Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-03-30
LOSS OF THE "MONITOR".
STORY TOLD BY
BAR HARBOR MAN.
EYE WITNESS OF THE CATASTROPHE
ON THE NIGHT OF DEC. 81, 1852
HIS OPINION AS TO THE CAUSE.
From the Lewiston Journal !

messed the loss of the original "Yankee
| Cheese Box" of Ericsson, the illfated
"Monitor", on the int of Dec 81, 1862, is
now living at Bar Harbor-Dr. William
Rogers. Dr. Rogers at the time, was act
ing ensign Oh the "Rhode Island, the
ship that undertook to tow the "Mon-
itor" from Hampton Roads to Charleston
Concerning the laundering OF the iron
clad, he says:
"On Tuesday night, when off Chinco-
league Shoals, we had a heavy gale from
the f. n. E. with heavy sea, made con-
fused and dangerous by the proximity
OF the land. l measured the waves and
found them to be twenty-three feet high.
During the heaviest OF the gale | stood
upon the turret and admired the behavior
OF the vessel She rose and fell to the
waves, and | concluded that the 'Moni-
tor had great seagoing qualities. IL
leaks were prevented, no hurricane could
injure her.
1.-The Distinguishing features of this
fighting machine" said the doctor, "were
its iron armor, its upper and lower hulis,
its revolving turret, its pilot-house and
its anchor and propeller wells. The
lower hull was tatbottomed and its out
side sheat hing was iron plate tive-eighths
of an inch thick. This plating ran on to
and was securely fastened to the under
part of the upper hull, SO that there WIS
no Joint between the lower and upper
body. The dimensions of this part Of
the vessel were: Length, 10 feet; beam,
thirty-four feet, and the depth, SIX feet
and six inches. Resting on this, was the
upper hull, Ii feet long, forty-one feet
beam and five feet deep. The sides were
nearly perpendicular and covered with an
iron armor six inches thick, backed up
by two and one-half feet OF solid oak.
This upper body overhung the lower, not
unlike he guards on one of the Portland
steamers, except forward and aft, where
the projection extended about twenty
five feet.
Nv hen i'll fighting trim, with a good
supply of coal, ammunition and stores on
board, he lower and about two-thirds of
the upper hull WIS submerged, SO that
her deck VAS only about two feet above
the water line. Tue revolving turret
which is Characteristic of the monitor
system, WAS built entirely of iron, and
was tMenty-oue feet III diameter and
nine feet high. Its sides were nine
inches thick and were perforated with
two port holes for the two eleven inch
Dahlgreen guns. This structure weighed
about one hundred tons, and with its
smooth base rested upon a circular COM
position plate or rim fastened in the deck.
The joint between this bearing and the
smooth iron surface above was not water
tight, and through its whole length,
which of course was the circumference Of
the turret, sixty feet, poured large
quantity of water the night OF the dis
aster. But this structural defect alone
would not have been fatal had other and
more dangerous factors been absent.
The anchor we'll was nearly in the
/ centre of the ship. The chain cable
passed through an aperture eight inches
| in diameter which was the hawse pipe.
| This pipe was on the aft side of the we'll,
/
rough weat her calked or packed around
| the chain cable to prevent the admission
OF water.
Nov, without rejecting any discredit
upon the brave officers who had command
OF the Monitor on the eventful night
of December 81, 1862, +" said DR.. Rogers, a
claim that had the anchor not been
/ a no. far h.
admission of water, the Monitor would
not have gone to a watery grave
Over the loss OF the "Monitor" there
was no court martialing done, and no
court of inquiry appointed by the gov
eminent to ascertain, causes of the disas-
ter. The nation was at war, and the loss
of n single ship was but a drop in the
bucket. Neither Capt. Trenchard of the
"Rhode Island, nor Commander Bank
head of the ''Monitor', in their official
reports, undertook to give the navy de-
partment anything more than detailed
accounts of the disaster, without suggest
ing the cause of the sinking, except
structural defects. Even DR.. Rogers in his
letter to his father did not at that time
/ led to the disaster. The cause of the
"Monltor'5" sinking was given out and
| generally accepted, that the vessel went
/ down because of a separation of the lower
and upper hulls. DR.. Rogers believes that
/ the "Monitoro should have been kept
astern OF the "Rhode Island" where she
could have been easily held and not an
chored, as was done by her officers, Who
We're suspicious that their ship was un-
seaworthy. The Monitor had proved
herself invinoible in battle with the
"Merrimac', but little confidence was
had i'll her as sea boat. Her low-lying
deck, her upper hull projecting over bow
and stern twenty five feet, her whole
model so different from anything known
among seafaring men, all these innova-