Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-05

The anchorage running down a.. a..
the nat ground Then Nc ste-,eG ~
NE Minnesota. Oh Newport News ,,o,nt
suddenly we saw craft I'D n li,I W.
ndu never seen before come frnn, h'li.5
the Minuesull Aud we slowed Jle,-,. .',S
waited What kind of thing h tbots
we asked ourselves." '''''
can't give exactly the pilots Ian.
siYseei " Was very forcihlc. really more
g,N'"iesp"e 'nan polite but very eraph-
Finally one Of our officer. who h.a
oeen North within short time said i
Wug ve The iron.clad. built m New
~, headinv up stream we begun Grin,
4 ue NOnhQr made no reply. INT nuirfE
und Seadily steamed toward M until
Witnin very close range of us-thpn an
~ ny shot aud / tell you there WAS
"a, s'la, aBout that shot that made me feel
we had met something Tat would intey.
rupt our career"
STUDllNG THE FIGfip ON THE
SPOT.
| listened TO his story. aud with what
had heard before I made n montni
pic!ure o. the combat-gOt clearer
sI,sl"n OF " Inc next thing was to hx
the key, the c0lur-sciemp of nv peint.
ing The pilot had told me that March
" leU2, was beautiful gray morning
nke this one, aud | painted the sky the
cvler Ot tho water aud the landscnpe.
very, carefully getting the colors 10 use
m the painting The color key of n
picture Is so important 20 have m mind
Wheh starting 10 paint chat ! felt very
fortunate IN having such n grand oppof-
tunity TO LOOK on the scene itself. which
was very gray IN tone and delicate in
light nnd shade, making a splendid back.
ground for the black vessels and dark
smoke and the red, white aud blue OF
the flags.
While / was finishing the sketch. dc.
Gliding on what rcd aud blue TO use.
steaming from Newport News Point
came a tug boat burning soft or bitumin-
Gus coal, The very coal the Merrimne
used, sending forth q cloud Of brown
black smoke that was Just the accent
that ] needed IN my picture, for Il made
not only an effect IN light aud shade,
and spot Of color. but Ia the compost.
ton Of my picture IL aided me Ia break
ing the severe lines Of the hulls of the
vessels. This volume VI smoke from the
Mernmac's smoke stack not only had is
eject in an artistic way, but Il was one
of the facts of the battle, making the
picture historical, for many times during
the morning OF the conflict Il hid the two
boats FROM the anxious spectators who
were watching from the many vessels
both Union and Confederate aud OF
both shores of the bay Prayers and
cheers went up whenever the light wind
dispelled the smoke aud the ironclads
could still be seen, both safe, battling as
CALAMITY az ever
MERR1MAC PLANS FOUND AT
LAST.
Now thought could start my work
The size of the canvas WAS six feet by
twelve, / began to lay out the picture
and get into black and white the form oi
the vessels aud the light and shade of
the composition, but / soon found | stil
needed aud must have the drawings OF
the MeTim0c, for truth was 90 be- IN,
first thing In the picture
So | made another trip 10 Virginia
I'm the town Of Berkeley I found Captain
William Parrish. another OF the Mcr
rimac pilots, lie told me that Mr., join
L. Porter. the constructor Of the Merr
mac, was still living, and at Gosport
You can rest assured very little tim,
elapsed before ! was at Gosport aud h
the presence OF the man who had de
signed and constructed the formidable
craft that stood the shock of the tive
days battle
Previous TO the war Mr.. Porter was
United States naval constructor Whei
Virginia seeded he went with her, re
signing from thc United States navy
He was called upon by the Confederate
government aud the design OF the Merri
mac was the result
When / told Mr.. Porter what | wa
seelling in very short time / had II
my hands the ume-stamed drawings b