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

mel, about midnight March s. The out
look of the Merrimac across the Roads on
the south shore got glimpse of the strange
object by the light of the burning Con-
gress. His report aroused the curiosity of
the officers upon the ram and they guessed
that EricssCn's famed new contrivance was
also in the lists, though a late arrival at
the tournament. Next morning they made
out the shape as that of "a cheese box on
plank or "a tin can on a board"
The element of daring was high in the
breasts of the Monitor people when they
closed with .he enemy on the morning OF
the 9th. TlS trip from New York down
lad brought out the weaknesses of their
iraft. The waves flooded her hold, delug-
ing her furnace room and coal bunkers
and checking the fires, besides almost suf-
locating the crew with gas. She had but
two guns; her ports could only be closed by
cessation of firing; one shell in her only
gun chamber-the turret-would 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 new in
vention, and the charge limited to fifteen
pounds Of powder for a lS0-pound shot.
Other drawbacks disclosed themselves in
fighting. The Merrimac, on tine contrary,
had made record and proven invulncrable.
The ram steamed i,ong the south chan
mel, passing the Minnesota and giving her
an ll-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 mile of the grounded vessel.
But as she approached the Monitor steamed
out TO meet her, opening fire at third Of
a mile. She kept on until she was squarely
alongside. The Merrimacs shots ratified
on the iron turret and plated deck of the
newcomer without leaving dent, and the
revolving gun turret baffied the Confeder-
ate gunners in attempts to make port shots
and destroy her lighting 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 lunge at
the propeller of the ram which missed by
only a 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 rs
they were in the turret, with only short
glimpses Of the ram when the gun open
ings came abreast of her during the revo-
buttons of the turret.