St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-21

, the most terrible trial that any YES
sci ever had.
RAINING THE CUMBERLAND.
Only a few miles from Norfolk is
Fortress Monroe, with Hampton
Roads lying between. About seven
miles above Fortress Monroe, at the
mouth of the James river, is New
port News. This line of several
miles constitutes the northern part
of the Roads, and scattered along
it was a line of Northern men-of-
war. Nearest Fortress Monroe were
the three frigates the ST. Lawrence,
the Roanoke and the Minnesota.
Just off Newport News were an
chored two more frigates, the Con-
gress, containing fifty guns, and the
Cumberland, having thirty. These
boats evidently did not expect an
engagement. The washing of the
sailors was hanging on the rigging,
and there were few signs of action
about the ships until the Merrimac
was seen steaming toward them.
The guns were, however, quickly put
in order, and, as the queer mon
ster of iron moved up, the Cumber-
land opened with her heavy guns,
and the Congress came to her aid
The shore batteries joined in, but
the balls fell from the iron sides of
the Merrimac without penetrating
them, and she still came on. She
did not fire until she was within
easy range, when she gave a broad
side at the Congress. She did not
stop here, but pointing her iron
Prov at the Cumberland, she put
on full steam and made for it. The
ship was struck at right angles, and
the hole made was so large that a
horse and cart could have driven
through it without touching it's
sides. 1t was SO skillfully done that
the sailors on the Merrimac after
wards said that they heartily felt
the shock. With this great hole in
her side the Cumberland's fate was
| sealed, and Lieut. Howard saw her
sink beneath the waves. Her men,
he says, kept up their fire until the
boat went down.
THE CONGRESS BURNED.
The Merrimac, after striking the Cum
| berland, backed out and began a new
| attack upon the Congress. The men al
! Fortress Monroe could see the smoke
! of both vessels as they ra1ned shot and
| shell upon one another. Finally the
Congress ran aground, and her officers,
seeing that they coud do nothing more,
ran up the white flag. In her grounded
| condition the Merrmac could not posi-
| bly, take her, and after taking off a
! few prisoners, they shelled her with
! hot shot. She was soon a mass of
| flames, and she was still burning when
the Monitor arrived. In the meantime
| the United States frigates the Roam
oke, the st. Lawrence and the Mime
| sofa had sailed from Fortress Monroe
to the rescue. The necessity of a good
| pilot can be seen by what followed.
The ships had hardly started before
| they ran aground, ana the Merrimac
having finished up the Cumberland
| and the Congress, was now ready to
| steam toward them. It was, however
late Saturday afternoon. The tide
! had changed, and the pilots of the
| Merrimac said that she must draw of
until morning, or she would also go
aground. Their advice was taken, and
the ship drew off to the southern side
Of Hampton Roads, near Sewalls
| Point, its officers intending to come
/ back and destroy the Minnesota the
| next day.
! THE MONITOR APPEARS.
| When the day broke, however, there
was a new figure on the scene. at
! looked" says Mr.. Howard, like a
massive iron turtle with a gigantic
black cheese box on it's back, and ii
swan to and fro in front of the Min
nesota, aud between it and the Merri.