The National tribune., 1893-03-16

IHE EXPL0SION ON Il
in the fleet. 1t has always been considered
a great misfortune that this splendid frigate
ran aground through the treachery or
cowardice of her pilot, in trying TO head off
the Merrimac before she reached the helpless
sailing frigates Cumberland and Congress !;
helpless, because there was not breath Of air
stirring Had the Minnesota not ran aground
she would have gone to the bottom with the
Cumberland, and perhaps all on board. The
Merrimac kept her course straight for the
Cumberland, and the world knows the re-
suit. There were probably 10000 eyes CEN
tered upon that huge, slow-moving craft as
she neared her helpless victim. None for q
moment dreamed what her power of re-
sisiance was. All, as did myself, believed
that the two frigates would have an easy
victory over such slow, bulky-looking
craft.
The entire garrison Of the fort were on the
ramparts. The rigging of every vessel in
the harbor was black with men, all watching
the onset. 1t came I could see the masts
of the gallant Cumberland sway, and then
return to position. The water level was
covered with smoke, which shut out for a
few minutes the contest. The smoke cleared
as the Merrmac drew OFF. In a few minutes
more the cumberland went down. ] rubbed
my eyes to see if was not mistaken. No;
she had gone down with her colors flying,
and her brave commander, Morris, fired the
last gun with the rushing water around his
feet The short but terrible contest told us
that wooden vessels were worthless. We
had no ronc' ad to meet her. The Congress
read her fate in the Cumberland. She
slipped her cable, hut could not escape.
She drifted onto the sandbar below New
port News, and there surrendered after her
commander had been
KILLED BY A CANNoN-BALL.
Commodore Smith, On duty at the Washing
ton Navy-yard, whose son commanded the
Congress, when he heard that she had sur
rendered, heroically remarked: Joe is
dead" Joe was dead. The Congress was
set on fire by hot shot from the Merrimac.
AT the signal to prepare for action, the
Roanoke was towed up towards Sewel's
Point, but also got aground. She engaged
that battery for some time, but managed to
get afoat and return to her anchorage
The st. Lawrence was also towed towards
the Merrinac, but when the Cumberland
went down she got back to anchor nearer
the fort. The fate of the Cumberland told
the feet and the army that the Merrimac
was master. A big tugboat hitched onto
the old historic Brandywine hulk and
started for Baltimore. The sailing vessels
of all classes hoisted their sails, but only
drifted out to sea or out of sight before
dark Late in the afternoon the Merrimac,
accompanied by three gunboats that had
come down the James River after the block
aiding feet had been destroyed, steamed
down the main channel toward Sewell's
Point. 1t was between and o'clock in
the afternoon when the Merrimac took n
position as near the Minnesota as the ebb
tide would permit and exchanged number
of shots at long range. Between 5 and
o'clock contest was raging that proved a
fitting finale to the terrible drama of the
day. The proud old Minnesota, hard and
fast aground, the Roanoke and st. Lawrence
at anchor, and the rock-ribbed Rip Raps all
were busy pouring shot at the Merrimac and
at Sewell's Point. The rebels were not idle
during this grand duel. welcome dark
ness closed the combat, and as the moon
slowly rose, casting her beams through the
smOke-laden atmosphere, with the bright
glare of the burning Congress, picture was
formed that told too plainly the desolation
that had been wrought.
THE STRUGGLE OF THE FIRST DAY WAS
OVER,
but on the morrow, what? This was the
question that no one could answer. Our
only one gun at Fort Monroe that was
larger than any in the Monitor. 1t was
called the "Union Gun," and was mounted
on the beach close to the water, and between
the Baltimore wharf and the Lighthouse,
facing the Rip Raps 1t was a 12-inch rifle,
and carried 625-pound steel-pointed shot.
1t was the largest gun of its kind then
known, and carried heavier shot than any
| gun ever mounted up to that time. Many
a two hours have / marched around it to
see that no harm came from lurking spies
or rebel emissaries. No Monitor was ex-
pected, and on our great Union Gun" we
depended to sink the Merrimac, if she at
tempted to pass out the next day bound for
Washington. Serg't Welsh, a veteran gun
ner at the fort, said if he could get six shots
! at the Merrimac while trying to pass out