New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
MONITORS ON THE JAMES RIVER.
SEVEN OF THEM ANCHORED NEAR RICHMOND
AND GOING TO RAPID DECAY.

Richmond, Va, Dec 21.-Irollywood Cemetery.
where stands the pyramid of natural stone. ninety
five feet high and forty nine feet broad at the base
erected by the ladies OF Richmond I'm Of tLo
Confederate dead Libby Prison. that was recently pur
chased by Cincinnati for 81 .OOO and is TO be
made a museum. and the battlefelds of Fair Oaks
Seven Pines and Chckahominy. have less interest to
visitors here than do the cheese-box
Ericsson monitors which have laid at City Island
for several years, and were removed up to
Richmond Harbor Just before the election. The
Ajax, Wyandotte, Mahopac. Canonicus, Lehigh,
Catskill and Manhattan all did good service
during the Civil War. but they have been going 10
decay rapidly In the last three wears The Manhattan
the vessel in Mobile Bay that saved Admiral Far
ragut's flagship Hartford from being run down by the
rebel Iron-clad under command OF Admiral Buchanan.
The same vessel came near laundering Off Cape Hat
teras I'm 1872. The others also have had Troublesome
experiences
Admiral Porter considers these vessels valuable
to-day they were for the harbor defence should
they receive necessary repairs and. in time of war.
he thinks they would assist materially defending the
approaches to Washington. The expense of taking
care of these vessels-such care as they have had
IS about $4,000 besides the salaries and ra-
lions of five officers and sixty nine enlisted This
Admiral Porter thinks. is large amount TO pay for
watching vessels that being allowed become use
less from corroson and rot for want Of repairs
He has recommended that they be put In proper repair
and thinks that the cost would be about 100000.
But before they coJld be moved by their own steam
II would be necessary to tow them to a dry dock
begin the repairs upon them, as ii would be too great
risk to to the and water valves whilo
the vessels are In the water After they repaired
1t would be necessary to supply them with modern
armament without which they could not be considered
efficient for harbor defence.
These monitors protected by only about four inches
OF laminated plates, have speed of from four to six
knots with tonnage OF less than 500 each. and
armed with smooth-bore guns that will not penetrate
the four inch solid iron plates which the highest for
egn ron-clads carry, at 900 yards. Secretary Whit
ney recently said that he found himself unable to
concur I'm the recommendation admiral PorteTsl that
the single trreted monitors be repaired and made ready
for coastdefence vessels An examination of their char
actcrstics shows that outside OF the ships I'm our own
navy no antagonist could probably be found against
which they could stand for moment. Thcy were
GOOD vessels for their time but entirely obsoete
SO here they less than three miles below this city
with Officers and men on board watching them going
to decay ~ e'7
The people here anxlously waiting for the ~.
port OF the officer appointed 10 look into the present
capabilities OF Richmond for the M naval
foundries and machine shops here Befere the civil
war the shops and fOundres here were celebra ed f
the quality and magnitude OF the engines boilers and
Oher iron manufactures turned out from the rradegar
aud other famous works the James River Cenerai
lmboden and the Shipping League have looked INTO ths
question and have recommended that une1ualea
WAFER power. proximity to coal. iron and limestone
ana access to the sea at all of the wear are
features OF Richnonds claims Tor rrcocnton NV The
Government. and also by capitalists Iookny n ths
building of steel ships TO compete with other nations
for maritime commerce.