The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

tor thirty years Col. Ramsay has been
urged to write an account of this famous
ram and her eventful career, and while he
compiled with the request of the secretary
or war to furnish an account of the en-
gagement for the stupendous work now
being issued by the government he de-
clined the offer of the Century company to
contribute to their war series and has re-
turned the same answer to many other pc
riodicals. He did this because he was
engaged in writing a book on the subject
This work is about done and when called
on him at his office in Baltimore few
days ago he willingly consented to tell me
the story of the battle for The Age Herald
After our sanguinary encounter with
the Monitor" said Col. Ramsay, lighting a
cigar, Admiral Farragut was frank
enough to tell Admiral Porter that the
Merrimac was the most remarkable naval
craft ever fioated and the results of her
successful battle with the Cumberland and
Congress would revolutionize the navies of
the world, and would be felt for centuries
to come. Like all prophesies made by
grand old Farragut, 1t was correct. The
moment the Merrimac successfully
rammed the Cumberland and sent her to
the bottom with colors flying and guns fir
ing, the navies of all Europe representing
an investment of billions of money were
rendered valueless. Today wooden YES
sells are only used for prison ships and
training ships for cadets and our naval
militia.
Great Britain had her spies watching the
progress we were making in building the
Merrimac, and after our first days fight
when she was proven success, the news
was cabled to London instanter, and the
admiralty office the very day the message
was received, began preparations for re-
modelling the English navy
I was chosen by Secretary of the Navy
Mallory to work on the Merrimac, because
was one of her engineers when she was
in the United States navy and had made
a number of cruises on her prior to the
war. knew her every timber by heart.
You will remember that when the federals
evacuated Norfolk they burned the Gas
port navy yard, destroyed all supplies and
applied the torch to all the shipping they
could not take away with them. One of
these vessels was the Merrimac. She could
not be moved on account of a defect in her
machinery, so a detail of men from the
navy yard was sent aboard of her to de-
stroy her. Now In that detail were
number of men who were loyal to the
south-this fact has never before been
published-and while they set her afre as
ordered they went a little further and wise
1y bored number of holes in her bottom
AS a consequence she sunk just about as
soon as her rigging masts and decks were
burned while her machinery and all that
portion of her which lay below the water
line was entirely uninjured by the flames.
Had these men not thought of letting the
water in her hold, the battle between the
Merrimac and Monitor would not have been
fought.
las matter of fact, Col. Ramsay, who
first thought of converting the Merrmac
into an iron clad ram?"
1 am very glad of this opportunity to
clear up that matter. We should give
credit where credit is due That inven-
ton has been attributed to me time and
time again. Her inventor is Col. Gordon,
now a professor in the Virginia Military
Institute He was in the ordnance depart
ment of the navy and was the very apple
of Secretary Malory's eye. Mallory
thought the sun rose and set on Gordon.
The latter invented a splendid piece of
ordnance, was the author of our present
system of deep sea soundings, and sur
yeyed the bottom of the Atlantic for the
Mackey- Bennett cable. Gordon secured a
patent from the confederate government
on the strength of the Merrimac and that,
] believe, was the first, last, and only pat
ent issued by the government. Gordon,
no doubt still has the papers.
President Davis took the greatest interest
in the Merrimac venture and had much
confidence in her success. Other than
Mallory, the rest of the cabinet were not
SO sanguine, however.
If live hundred years I will never
forget a single detail of those two days
fights When we cast off our moorings at
II a. IN. on the first day and proceeded
down the Elizabeth river the Merrlmac was
absolutely untried She had never had
trial trip. Naturally we watched her ev-
cry move with an intense degree of ex-
pectancy Soon after getting under way
the boatswain plped to dinner. The meal
had been prepared In the ward room and