The National tribune., 1897-10-21
DEATH OF ADMIRAL woRDEN.

world ever saw. There is no exagger.
alton possible of the heroism of the battle
which made him and the little vessel he
commanded famous, and which reyo-
lutionized the world naval architecture.
At the time he took command of the
Monitor she was an untried experiment,
with the gravest fears on the part OF
naval experts that she would be unable
to live at sea, LET alone encounter real
ship-ofwar of respectable strength.
When he and his crew of gallant volun-
teers set sail in the forbidding-looking
little iron craft, the wisest heads among
the sailor-men felt certain that their fate
was almost settled, and that they would
meet it in the first heavy sea encountered
outside New York harbor. 1t required
the most unusual courage for him and
the men who had volunteered to 60
with him to venture out in an untrled
vessel which babe defiance to most Of
the rules of naval architecture. If
there were nothing else to make him
and them heroes it would be the story
of their voyage to Hampton Roads.
When they arrived there it was to con
front new and appalling dangers.
Hampton Roads had been made the
day before the scene Of the worst mis-
fortunes that ever befel the American
navy. A new terror had appeared on
the waters. The Merrimac, invincible
in strength, had gone where she would
among our ships, destroying such of
them as she could reach, without
their being able to do her the least
damage. She was only waiting for
morning to resume her work, and
sweep the whole fleet anchored in
the Roads out of existence. The COM
mander and crew of the Monitor were
worn out by the fatigues of their stormy
voyage, and the tales told them of the
might and proves of the Merrimac
were such as might we'll brighten the
stoutest hearts. But there was not the
slightest hesitation on their part. They
spent the rest Of the night getting
ready for battle. The next morning
they moved out at the first sight of their
enemy, and encountered her with reso-
luton that turned her hopes of victory
into the bitterness of defeat. Their
vessel was so much smaller than their
enemy that only sanguine hope could
promise them victory. When the long,
stubborn fight ended, and the discounted
Merrimac sullenly retired to her an
chorage, the strength of all the navies in
the world had disappeared. Wooden
walls, in which Nations had placed
their reliance for centuries, had
In a few hours become a thing
of the past. The strongest vessel
then afoat could not have stood 10
minutes before such terrific blows as the
Monitor and the Merrimac had rained
on one another. Every incident of the
fight showed indomitable courage on the
part of Lieut.. Worden and his crew.
The vessel had received terrible blow
in a vulnerable part, which threatened
her destruction, and grievously wounded
her commander, but while covered with
blood and Frustrated from the shock, he
murmured to the next in command
Don't give up the ship" and this ac-
corded exactly with the temper of his
men. The only mistake they made was
in obeying the too-prudent orders Of the
Ordnance Bureau, and using but Is
pounds of powder in their guns If they
had doubled the charge, as was the GUS
tom afterward, they would have sent
the Merrimac to the bottom in a few
minutes. The JOY and gratitude of the
Nation over the victory was beyond all
description. The President and Con-
gress gave the warmest thanks to Lieut..
Worden and his gallant crew.
Admiral Worden was born at Sing
Sing, n. Y, in 1918, was appointed a
Midshipman in 1884, and at the time of
the battle with the Merrimac was "A
years old. After he recovered from his