The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-28
NUMBER 10.
ERICSSON AND THE MONITOR.

Piles were introduced. One of her guns |
on being fired burst. Captain Ericsson |
had previously cautioned the officers OF |
the vessel about the use of the gun made |
in New York, saying that we had not
the appliances in this country for prop
erly testing the tensile strength of the
metal and that therefore care should be |
used in regard to the charge of powder
used for firing. The gun made in New
York burst with disastrous effect, and
killed the Secretary of the Navy and
number of other persons. Commodore
Stockton held that Captain Ericsson was
responsible for the bursting of the gun,
and on that ground refused to approve
his bill of $4,000 for designing the yes
sci and experimenting its construction,
Captain Ericsson carried the matter to
the Court of Claims, and received a
unanimous decree in his favor A bill
to appropriate the money was after
wards passed by one of the Houses OF
Congress. but referred by the other to
Joint Committee, by which it was pig
con holed, and so the matter has stood
for nearly half century.
With this explanation we give story
as we find in the Troy Northern Budget:
So far as American readers are con-
cerned the most interesting circum
stances in his career are those connected
with the building of the Monitor. Capt
Ericsson considered that he had been
shamefully treated by the United States
Government in the Princeton matter,
and as friend of bis has expressed it,
"nnt all the powers of heaven or hell
could have carried him to Washington
to submit his plans to the Government
if it had not been for the Intervention of
friend" In 1861 Cornelius s. Bush
nell of New Haven. Coun., had submit
ted plan for an iron-clad vessel to the
recently appointed Board of Naval Off
GERS, which consisted of Commodorcs
Joseph Smith, Hiram Paulding and Com
mander G, Il. Davis. Mr.. Bushnell's
plan was favorably considered, but the
Board doubted whether the vessel could
safely carry the armor and armament
proposed. Mr.. Bushnell came to New
York to consult with the late @. H. Del
amater on the subject. Mr.. Delamater
advised him to see Capt. Ericsson, who
gave it as his opinion tn t the load could
be carried and the vessel would have
sufficient stability for sea-going, but
would not be shot proof, In the course
of the conversation Capt. Ericsson re-
ferred to type of vessel he had propos-
er to the Emperor of France in 1854. He
produced the plan and explained the
features to Mr.. Bushnell, who Instantly
preceived their advantages. Mr.. Bush
nell knew Captain Ericsson's determine
ton never to have anything more to do
with the United States Government, and
be therefore proposed that the captain
should entrust it to him with view of
presenting it to Gideon Welles, Secretary
of the Navy, who was a personal friend
The captain acceded to Mr.. Bushnelrs
proposition aud Mr.. Bushnell presented
the plan with explanations to Secretary
| Welles Mr.. Welles was favorably i'm
pressed and promised his support, Mr..
Bushnell having decided to go before
the Board of Naval Officers then in ses-
sion in Washington, formed an associa-
tion with John A. GrIswold and John F.
Winsow of Troy, N. Y, two wealthy.
energetic and practical iron manufactur'
ers, and secured letter from Secretary
of State Seward. He then proceeded to
Washington and broached the matter to
President Lincoln. The President was
greatly interested and said he would be
| pltHtub "nCD ulaNNCl =" 90 lHlu DSibAN
the Board for examination. Great was
the astonishment of Mr.. Bushnell when
the Board pronounced the plan an alb
surdity and proceeded to ridicule it, but
he derived some consolation from the
fact that President Lincoln remarked,
Gentlemen, all | have to say is what
the girl said when she put her foot in
her stocking, it strikes me there is some
thing in it. For two days Mr. Bushnell
labored to impress the Board with Capt.
Ericssons achievements in naval and
mechanical science, recalling the revO-
luton in naval architecture wrought by
the building of the Princeton, and to
persuade them that there was something
in the Monitor plan. The two Commo-
dores were finally persuaded but they
conditioned their consent on the decis-
ion of the third member. Commander
Davis, who being asked to concur dis
missed Mr.. Bushnell with this remark /:
Never let me see the thing again, take
it home with you and worship it-you
will not commit idolatry for it has no
likeness to anything in the heaven above
or in the earth beneath or in the waters
under the earth"
This seemed to settle the matter but
Commander Davis did not know the ma
ture of the men he had to deal with. At
a consultation between Mr. Bushnell and
his associates it was agreed that if Capt
Ericsson could be induced to visit Wash
ington and be put on his mettle, he
would make the merits of his design
clear and by his superior knowledge
vehement eloquence and genius carry
his point. The associates did not have
an easy task before them in persuading
Captain Ericsson to go to Washington
and they knew it. They knew also that
il he were made acquainted with the ac-
tual state of affairs nothing could move
him, so it was decided to try the effect
of an equivocation. Mr.. Bushnell there
fore represented to the captain that the
plan had been cordially received, exam
ined and approved, that some merely
technical details required explanation
and that Secretary Welles desired him
to go to Washington and answer before
the Board. The Captain started at once.
His astonishment was great when he
found that he was not only an unex
pected, but an unwelcome visitor. and
his astonishment was increased and his
Indignation aroused when he was in.
formed that the plan of the Monitor had
already been rejected. But TIE great
inventors blood was up, and repressing
his first impulse to withdraw, he opened
the batteries of his knowledge and his
elouuence on the Board. Commodore
Smith objected that the vessel would not
have sufficient stability, but the captain
showed that it would be impossible to
upset it. His argument was most lucid
and earnest, ,and he concluded by saying.
''Gentlemen, after what have said, ]
consider it TO be your duty to the cOun
try to give me an order to build the yes
el before leave this room" The Board
withdrew to one corner of the room for
consultation, hich was ended by asking
Captain Ericsson to call again at one
O'Clock. when the captain returned he
brought with him a diagram which HI
had hastily prepared to illustrate the
question of stability, and finding Com
modore Paulding alone showed il to him
and repeated bis previous demonstra-
tion. The Commodore was so thorough
ly convinced that he exclaimed. Sir,
/ have learned more about the stability
of vessel from what you have now
said than ever knew before" The Sec
ond interview ended with an appoint
ment for third interview at 3 O'Clock,
at which time Captain Ericsson was at
once invited into the room of Secretary
Welles. The Secretary then informed
him that the Board had reported favor
ably upon his plan and wished him tu
return Immediately to New York and
begin work, adding that tbs contract
r