New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
NEW LIGHT on 4 f1uoCo RUM.
THE PAPERS or CHIEF ENGlNEEh sIlMEks Re
GARpING THE MEETING OF IhE NOM
TOR AND THE MEERlMAc.


Nerrimac or the virginia "a She was "NoaHy To-
corded in the books 81 the Confederate Navy ana the
ch,cscbox ronCld called tie Monitor ana during
this period historian, nave ll'or"d 70 AHha o""n 10
po-icrity the annals OF the conflict N'oh mas been
written but many blank pag's are I'l' /" d. hIied'
and 10 another generation 4 historians VIII naiur-
allv come wider range Of material and "p-"riunue,
for making COMPLETE tho story Of the war. or the
officers who were engaged on tie Monitor IN her great
fight there arc only three Nvinc-Admirll J"hn J..
Worden Captain Louis " stoddrr no" III 'h" revenue
Marine. and samuel Howard, VINO volunteered as
pilot and stood lv Lieutenant N'Tleh IN 'l' plot
house during the engagement ard exhibited such
,,,,r,ro and c,.olo... t1at 10 was promoted 10 -
volunteer lieutenant Tie recent death o, Chef
Engineer Alban {. sinners. a. the Navy H'S "It
one who though nothing has ever been plAished
concerning hi, connection win the mentor was
commended Is Admiral Word %. Assistant secretary
Fox and ne late Captain Fric-,rn as pr"rminc
mot i,,,.,rt,r, -a-t IN the history Of the Monitor
from her beginning when alive u had no wish 10
10 brought prominently before tie public, believing
that NJ, simply did h, duty as an officer 81 ~" red
eral Navy. III, widow, the adopted d"h-h"r ot
the late General Gilman Appci'r. has carefully pr
served all hi, official paper. ana II J. rom mos"
that this brief sketch Of A' Career ~" 10" '''' ~
was obtained.
Admiral Worden sid Of him: He made m" pas
sag. an tie vessel 70 report TIE Performance 81
the machinery and r'orm"d useful service durinI
the engagement IN manipulating the iurret' ''c lie
was tie OILY volunteer. outside Of the cF'W' tAat
LETT Ncw-Nork on tho Monitor
C,ptain Eric. %. I'm letter 10 Senator John J.
Ntct.u in l--3. aid; "Nrrrimac was In sight,
,, lilo saui-- master was unIil" % point tf" Nnfi
tors GIN. AGAINST her confd n opp nent. sinners
now came to tie r~Due. PUCK d"rrm'hal'h ana
strong muscle enabled him 10 operate tho apparently
immovabe gear. ard point 'h" guns with MFly
and accuracy tn" r,.ul' % IN" conflict J. Known.
4 \HFff Al
but not tie fact that sinners aVeF'~d N''''"l
catastrophe.
Whom ,ho contract 70 buHd tho Monitor was made
cr,., Engineer sinners. l-ine emincnily hf"d for
/ the task was detached from the Roanoke. then ~
HAMPTON Road and ordered 20 sup rin'cnd -" con
srucrion az the ironclai vessel or battery under
contract with Captain :. Ericsson. u Ne"-N"rh
lie received copy 81 no contract and Specifications.
pins etc. and wa, instructed 20 Do vi-ant IN -"
tn.rociion of material, and work on this ve,-"l and
SEQ they are ., the Dcst quality - t"ir Kind. ard
certify 10 bills IN tIpicate for payments as ny
shall =, earned according :" contract To say mat
he followed his Instructions 10 the letter "oud l.
suporfuou,.
r,uca Tho contract stipulated that Tho vessel
should De finished within 100 DAYS from Is dai"
loc.o,-sr 4 ls6f,. many VACATIONS delay, occurred,
and II was not rim March that -" ready for -'r'
~ there was So much doubt "a e." Navy Department
81 the lnal slccrss 81 t4e undertaking Tier" N"re
several notifications mad" IA - original plans IN
gliding reduction u tte art1or 10 "i'Aali INC IT.
tended thickness II was also suggested taat smaller
crln, b. mounted and Mr. sinners suggestion sr'il'
10 have ,-aer aged - ~ Admiral Joseph smith who
IN . private letter wrote tai. - him: Wv object
and pr1de 8 fixed upon these NIinoh slin, f"r -"
Ericsson battery. ] cannot agree 90 shorten ih'-"
and would not rka 20 AK D. lcrcns consent 70 90
So knowing he would Object 20 il. The son-
e-al opinion IS that she Will prove faiirre- h"t
Mr.. sinners Old not coincide in tbs latter opinion.
aud af,ar So. va, launched on laratry 30. l-"-.