Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-04-11
STIRRING NAVAL BATTLE
Between Confederate Ram Merri-
mac and u. s. s. Congress to be
Reproduced at May Reunion.
THE MEMPHIS REUNION HALL
VIII Seat $1,000 Spectators-An About
the Magnificent street Decorations.
Tho Reunion Button.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, April SIT is all up
to the weather man now, and If his pre-
diction for cloudless skies during the
Reunion holds good, visitors to Mem
phis will see the grandest display OF
fireworks ever witnessed in the South.
The spectacle will include the firing OF
thousands of rockets along the entire
river front, and will close with a real
istic representation of the famous bat
tie which was fought in the harbor at
Newport News between the Confeder-
ate ram Merrimac and the U. S. 5.
Congress, when the latter boat was
blown up aud sunk by the Merrimac.
The battle will be fought by actual
boats which will pour broadsides into
each other to the heroic accompaniment
of background of brilliant and eye
dazzling fire display, reaching from the
horizon to the zenith. There will also
be fire pictures of several Of the most
noted generals of the Confederacy,
which will blaze into bold relief, hang
ing apparently in midair, to the full
view of all.
1t was on Saturday, the 9th of March,
1862, that this famous naval battle was
fought. Steaming into the bay, where
was gathered the Federal feet, the
Merrimac was greeted by hail of can
nonade from the Congress and other
gunboats. This fury Of solid shot and
ball would have sunk another boat in
stantly, but from the iron coated, slop-
ing sides of the Merrimac the fusillade
rolled harmlessly into the water. The
answering fire from the Confederate
ram was deadly. No ship could with
stand the terrific death-dealing volleys,
much less the wooden gunboats that
were already battle-scarred by the con-
ficts of the few days previous. Slowly
the Merrimac steamed toward the en-
envy, centering her fire on the Congress.
| With almost every shell that burst from
the throats of the Merrimac's cannon an
answering shrek of death could be felt
rather than heard as the solid balls of
steel and iron plowed through the Fed
eral ship. The duel was short, for in
very few minutes the mast of the Con-
gress tottered and fell. The vessel
was on fire, and the lurid beauty Of the
background threw its hull into bold re-
lief The smoke then sank on to its
decks for an instant, as one would press
down the lid of a jack-in-the- box, and
then followed the explosion of the pow
der magazine. With the fury of mad
dened tiger the Merrimac darted at the
enemy and buried it's steel ram into its
wooden bosom. AS the Merrimac backed
away the water rushed into the hole,
and second afterward the Congress
lurched to the bottom, defeated and de-
stroyed.
The pictorial representation of this
fight on the river at the Reunion will
lie faithful and true to life. There will
be the background of flashing shells
exploding in the air, and the colors of
war will all be there. At first the Con-
gress will be seen, rocking sullenly at
her anchor. Then the Merrimac will
appear in the distance, rapidly APP
preaching. Then both boats will com
mence to exchange ear-splitting volleys
of shot and shell. The powder maya
zine of the Congress will be exploded
and then the final act of the drama, the
ramming of the sinking vessel by the
Merrimac, will take place.
The spectacle of war is always one Of
strange fascination. Though we know
It's tragic outcome, it is nevertheless a
tremendous display. And this will be
no ordinary Fourth of July exhibition,
for in the one evening of this part of
the entertainment sixteen hundred feet
of barges will be loaded with red, blue
and white fire, thousands of rockets
and bombs. Another feature of the
display will be the illumination of the
entire river at this point. Acres and
acres of water will suddenly be alive
with kissing, writhing serpents of
flame; the heavens will be lighted as
high as the eye can see, and fountains
of fire will spout into the air to the
height of thousand feet, falling back
into Niagara of stars and comets.
The Great Reunion Hall.
AS you read this, there are hundred
workmen on the bluffs of Memphis
erecting a mammoth Reunion hall.
1t will be the largest one ever erected
for a similar purpose. Al a recent
meeting of the general executive com
mittee it was decided 70 build one for
this special occasion, and graders, brick
layers and carpenters are now actively
engaged in laying the foundations
and raising the superstructure. The
hall will be finished in ample time for
the Reunion. 1t will have seating
capacity of $4,000 people, and will con-
tain State headquarters for Arkansas,
Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mis-
souri,, North Carolina, South Carolina, !
Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Ala.
bama, Texas and Mississippi.
In addition to this there will be large
headquarters for the Sons of Confeder- |
ate Veterans. These headquarters, to- |
gether with the main entrance, will !
occupy the entire front of the building. |
In the space at each end of it and I'M
der the seats, which will have height |
of 12 feet and will be in the nature of a |
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