The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-19

ing her furnace room and coal bunkers
and checking the fires, besides almost SUI
locating the crew with gas. She had but
two guns; exports could only l2 closed by
cessation of firing; one shell in !icf only
gun chamber-the turret-wouiI disable
her fighting powers and her shots must be
delivered almost at random, or ION the
fly" as the turret revolved and brought
the target opposite the gunport for an in
slant. Besides, the cannon were q new in
vention, and the charge limited to fifteen
pounds of powder for a 1S0-pound shot.
Other drawbacks disclosed themselves in
fighting. The Merrimac, on the contrary,
had made record and proven invulnerable.
The ram steamed along the south chan
mel, passing the Minnesota and giving her
an 11-inch shot at long range, as she still
lay aground. The north and south chan
nels intersect about two miles from where
the Minnesota lay, and the Merrimac kept
on to that point and turned into the north
channel to close on her prey. To get at the
Minnesota and destroy her was the avowed
purpose of the commander of the Merri-
mac His pilots promised to lay the ram
within half a mile of the grounded vessel.
But as she approached the Monitor steamed
out to meet her, opening fire at third Of
mile. She kept on until she was squarely
alongside. The Merrimac's shots ratified
on the iron turret and plated deck of the
newcomer without leaving dent, and the
revolving gun turret baffled the Confeder-
ate gunners in attempts to make port shots
and destroy her fighting power.
Besides, the little vessel unanswered as
readily as tug, and often took position
where the rams guns couldn't touch her.
The Merrimac tried ramming with her
plated prov, but the Monitor bobbed out
of reach, and in return made a lunge at
the propeller Of the ram which missed by
only hair. The Monitors shots, even
with light charges, started the bolts of the
plating on the ram, broke up the iron and
at places caused the wood backing to bulge
inward. Confederate gunners were dis
abled by the conclusion when these shots
struck near them. A double charge Of
powder would surely have enabled the
Monitor to riddle her opponent at all points.
The ram had only an inch of plating over
the hull below the water line, and there
was her vulnerable point, but the Monitors
gunners didn't know that and had NO
chance to study their opponent, shut up as
they were in the turret, with only short
glimpses of the ram when the gun open
ings came abreast of her during the revo-
Intions of the turret.
The communication between the captain
and pilot and the people in the turret was
cut short by the breaking of the speaking
tube early in the action. Messages passed
thereafter from the lips of men stationed
at intervals. The captain and pilot were
in the pilot house, "a structure made OF
square iron logs, bolted at the ends. TWAS
fifty feet away from the turret
After fighting three hours the shot in the
turret needed replenishing and the vessel
was hauled off The Merrimac at once
turned to The Minnesota. She was met by
full broadside of twenty guns that would
have blown wooden vessel out of water
She answered with shell that tore the
insides out of the vessel amidship and set
her on fire. The Monitor returning again
engaged the Merrimac and met with her
first severe mishap. A shell from gun,
not ten yards distant, struck the upper log
of the pilot house at the sight hole where
Worden happened to be looking out. He
was stunned by the conclusion and his eyes
blinded by the powder and fine debris
blown into them. Believing that the pilot
house was destroyed along with the steer
ing gear, Worden ordered the vessel to
"sheer off, and sent for his subordinate,
Lieut.. Greene who was in the turret.
Greene examined the damage to the pilot
house, and finding it slight determined to
90 on with the fight; but the Merrimac had
meanwhile set her course back for Eliza
beth river, whence she had come so proudly
on the morning of the Sth.
The fire on the Minnesota was put out
and she escaped to engage in many an.
- 80, II, - 80 -, so,,,o ~, IL =
had done the Cumberland and CONGRESS-
was defeated, and the baby Monitor had
accomplished it. Worden and his crew