The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-23
slts0Ilglnaied With Naval Constructor John
rs [. Porter, of Portsmouth.
HIS DRAWINGS HOW IN EXISTENCE
Portsmouth. va. December q. 1897.

! Editor OF The Tirginan:
In the interest OF correct history l
4 will thank you to publish the follow
ing reply to. and for the purpose of
{ correcting the many errors in the spe-
cial correspondence from Baltimore.
II published in The Virg.nlan of Sunday
z EAST, purporting 10 have been written On
the authority of Chief Engineer IL.
d Ashton Ramsay, who was In that posi-
+ tion on the Virginia (NIerrimac) in her
engagements in Hampton Roads OH the
SSth and eth of March. 1852. The facts
conceie,ing the ship are these:
t#i In the first place she was not set on
y tire at all. Her burning was accidental.
Il Nor is it true that She was sunk by
Il auger holes bored In her bottom by
Southern sympathizers after she was
a set on fire by the Federals, as stated
IN the article referred to. She was
alongside the wharf near one of the
shtphouses In the navy-yard, in this
city, and men were at work en- her
fitting her for sea, and q few minutes
before the bell rang ut IL O'clock to dis
Z miss the men, the carpenters mate and
& a squad of sailors from the Cumber-
land went on board Of her and opened
her blge cocks and she sank slowly
until she rested on the bottom, but 50
great was her depth that, though all et
I her machinery was below the water. u
good part of her hull was out OF the
( water. At u O'Clock the navy-yard
gates were closed and the workmen
were not permitted to go back there.
The work of destruction was carried on
& BY the crew of the Cumberland ana tho
81 Sailors and marines tationed in the
f uavyyurd. This was April Goth. 1851
About dusk that evening the pawnee
arrived under Captain PauldlnG, ana
then the torch was applied to the ship
houses and other Buildings, ard the
& Merr!mac caught fire from the burning
{ shiphouses. She had been sunk six or
Z eight hours before she caught fire. Her
hulk was an obstruction TO navigation
and for that reason was raised by the
s ConfederoteS without the least idea a
the time of making any definite use Of
It, and her conversion into AN ircn-
* clad was purely the result OF circum-
I stances. The facts are us follows:
In 1876 Naval Constructor John l..
Porter. of Portsmouth, was sent by the
. Secretary of the Navy to Pittsburg to
superintcRd the building of an iron
steamer, the Allegheny, upon n novel
plan Of propulsion. ttlvcnted by Lieu
tenant w. w. Hunter, of the navy, ana
while upon that work, conceived tho
idea OF an iron-c clad vessel. He pre-
pared the plans for 1t and sent them to
the Navy Department at Washington
but the time WAS not ripe for iron-clads
and the Department did not do any
thing except to acknowledge their re-
ceiDt. MIR. Porter, however. trans
( ferred the plans to his book Of naval
designs, which IS still in existence, in
\ my possession
Upon the secession OF Virginia Mr.
Porter resigned his position in tie
United States Navy, was appointed to
q similar position izl the Virginia navy
and ordered to the Gosport Navy-yard.
3 He then had model made OF his Pitts
< Il p,;li ft Inc SOL -
4 shield, but modifying the hull so as TO
bring 1T within the facilities of the
South. have the original plans of this
4 boat: also copy is among the archives
j OF the Navy Department at Washing
ton, Mr.. Porter showed this model 20
Commodore Marshall Parks, OF Norfolk,
s who was then employed by North Caro-
dina in getting up fleet to protect the
3 eastern waters of that State. MIR.
Parks took it 10 Raleigh and showed 1t
Il TO the Governor ana Councils, and steps
were begun 10 have two boats built
4 like 1t, but North Carolina Joined thc
& Southern Confectionery and ceased her
q individual efforts to procure a navy.
2 On the oath of June, 1861. after the
Confederate Capital had been moved To
Richmond, Mr.. Porter went TO that city
!. and took his model with him and
& Showed 1t to Secretary Mallory, OF the
h Confederate Navy, who ordered a
+ board, composed OF AIr Porter, CHIEF
i: Engineer VIM. P. Williamson, OF Nor
5. folk, and Lieutenant Brooke, TO con-
slider the subject. The heard met the
next day and the model was laid he
fore it and was approved but dim :
I Guilty arose in the matter OF building
q ma chinery for 1t within reasonable
time, and the following account OF wha
took place was furnished 10 me and To
e IA nlumber of others who are still living,
Z by Mr. Williamson acld MI. Porter
Mr. Hanson said, 1t Will take us
q a year to build machinery for her un-
Hess we can utilize some of the ma
81 chinery in the Merrmac." Mr.. Portei
s replied 'Why can't you use all of hei
d MACHINERY just as 1t Is Ill her? car
Z adapt this plan to the Merrimac." rs
soon as Mr.. Porter made that state
ment the board determined To recon
4 mend that the Merri1nac be converted
unto an ironclad, and Secretary Mallory
Il approved tle recommendation. Mt
s. Brooke'5 recollection as to who first
suggested that the shield be applied t.
the Merrimac differs from that of the
j two other gentlemen on the board. iit
Si6 said the suggestion was made by Mr.
q sWilliamson and that he himself oppos
ed !t.,but he finally agreed with tn'
Others. The recollection OF Messrs
VI Manson and Porter is more apt tf
u be correct for the reason that Nir
Porter was the only member OF ths
Han board who knew the condition of tht
K vessel, and that she would bear iilt
M nv eight Of the shield AS naval con
s etructor, he had placed. the old hull
an the dry dock at the Gosport navy
ses YARD, and made an examination of 1T.
nj ssrs. Williamson and Porter wen
Ssf immediately from Richmond to The
iosport navy yard. Mr. Williamson
ffss}s z COX charge of THE machinery OF tlit
taS> "a draw In