Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-06-30

go Hampton Roads
-Sy~ March 9, 1862. The
x meetings and its
results turned the
naval world upside down, decided who
should rule the wave on the American
coast and many things besides, yet acct
dent, chance or what not was instigator
and arbiter from first to last.
After seven months of incubation, dur
ing which time stories of her marvellous
powers had terrorized the north, the ram
Merrimac entered Hampton Roads on
March S, attacked the Union gunboat feet,
sank one and burned another of our finest
frigates and then lay by for favorable
tides to enable her to visit similar fate
upon the others. At that time the only
other ironclad in existence, and the only
possible match for the Confederate ram,
would have been from twenty-four TO sixty
hours distant from the scene instead Of
within sound of the guns, as she actually
was, had the plans of her manipulators
been carried out. Her presence in the vicin-
ity was due to an accident, and, in fact, but
for an accident she would not have been in
existence at all. When the news of the
building of the Merrimac and other pro-
confirmed AT Washington in midsummer,
1861, congress authorized the construction
Of similar ones, and placed the matter in
the hands OF naval board Capt. Erics-
son had a plan partly in his brain and
parity upon paper, the latter in the hands
of his friends, who placed it before the
naval board. only to receive rebuff.
One of Ericsson's colleagues, G. S. Bush
nell, of New Haven. thought that the in
ventor would be his own best ambassador,
and deliberately lied in order to get him
before the naval board. He told Ericsson
that his plan was approved and that the
chief Of the board. Admiral Smith, wished
to talk over details with the protector in
person. Ericsson hurried to Washington,
and was 80 annoyed over the deception and
the disappointment when the truth dawned
upon him that his angry eloquence over
powered the opposition. Gentlemen"
said he, after what have said consider
it to be your duty to the country to give
me an order TO build the vessel before
leave this room" The upshct was an order
to build an ironelad within one hundred
days This was accident number one.
Ericsson promptly divided the labor
among leading iron manufactures and
l. Il
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