Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-05
A NEGLECTED HERO.
The Protector of the Ram Fleet and the
CaptOr of the City of Memphis.
To the Editor of TIE EVENING STAR:

| Captor OF the City of Memphis.
| To the Editor of TIE EVENING STAR:
! n recent number of The EVENING STAR con-
tanned a letter from Mr.. Theodore Il. Timby,
of this city, in which. referring to the countrvs
indebtedness to the late John Ericsson for ser
vices in building the Monitor and kindred bat
| teries he said:
| Il would srggeSt monument as durable the hills.
erected by what should be grateful people this dis
tribute 500 a fund for such memorial i would
also aIl rove the naming of OF government
tribute 5000 TO fuad FOR the erection Of broader
at nTer monument TO three Others greater heroes
Ha2 AMI NJ ~ Hon , G. s Bushnell OF New
Troy y " Tor their courage. patriotism. and liberal
10Y 10y H. lorg ont their m OF 2d cat ther rskl
kindred vessels IN the rerous early days of the rebel
e MnhltoL or tnict ships OF any kind would have
seen ne Ilsils on day would also suggest the
ing OF turreted ships after these patriots and heroes
| 4 HEROIC STUDENT
While commenting Mr.. Timby's suggestion
and the spirit in which it is made l desire to
| recall a neglected but heroic student, whose
| labOrs may be said to have blaZed the way for
Ericsson s inventions. whose deeds deserve ma
| tlonal gratitude. and whose name should he
preserved Ill lmperishable forms. | mean the
| late Charles Ellet ir.. who died June 81 1862.
| from a desperate wound incurred in the
! triumphant naval fight which. though a civilian
| he leu whilst commanding his ram fleet in front
| of Memphis, June II. 1862. For twenty wears
| Soi. E!let had been masterful figure in the
| discussion and development of scientific engi-
/ neerlng. Born January l. 1910, on the Della
| ware, % miles above Philadelphia, he conse-
| Grated his life TO an art which he loved with
| the ardor of genius. His achievements were
| marvels of engineering skill He was at once
! an inventor and leader, but. withal too
modest to trumpet his own fame. He con-
celved the first suspension bridge in America
at Paramount Philadelphia. He designed the
nTst wire bridge that spanned the Niagara
river, and was first to subject it to periious
| test. He built the suspension bridge at Wheel
| ing and. prior TO 1850, won distinction as chief
| engineer III planning railways and bridges in
PENNSYLVANIA and Virginia. He was an cxhaus-
| i've student and amid the thronging duties of
a busy career, contributed to the literature of
his profession series of papers that rank ms
authority On the subjects which they treat. He
seemed TO have solved the profoundest enri-
| neering problems of his time
STEAM VESSELS AND GATHERING RAMS.
| But do not aim to present here a biographi
| cal sketch. / only wish, in connection with
Mr.. Timby's letter. to give due credit to Col.
Ellet as the real author of the plan for convert
| ing steam vessels into battering rams for pur-
| poses CT war. 1t IS true that the suggestion of
| rams had been vaguely made in the navy as
| early as lS35-a fact of which Col. Ellet was not
| aware: but as far back as l855-seven wears be-
lore tho building of Capt. Ericsson's Moni-
| tor-Col. Ellet had laid before Mr. Dobbin
| the Secretary OF the Navy. minute particulars
| OF his plan for constructing steam batterine
rams that would be powerful enough to secure
/ our coast and harbor defenscs: and that plan
was first utilized by the confederates early in
| lo62 In the conversion of the old frigate Merri-
! mac at Norfolk into a RAM followed promntlv
| by the destruction of the sailing vessels Com
| gress and Cumberland whereupOn. as stated
Dy ADMIRAL Ammen. "a vessel designed by
| capt. John Ericsson, named the Monitor was
built IN great haste for the purpose of meeting
| the Merrlmac. The Monitor met the Merrimac
| March y. 1862 but month in advance of the
| engagement-February Cool Ellet had saga
| clously warned the government of the prepare
tons which the confederates were making.
| saying:
1t is not generally known that the rebels now have
nve steam rams nearly ready for OF these five
and one at Norfolk The last of the five the one at
United States frigate Merrimac which has een
SO stTenxt that III the opinion of the rebels
sci at sea nor. far know in course Of constrnc
Sr able to cope at all with webqt ram ii tn
sue Will be almost certain 10 commit great depreCa
Roads may even be expected TO PASS nndep Ton
Eus OF Eorires Monroe aud pray upon our commerce
been skilfully made and she succeeds in getting 10
n,erce may prove also to be most dSne rom,
VISITOR 70 our biockalng squadrons of the harbors OF
| Having stated the fact that he had often
| called the attention of the Navy department
| 10 his plan for building steam rams during the
| last seven years, Col. Ellet adds in this same
| warning:
that struck in the waist BY Steam ram AZ a
VII 70 Down almost simultaneously. and involve. as
Oiteh happ+hed the loss of nearly all board
| THE OPERATIONS OF THE MERRIMAC
IN the hands of the confederates proved the
correctness of Col. Ellet's theory and plan as
distinctly laid before Secretary Dobbin. illns-
tratlng that the shock of an American steamer
properly fortified at the bow and converted
INTO noating battering ram. is immeasrrably
superior TO the guns of any man-of-war that
was ever launched. the fundamental princinIa
Oh MS pan being that strength of hull and great
speed were essential and primary conditions in
she seiecuon OF the craft. Addressing the
Secretary of the Navy in the enforcement ~
this idea, April 26, 1885. Col Ellet said:
"For hsrbOr defense, however m UGH we may r,;,
noT s s arm. ioF5 and batteries think should
s,saeTs as near sh9; and shell proof as they can be
bic them TO crush in the side Of bX sj
PIE collision" wa ~ siiH-
AFTER THE FIGHT
between the Monitor and Merrimac Col Flat
whose opportunities fo- governmental Coon.
Grafton had been SO long rejected or ignored
was sent to Fortress Monroe for the purpose of
forming and executing plan for the destruc
ton of the Merrimac, which had retired to
Norfolk; but he unable to even attemnt
anything, apparently IN consequence of naval
intolerance of the interference of a civilian
In the latter part of March, 1862, he was given
authority by the government to purchase a
number OF river steamers and fit them up hur
riedly to act in encountering the
fleet of iron-clad rams belonging to the con-
federates the lower Mississippi He
reached Pittsburg March %, and thence COM
municated his intentions to Gen. Halleck in the
following noteworthy letter, a copy of which,
In his own handwriting, lies before me:
PIrrssURo, March 2s, 1859.
Am at the Mopop2 amelia house. by of