulty.
"About o'clock Saturday a. NJ. the sea
became little smoother, though still rough,
and going down cur blowers somewhat
The never-failing answer came from the
eneine.room, Blowers going slowly, but
can't hold out much longer From a. 10.
till daylight was the longest hour and hall
I ever spent. certainly thought Old Sol
had stopped in China. At last, however
; we could make the tug boat understand to
- aoarar in ahnra To oat in smooth water