The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-07
THE RESERVES WORK.
Their Trip on the Montauk
Will Be Everything but
an Excursion.
BADLY CRAMPED QUARTERS.
An OldSS Tells Of the Hardships
and Privations Of Life on
a Monitor.
BADLY CRAMPED QUARTERS.

PHILADELPHIA, April Z, 1S9s.-With
the scars of many gallant fight upon
her turret, the old monitor Montauk now
lies at the wharf of League Island Navy
Yard ready to be manned by the anna
teur tars of the New Jersey Naval Re-
serve, Battalion of the East. and to pro-
ceed to Portland, Me. For years and years
the Montauk rested upon the mud flats
back of the navy yard with several other
vessels of her kind.
With no expectation that the old-tlme
fighters would ever be called upon to pass
through the storm of battle again, they
were being permitted to slowly rot away
in their oozy beds Then the cloud of war
arose in the East. and in the scurrying Tor
ships the monitors were remembered.
While no official of the Navy Department
probably ever gave the old hulks
thought, they were not altogether neglect
ed Each of the vessels has had care
taker, and their machinery has been care
fully kept in repair. The wisdom OF thls
care is now bearing its fruit
When the monitors We're dragged from
their resting places few days ago, all
but the Canonicus, Mahopac and Mammal
tan were found to be in excellent condl-
tion The decks OF all eight were, OF
course, in state of more or less decay.
=
were in good state of preservation. Inc
Montauk has suffered the least from the
years passed in inglorious idleness since
s5. The only repair needed was .a a new hsS
be, erected tchicken-houses' for lhe
pi ection of her machinery from tne tne
we@ rher, but all of these have now peen
removed and she is now ready for action.
Only her turret, davits, bridge and smoke
stack show above deck
The Montauk is one OF the old single
turret monitors of the smaller class, with
a displacement of 1,875 tons. Like her SIS
ter ships, she has a very low freeDoard,
which renders her a difficult mark for an
enemy to hit In addition, this low free
board, as Admiral Simpson once express
ed it, sis intended to contribute to the
steadiness of the huh as gun platform
by offering no resistance to the waves tnat
are expected to wash freely over the yes
Montauk class is that they are of very
light draught and could in d few mo-
ments steam into shallow water Dey0no
the reach of heavy sea going vessels. Inc
and cost originally the extravagant sum
of S423 OPT. She has length of 200 feet
and breadth of 46 feet.
The Montauk did gallant service during
the Civil War and bears the marks of in
Vulnerable shots from the enemys guns.
Her iron turret, which is nearly nine
inches through and is made OF ten plates
of iron seven-eiShths of an inch in thick
ness bears the marks of warfare in the
shape of the impressions left by the solid
shot which played upon her from the fort
guns in Charleston harbor while she was
in the very heat of the engagement there.
She was under the direct fire of over 10t
guns. and all the damage she has to show
for 1t are the dents that are still on view
upon the outside of the revolving turrefs.
AS the Mortauk stands in the water she
is not more than eighteen inches above
the water line-turret, OF course, excepted
so it is easy to understand why so many
hundreds of the enemy's flying shot skim
med harmlessly over her deck.
In the early part of 1892, after having
been laid up at League Island for eigh-
teen years, the Montauk was run into the
dry dock at the Navy Yard to be put In
condition for active service, if need be.
The result of her examination was most
gratifying, for, although the Monfauk had
lain in shoal water for years, where there
was more or less grass, her bottom was
less than half an inch foul, and when she
had been cleaned she was apparently just
as good as on the day when she came to
the Island.
Such is the vessel on which the sailors
of the New Jersey Reserves will make
their homes for a short time. The quar-
tiers for the crew are rather cramped, and
the young sailors will not find much room
for slowing away large amount of lug
gage. Then, too, the ventilation OF the
boat is said to be poor, and it is likely
that the Reserves will be only too glad to
set foot on land when their voyage is
ended.
The Montauk is armed with the old
muzzle-loading guns, throwing solid shot.
She is slow going, but is considered sea-
worthy