The times., 1897-09-12
The Proposition TO Raise tie
Vessel ReyiveS an Old Story.
ONLY A CHEESE BOX on A RAFT
The Battle With "a Storm Which the
Conqneror of the Merrimac Made
of Cape Hattie ras-Her Conmaa-
der the Last 10 Leave Her-Two
Officers and Twelve Men Lost.

oSitiCn for united action TO urge the GOV
ernment 10 raise the ironclad Monitor
which defeated the rebel ram Merrimac -or
Virginia, AS the Confederates had named
her-in March, ! S62, and which vessel
foundered of Cape Hatteras December 81,
1862 II was estimated that the cost OF
raising hcr would be about $4,000 or
course, the latitude and longitude where the
vessel sunk is matter OF record, but No
one ka0ws how deep the vessel has settled
in the bottom in these thirty years,
nor has anyone knu wledge as to how much
the vessel has deteriorated from corrosion.
On December 2S. 1862, tie cheese box
on raft" the Monitor was dubbed,
sailed from Hampton Roads for Beaufort,
y. c., In company with the steamship
Rhode Island her convoy, and with CAPT.
John T. Rankliead in command. There
was a light southwest wind, and the
weather was clear and pleasant, with a
prospect Of its continuance. At = O'Clock
on the following morning a swell set in
from tie sOuthward, with an increase in
tie wind, and the sea broke over the
pilot house forward, striking the fase OF
the turet, but not with sufficient force to
break over it. But il was found that the
packing of oakum under and around the
base OF the tuTret had worked out as the
Monitor pitched and rolled and water was
making its way Tito the vessel, though
FOR some time the bilge pumps kept her
free.
This making of water so fast may also
be attributed 20 the factthatthe vessel had
lain al summer exposed to the hot sun of
tie James River The oak timber which
had Eeen fitted to tn top edge Of the iron
huh had shrUak SO badly that when in the
heavy sea there Was water TO the depth
of twC or three feat over il on the We ather
side most Of the time, and the water found
Its way through the space and flowed in
great volume into the ship.
Soon the wind hauled more to the south.
increasing all he time, tie vessel towing
badly and yawiHg about very much BY
O'Clock in the evening the wind was
blowing very heavily, causing the Monitor
tc plunge deeply, the sea washing over and
into tie tdrret and at times into theh awse
pipes. Commander Ban khead Signalled
several times to the Rhode Island TO stop
towing in order TO see whether that would
prevent the influx OF water into the YES
sci, but she only fell off into the trough
Of the sea and made matters worse, the
water coming on board so fast that it
became necessary to start the centrifugal
pumps II was quite evident TO many Oh.
board that the last DAYS OF the Monitor
had come unless the wind should abate
and he sea 20 down, which did not seem
at all likely. The enthusiasm OF the Of
ficers and crew kept them at their posts
until it became necessary TO signal TO the
Rhode Island for assistance, which was
promptly gwen.
Capt STEPHEN D. Trenchard commanded
the Rhode Island. and his Officers and men
did not hesitate to Jump into their boats in
that tempestuous weather and 90 TO the
relief OF their fellows. In order To keep
the Monitor afloat as long as possible, the
large a ble by which she was towed was cut. /
TWO Of the Rhode Islands boats reached
the Monitor, and the commander ordered
Lieut.. s Dana Green (who was Commander
Nordeu's first lieutenant in the fight with
the Merrimac) 90 put as many OF the men
IN them as they could safely carry This
was hazardous opera ton. The heavy seas 1
were sweeping over the deck with trenen
deus force, and there was great danger of
the boats being crushed by collision with
the ir5aclad. The first two boats reached
the RE1,le Island safely amid the storm and
darkness, and again returned 60 rescue
the remainder Of the people Oh the Monitor,
which was most difficult to find in the
gale and the darkness.
I1themeantineC Capt. BankLe cad and those
who STAYED b. him took refugein the turret
Several ofthe men had been washed over
board and lost by this time the vessel had /
drifted on sJnndin IS, and the captain
gave orders TO let 20 an anchor in hopes that
u might bring bring the Monitors head 10
wind and Unatthechain would hold her there
long enough to get the crew off. The water
II the ship at this time was up over the
furnace aShpans, and increas sing so rapidly
that the euEine-room had TO be abandoned
The Monitor fortunately came head 10 wind
when the cable brought her up.
The vessel was filling rapidly, the deck
had settled so that il was even with the
sUrtace Of the water, and all the men left
On the tGrret We're ordered by the captain
% make the deck as soon as a chance Of
fcred and spring for the relief boats as
soon as they approached, which they did
very carefully. The Monitor was as dan
gerous as a reef OF rOCSs TO approach in
suc1 sea- Al this time there were about
thirty men on heard, and several Of these
were washed overheard In their attempt
TO reach tie boats, only one Of whom could |
he rescued. The captain, who had done
al That d commander could do TO save his /
vessel and his crew. stood at his post heIp |
ing the men into the boats. After he had l
zen n II that all OF the men had been taken /
from be tGrFet he jumpedinto the already |
heavily laden boat. The boats had sea ncely-
reached the Rhode Island when the Monitor /
Eanktothe bottom. Inmustering the people |
on the Rhode Island afterwardi it W as found /
that two OF the officers and twelve of the
crew had been swept overheard and |
drowned
Lieut.. Green and Acting Master Louis n |
Stodder who is get alive and is now cap |
tain ia the Revenue Marine Servicel stood /
by tie captain 10 the last, as did also Quar- |
terfuaster Richard Aniier, who remained 1
al his post until the vessel was sinking, /
aud. when ordered by the captain 10 jump |
into thF relief boat, sid: NO, sir; not until /
you do 80" One of the Rhode Islands |
boats after IL had taken some OF the people
oftthe Monitor, was drivenoff by the storm, |
and Tas given up for lost. But, forti- |
Ba.ely, after many perils, she was picked |
up blythe American schooner Colby, an1 the
peop.e afterward restored to the Rhod..
Island
The loss of-the Mentor was not only the !
loss OF d great fighting vessel, bot in ad- |
dition .here Were associations connected |
Win tins little craft which made her name
dear 70 every Union loving man. She was |
only permitted to perform the great service |
for which she was built, an event that made |
her name as famous as the old Constitution, |
Al