Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-12
: prcIrEp THE STORY OF
THAT FAMOUS FIGHT,
MONITOR AND RER RIhAC,
x,., So Realistic as Rear Adj
.,,a John worden, Who Com
r,,.d the ship that Revo.
hiionizcd Naval War
fare-.still Living.

aiseton, Jan. 27.-on pleasant af-
NJ there may be seen walking
az streets in the northwestern
q he national capital an elderly
nan. He moves slowly and his
an feeble; his shoulders are bent
I, hsir Is thin and gray. About
rs and on his cheeks are blue
sai look as If they lad been tat
Into the skin. lie is 40 years Old.
nan Is the hero Of one Of the most
.int naval engagements of all time.
| Is an engagement that produced
resals in naval warfare than any
ever fought. The old gentleman
| ~ Admiral John l.. Worden, U.
now on tie retired list, He
s1ded the Monitor, which whipped
,ufedeate iron-clad ram. thc Merri-
IN Hampton Roads, Va, Va, On
0. 1862.
Monitor was designed by Ericsson,
sebN,ed Swede-American, and built
bis PERSONAL supervision. She
IN brief, a revolving turret upon
torn heavily armored with iron.
en, Ike all inventors, lad a hard
0 inducing the authorities at Wash
to take up his design. They, and
ally the naval contingent, were
onseryaiye, and Of but little faith
SsOn. OF course, Ericsson would
lrnmphed in the end, but his idea
not have been put into execution
% as il was had It not been for
aTity of Mallory, the Confederate
ny Of Tie navy. A French naval
bad demonstrated that an iron
rs feasibility. Mallory took up
beet. When the Union sidc cyac-
De Norfolk navy yard Che reces-
iG that evacuation has. by thO
heTer been demonstrated its build
flre burned aud the vessels aud
rs in 10, in a great measure. do
The United States frigatc MGR
vas one OF the vessels. She was
IRE and sunk. But She was not
ftl.
NJ determined to utilize her in
adyantata Of the French officers
STATION as TO the efficacy Of an
"a. The Merrimac was raised
IS cut down 10 her berth deck and
over. Upon her central por
sls erected q superstructme, the
Nqes Of which We're inclined up
Y az angle of ~ degrees. This
vas Intended 30 cause the encmy's
. dehect and pass harmlessly up
NAen they struck her. The super
IN st was covered with railroad iron.
iTaegar iron works at Richmond
y ngtt and day TO turn out the
atg material. News of the activ.
~ which the work was being done
m,olgh the North. Great tales
Dlq Of the terrible engine of war
Ae confederate were construct
10y Which would sink any vessel
~ py the United States govern
he Merrimdc was 10 sink the
- sl~s men-of-war In Hampton
.na then steam north and lay
" noinbarlment all the senbonr,l
1 az Wild as many Of these stories
any would doubtless have proved
v nnagination Of the exaggerator
eiled at least once, had II not
a II We Monitor. The Mwrimac
iT,e done much more than sho
~ 'ne not been met by q superior
lNetes,ing to bear in mind that
uil not design his vessel with
,,..O,.,,eplon that She was to meet
ne the Merrlmac. The United
navy was blockading Southern
~ sending expeditions now and
-, ~ streams aud estuaries on tho
y 'oesls The great majority OF
ls'seis drew TOO much water tc
~ expeditions successful, and then
4 u ,y.,pleh sides crumhled under tho
\. ,.s revel batteries planted on Tho
~, ~ nrlng very frequently at poinl
'.Ake: and again the war vessel,
Z nfNlce could not turn quickly
| w account Of the narrowress NJ
~ !, they had great difficulty II
az ah. Ericsson first went I,
Ia pealTn a floating battery which
adapted to aggressive move
an.' southern waters. X was I,
N (, 9a,re 10 the enemv's guns. wa,
as'in snt draft and capable Of turn
| 49, ~ Q small circle. That wa
floh OF the Monitor. Her con
| ~ vas commencel. however. wifl
t,.,i,, =, she might be able 10 nee
\ Nerrimac, 0f whose terrible
~ aueh was told and printed
M. va commissioned after man,
n.y. . huili his yessel nan
1, Az. Aef was commenced nj prool,
t'oeer 1851 II was pnsbc1 Vii
~, ',lNh hris'ncss that she ,r
H1in % ihe' 30 "a OF fhe followin
~. her Armament $50
l,fiM were hastilr nri 49,, w -. ~
ftarr sS5lllilehced on the 25th a
p Yslt NV nine days later she lei
Min ier Hampton Ronds ~ ;oi
q ~, we Merrimae. She haS
Al M, Of on the VOYAGE Ia
All se ga not promise a Ia
nt ~. 'li hoi have oila. II H..
y o. ~, 4, Vas al the bottom, ~ u,
an. e halteras that awfnl VI c,, "a
ln suveyard of so r, ~ '' ~,
~ Aad been but mia ' ID Ne'
,ill-. n, which was made ,n :
New 4ort ll'rt Sf9fna ,ne,.gr -.
Notts Aafnor. Hputenan. Y.
~ s D,ss y Command and III,
~ n.ss rifenf was th, ~. XVI .
tt1 h-s Nlilfr vas. AZ ,n,- '''''
3 tAs r y, esf,perience Of twe6t,. M \,
seiss IA ',sAi service. t;,,e,s, ny
a-d had tesa Al ses " y,