The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-06-20
QbadfauqUa.
THE MONITOR AND HER INVENTOR.

That necessity is the mother OF INVENTION,
was probably never more fully realized than,
when the confederate gun-bOat Merrlmac at
TEMPTED to annihilate the navy of the North and
was so CALAMITY repulsed by the Monitor. The
people of this haton can never bestow too much
praise on the man who invented this famous
craft An invention that in one day revOlutlon-
lied the navies of the world. What the loss OF
life and property would have been if this little
protection had not appeared at the opportune
moment that it did, is hardly conceivable; our
whole navy such as it was at that time, would
have certainly met the fate of the Congress and
Cumberland, and all of the sea port cities would
have been at the mercy of the enemy, and mght
possibly have caused a different ending of the
| rebellion.
No honor whatever is due to the I. S. Congress-
or the officials of the navy at Washington, VINO
were in power when the great crisis faced the
people of the universe. Insulted and badgered
attempting to haYe them adopt the scheme that
! for twenty years, he had worked upon; John
Ericsson had about given up the idea of ever
seeing his hopes realized, at least in the United
States. when c. S. Bushnell, capitalist OF New
| Haven took hold of the enterprise. and through
his efforts coupled with those of Ericsson. they
at last obtained permission from the navy officials
to construct this boat: they were to stand allthe
expenses and responsibility, the United States
government guaranteeing them nothing, nor
aiding them in anyway save giving their per-
mission: a generosity that they and their de-
cendents can never feel very proud OF. Allowing
a private individual, and foreigner at that, the
privilege of saving the nation from untold nor
rors was to say the least net very creditable OF
| the representatives of so brave people as we
claim to be,
On the night before the battle between the
Monitor and the Merimac there were many sor-
rowing hearts throughout the North. for that
day the news had flashed across the country that
the Merrimac had engaged and defeated two OF
our best war shps-the Congress and Cumber
land and had withdrawn for the night TO pre-
pare for further destruction in the morning
highly elated withit success and all unconscious
of what was in store for the morrow But wheI
morning came and the Mermac again hove il
sight she was met by the Monitor, the move
design of which caused the rebels to contempt
uously style her the yankee Cheese Box" bu
in a few short hours all that contempt. wa
turned into humiliation and the pride of the Con
federacy was forced to retire so badly DISABLED
5 as to be of no use; and thus the cities OF Ne s
> York, Philadelphia and Washington were sayet
and the people inspired with new hope Ant
I, all this was due to the ingenious efforts of
private citizen, who at that hour was recelv vi
g few short sighted and mercenary officials
i While the Monitor was no doubt the greatest o
D Erccsons inventions, it was by no means tn tn
j pelier to steam vessels, and also invented
e locomotive that was capable of making spec
e of so miles an hour which at that time was con
sidered wonderful all of which must place hin
r in the front rank among famous inventors. TIL
e people of this nation together with all ethe
S civilized nations of the world must join in pay
iy,rrf ihrfot TO hic
u saving them from an irresistible enemy and tn
It other by proving to them in practicable wa
q the blessedness of building wooden nayies. Lon
NAV the name of Ericsson live and may 1t g
> down to posterity with those Of Lincoln, Gram
It Logan and Sherman as the protectors an
k savers of our beloved nag.