Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-12

States frigltc, the Congress. was soon
TO be on fire. The Monitor had NOT
come too early. She was too late 10
prevent the fire from doing great dam
age.
The Merrimac had already shown what
her possibilities for working destruction
were. She had commenced her work
She had on the dav that the Merrimac
entered the capes come down the Eliza
beth river from Norfolk and into the
Hampton Roads. She paid no attention |
To the land batteries that opened promni-
~ upon her. She steoel directly for
the Union men-0f-war. They wcrc the /
Congress. the Cumberland and the Min |
nesOta The Congress was mo0rel about /
a hundred Yards below the land bat |
tcrics, and the Cumberland a little above |
them. These vessels opened fire upon .
the Merrimac as soon as she came within |
range. Thov did not hurt her Com |
modore buchanan was In command Of |
the rebel lie passed rho Conress and |
stocred straight for The Cumberland. |
His ship, like Monitor was an export |
mcnt not vet justified by results. She |
had on her bows q wedge ,hapel c7st |
iron ram. Il was two and q hnlf feet /
under water. and projected the same dis 1
lance from fine stem. Buchanan would ]
try 1t. lIc. under full head of str1m, /
rammcd the Cumberland. A te same |
time he fired his two forward gus.
The Cumberland began To- sinl. rr soon 1
as the AIcrrimac backed on, Her guns
were still being fought. She fired her /
last hroadside as The muzzle Of her guns /
touched the water, She went down and /
rested on the bottom. Al three OF her
masts showed above the water but IN
a slaning position, \ flag ilew from
each of them Her captnin, Commander
Joseph Il. Smith, was killed His father
was In the office of the secretary oi Che
navy, at Washington, when the dispatch
announcing the sinking Of the Cumberland
was received. He said quietly II The
Cumberland has been whipped Joe Is
dead
The Cumberland had bcen disposed Of
in 30 minutes The Moriimac next paid
her attentions 10 the Congress The
latter had slipped her cable and made a
run for the narrOws, where the Merrimnc,
owing to heavy draft, could not follow,
She got as near as she could and opened
M. The Congress replied gnlnnuy.
She had more guns than the Alerrimac,
but could not pierce the enemy nrmor
With her rihed guns the Nerrimnc raked
the Congress from stem to stern. she
fired red-hOt shot and set the Congress
on fire. The later burned brilliantly
She had to be abandoned. Some OF her guns
were sill loaded and as the fire reached
them they went of az intervals, Ihere
was euccessOn Of explosions on her
| before she blew up. The Minnesota, IN
maneuvering, had run aground but had
kept up fire on the Merrimac. Com
m0dore Buchanan, seeing that she was
fast, decided 10 retire and como back
the next day and finish her He had
been pretty badly wounded, lie returned
TO N0rfork. where he and the other dis
abled ones were placed In the hospital:
| Lieut. Catesby Jones took command OF
the Aierrimac.
iEru1uV-l
morning the MerrimRc was discovered nt
anchor near Scwalls Point She got
under way and stood for the Minnesota.
But she did not attack her. She who
had fed the following day was nav. TO
be the meat. The Monitor had reached
| Hampton Roads at . O'Clock the night
| before. and Immediately went TO the us.
sistance of the Minnesota. She anchored
behind her. As soon as the Merrimac
was seen to advance Worden prepared
| for action. He slipped from behind the
| Minnesota and went out to meet his Zoe
Worden was in the pilot honse. TN;
was small structure on the forward
mart of the vessel. near the bow. That
portion of II which projected above the
deck was Of iron. and rectangular III
shape. In It's side were Sits or peep.
| holes. through which the eye could tell
what was going on. In II below the
decl, there was the steering apparatus.
| There WAS room IN the plot house Tor
| three men In the uirret were Lieut.
Greene and sixteen bNwny men 20 work
the Monitors two guns.
The Morrlmac was going into the fight
with crew confident Of victory. Had
they not every reason for sueh conn
denceY The Monitor was going f0rli
with crew which knew but iitt.c about
her curious aud move. construction ana
method Of fighting. They knew mat she
was unseawOrthy. Al Oh theif sl'sHl -
perlence With her had been OF q as
ponrarine Character. They were the
pioneers In an experiment which they had
every reason to think would De ulsaa'
trous And they were a weary lot, loo'
Huf thcy got the vessel ready los 0ctlOA
',aylv and went at il. Inc Merrlmaf
mad ten guns, tive on each sac, ana "
forward and two AFT. Inc Alunl..p nse .
hut two In her turret. 10 tAe ostouls'.
ment OF all, she went diree.,s ~ ,i t,
NerIJmac. The latter commenced hilns
first Worden changed his course ana
opcnsl ire. pulling the longsWins nun
40 nffer taking deliberate ann. ! ~
Aerrimuc gave back ratuins orgeusilt'
The ttrrret and other paris OF the Moii %,
were struck, but none Of lue n
penetrated her arnor, ivok " 80
denca came over the faces OF he' NV .
There was an exchange OF ptoAuaiNg - -
very short range . "N ." "a a. ...ft..s
omy a lew yards apart, iha MoniIoI
Sygs lie quicker. Morden mAheus'les
10 and some Vulnerable point W llis w
Very lie once made a dash 10 ai'
able her crew and missed ny tNo lei.
uis sbots ripped the iron from me
Merrimac. The Merrimaf inei 70 RAJ
him. IND by a quick turn o. l1e Aeiu
received but a slantng uoN
10 the men 10 The tower We isnyi.,,, ~ ~
inns al Inc Meriimacs shots splhlhs OF
tbe ont.ile was not pleasant. sioaaet
ibe man Who was Naiionei az we tAA
chine watch controlled &c rfso'Iiloi'' ~
I'M turrot, leaned against rs soc.
iarse sh1t striking agslnsl tne ol . wv
disai,lcd him. lie and Nqfien WY H.. ~
on.v Two on the Monitor lnJuile 49, IN.
the gght. The fight was pg5euet5,lli o'1l
howevor. before he was al.4nio ...,, II,
. shof from the Monitor went ,liIlsi y,
i NJ, N'eerrimae's stern. She was iea Inns
lihe revolutions OF Che Monitor All,
, beron,e very irregular. Greene nn' ,..'
I resorfea 10 the oxpcdieni o. ioallhE o.,
: inns and hring every tine we tnrfeI KAY Iis
/ ia 10 give him an oproTuniV ~,
: shots Mad good effect. 1se 81 ~ ~
t, caeniys was very eaeiliNG ~ -,
. s,rurf Inc plot house Meflfin' WV ~ NJ.
p =. ~. ~ tha observation sitrs fNNNi''-