Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-08-03
RUNNING THE MoNApNoox.


4 Memorable Trip with the Hf0nltSe
to the Pacific Coast.
Commodore Bunce. or, as he will DO
snown while he commands the North
Atlantic station, Hear Admiral Buncc,
made q very remarkable voyage away
back In 1866. 1t was just after the
close Of the war, and monitors were not
very well known In the seafaring
world; In fact, they had never been
used, except In the United States. Mr..
Bunce, then O lieutenant commander
In the navy. had command Of the NOR.
it0r Monadnock, which sailed froM the
Della ware capes around Cape Horn to
Gan Francisco. She was not the Mon.
adnock Of to-day, for she was a wood.
en- huh, and Of different dimensions.
although the present ship ID modelled
after her, and IL the old Monadnock re.
built. This vessel was conveyed by
the Vanderbilt, q big sidc-wheeler.
loaned to the Government for the pur.
pose Of running down and destroying
the rebel ram Merrimac ,(but which
never, got the opportunity. the Pawhat.
tan and the Tuscarora. This fleet was
under the command Of Commodore
John Rodgers, and was quite forlnid.
able.lOoking squadron for those days.
At every point on the route where the
feet stopped the monitor was the mar.
vel Of the people, and especially Of the
scamen. The British sailors had heard
something Of monitors, but had never
seen one like this. She was only about
eighteen inches above water. and her
heavy armament looked - II It might
sink her In gale.
An oflcer who was aboard tho Van.
derbllt said that In the heavy seas and
gales Oh Cape Horn they w0Ald coca.
sionally lose the Powhattan and Tus.
car0ra, but they never lost sight Of the
Monadnock. Lieutenant Comp,ander
Bunce answered every signal and han.
died the craft like the true seaman lie
was.
Mr.. Bunce. and 10 fact all the Amerl.
can sailors, lost an opportunity for o
nice little brush with spain which they
hoped to have and which at one tinie
looked 40 II they were to enjoy. Spain
had never recognized the independence
Of Chill, and out Of this and hot.head.
ell spanish admiral grew difficulty
which brought on the now almost for.
gotten Chillan.Spanish war. The
squadron commanded by Commodore
Rodgers was In Valparaiso when the
Spanish feet bombarded that place. II
was just before the bombardment that
the admiral In command Of the English
feet and Mr.. Rodgers determined that
It should not take place. or that the
combined American and British fleets
would lie between the city and the
Spaniards, and II hostilities were be'
gun attack the Spaniards. Before this
plan was carried out, however, the
British Minister advised the Admiral
not to interfere, and he 20 notified
Rodgers. The Commodore pulled hia
neet out to sea, and very disappolnt.
ed lot Of officers and sailors saw the
bombardment 1t has always been 4
very delicate question whether the
Commodore should have attempted "a
prevent the bombardment. Without
tho aid Of the English he would have
had what sailors term q "bully fight,
aud perhaps have lost his deet.
The most disappointed Of the oficera
was Lieutenant Commander Bunce
He wanted very much to try bis little
monitor. There was metal worthy Of
him In the spanish feet, too, the M
mancia, an iron.clad, heavy for those
days. Four to six inches Of iron ovel
her made her look quite formidable
But tho Alonadn0ck carried fifteen
inch guns, and the plan Of her battle
had been carefully arranged. She wal
to get right under the Spanish iron
clad, where she would be out Of rang.
Of her guns, and then al the Epaniard
with heavy fifteen.inch cannon shot
However, he was not to have the honor
of testing q monitor on q foreign t0<
In his younger days. Perhaps before
his present command expires no may
have an opportunity to try some veH
sells Of our new navy In actual warfare
The officers on board the Vanderbilt
expected to have part In the fight
The plan for the ship was to run down
one Of the enemy's vessels. 1t wa,
thought that II she accomplished thi,
much she would have done well. Il
was not believed that she would stAnt
for moment against any heavy firing
but she could have been put to the IN.
for which she was originally loaned Il
the Government The vanderbllts af
tcrward gave the ship to the Govern
Ment. The Government kept her fOl
q short time and then sold her to i;
firm of three brothers In San Francisco
This Arm called her ''Ths Three Broth
ers." shipped cargo Of wheat In he
to Liverpool, and made enough on I
the first trip to pay for her. She ls sale
to be tied up somewhere now OH til,
Pacific coast and used for storage.
Commodore Bunce, also on this voy
age, with the others OF the squadron
saw Spain lombard Calloa. Peru
Spain was In the business Of lombard
ing tho spanish-American towns Il
South America In those days.
The men who were with the squad
ron say that Mr.. Bunce was the idea
young officer Of the navy In those days
He was never so cool and collected
and yet 80 eager, as when discussin
the plan Of battle and suggesting an
accepting the share he was to have I
1t. The survivors OF that trip aroun
the Horn are very glad Mr.. Bunce Is I
have the best command aAOat In til
navy, and In memory of the days whe
he took the monitor around Cape Hor
they IRE glad that he has In his squat
n a.. "a. A.