The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-14
!! Of The MERRlMAC.
|kea ~ Her BaiIder und Chief
: Epaineer.
NOT BEATEN BY THE MONITOR.
ADMIRAL Buchsnan Remained In
the Outcome Would
Have Been Fur DiHerent.

hington Post.
Slumore. Md.--Just thirty-hvc year
his month the States of the North a,t
still loyal to the Union were thrille.
~ startling Intelligence that the Con.
ate government was building in III,
Ivy yard at Norfolk an ironciad mon.
which would, in all probability, de-
serlatim every Union vessel, lay New
Philadelphia and Boston under hcay,
flbution have Washington at It's mere,
rhauge the entire tenor of the war.
oln called special meeting Of the
bet, at which Stanton painted the fu-
In the most dismal colors, and Seward.
Div SO hopeful. sorruwfully admitted
ruth of the picture.
North was deeply concerned, but.
he to say, the South took very little
In the experiment.
"a vessel was the Merrimac, called by
Doutherners the Virginia, and was con-
bed on lines unheerd Of in naval war
ancient or modern. The engineer
built this remarkable and now historic
Is Colonel II. Ashton Ramsay, d con-
ag engineer in Baltimore, formerly a
engineer In the Confederate States
who had been an officer on the Mer-
e when she was a United States war
n back in the sos. AS an assistant
beer, he converted her from wreck,
Ia to the waters edge by the retreat
Cederals, into the most Formidable war
be Of modern times. He vas aboard
er when she rammed and sunk The
berland, burned and sunk the Con-
and engaged in her desperate six
b fight with Ericsson's famous nipni-
b bis services he was elevated to the
of chief engineer in the Confederate
and received the thanks OF congress
b Instance of President Jefferson DAVIS.
y thirty years Colonel Ramsay mas
urged to write an account o. this
bus ram and her eventual career aud
b he complied with the request of the
nary OF war to furnish an account Of
management for the studpendous work
being issued by the government, he
ned the offer Of the Century company
pntribute to their war series, and has
med the same answer to many ether
ideals. He did this because he was
eed In writing book on The SUBJECT. |
work is about done, and when III
q on him at his office IN Baltimore
days ago he willingly consented to
me the story Of the battle for the
STORY OF THE MERRTMAC.
lfter our sanguinary encounter with |
Monitor, said Colonel Ramsay, light !
y cigar, Admiral Farragut was frank |
gh to tell Admiral Porter that the |
lmac was the most remarkable naval |
! ever afloat, and the results Of her |
easful battle with the Cumberland i
Congress would revolntionize the ma
| Of the world. and would be felt for |
lrfes to come. Like all prophecies
y BY grand old Farragiit, it was cor
The moment the Merrimac success
ramrned the Cumberland and sent |
| 70 the bottom with coors flying and |
firing, the navies of all Europe. rep
hitting an investment of billions of |
(ey. were rendered valueless. Today
len vessels are only used for prison
and training ships for cadets and
naval militia.
|Feat Britain had her spies watching
progress we were making In building
Merrimac, and after our first days
when she was o proven success, the
h was cabled to London instanter, and
|sdmiralty office the very day the mes
was received began preparations fer
UFllhg tNe DnEllSn navy.
was chosen by Secretary of the Nevy
Dry TO work on the Merrimac because
Is one Of her engineers when she was
lhe United States navy and had made
pmber Of cruises on her prior to the
knew her every timber by heart.
will remember that when the Fed
+ evacuated Norfolk they burned the
port navy yard, destroyed all supplies,
ar1lipi fhn IN oil ha CHI |
could not take away with them. Ono
|oese vessels was the Merrimac. She
q not be moved on account of a defect
Ter machinery. so detail of men tom
navy yard was sent aboard of her TO
|foy her. Now in that detail there
/ number of men who were friendly
|nc Soutb-ths fact has never before
Z published--and while they set her
\ as ordered, they went little FUR
\ and nicely bored a number OF holes
~ bottom. As consequence she sunk !
ABOUT, as soon as her rigging, masts
aecks were burned. while her machin-
and all that portion OF her which lay
y tne water line was entirely uninjur-
Ny the flames. Had these men not
'snt or letting the water in her hold
,soattle between the Merrimac and {
tor would not have been fought"
'hiGlNATOR OF THE IRONCLAD.
matter of fact. Colonel Ramsay, who
thought CT converting the Merrlmac I
an ironclad ram, has been given the
y OF her invention. but on this point |,
aid:
am very glad of this opportunity to !
up that matter. We should give !
y where credit is due. That inven-
~ been attributed to me time and :
again Her inventor is Colonel Cor
NV a professor in the Virginia mil
institute He was in the ordnance I
smsnI OF the navy and was the very a
VI secretary Mallory's eye. NAL I
'hoaght the sun rose and set OH
me latter invented a splendid O
~ ~ ordnance, was the author OF our II
~ system of deep-sea soundings i
~ s'seyed the bottom OF the Atlantic I
~ Mackey- Bennett cable Gordon {,
~ y patent from the Confederate q
. -mtpt on the strength OF the Mer- Z
nu tfsat, believe, was the first. Y
~ ~ only issued by the government, v
A. no doubt, still has the papers. &
q ~ Davis trok the greatest interest
IL mac venture, and had much
IN. ~ her success. Other than NAL
IT, tss' 81 the cabinet were not SO Il
me, however. >,
lived hundred years will never !,
angle detail OF thoge two days !.
= "eh We cast oil our mornings -
~ On the first day and proceeded q
an nizabeth river. the Merrimac Il
j s.aty untried. She had never M
4, Wal IT'D. Naturally we watched =,