Evening star., 1902-02-22
BUILDING THE MONITOR
REPRESENTATIVE SPERRY TOOK
QUITE A PROMINENT PART.
Risked Every Dollar He Possessed on
the Success of an Expert
ment

There is the man who was bondsman for
the construction of the Monitor"
This remark is often made at the Capt.
tol as Representative Sperry of Connecti-
cut is pointed out. 1t was forty years ago
that Mr.. Sperry signed his name to the in
strument that pledged every dollar he had
in the world on the success of an expert
ment-an absolute experiment-that the
United States Navy Department was not
willing to back which a great many people
thought was a foolish one. but the success
of which marked the turning point in the
naval fights of the war of the rebellion.
Mr.. Sperry never speaks OF his connection
with the affair. He is very modest upon
that score and 1t is only with difficulty that
he can be draw into discussing It, He got
results that's all there was to it.
1t Is needless of course to recount the
history of the Monitor. Every one knows of
her appearance in Hampton Roads at the
critical moment when the confederate iron
shipping of the Atlantic coast and the re-
suit of the battle that followed.
But Mr.. Sperrys story of the bonding of
the constructors of the Monitor the fiscal
act which was antecedent to the great mill
tary drama, is very interesting.
Il was young fellow" said Mr.. Sperry.
but was full of patriotism and ardor for
the success of the Union cause, and guess
approached me to back the scheme with
bond for the successful building of the ves-
sci.
'Jchn A. Griswo,d Of Troy. at that time a
member of Congress; Cornelius S. Bushnell
OF New Haven. and a western man named
Winslow. were the builders. The vessel was
esfgned by Ericsson, is well known. but
these three men were to construct her. The
Navy Department. was skeptical of the
practicability of Edicsson'S idea and de-
ciined to advance the money unless bond
could be provided to secure the department
against loss If the plans should not work
out successfully.
There was great commotfon about the
building Of the confederate ram Merrimac.
We knew that she was going ahead at the
Gosport navy yard and would be the most
formidable vessel afioat. She was iron-clad
and the thought of that invincibe ship be-
ing turned loose among the wooden vessels
OF the coast was a terrible one.
Just What Was Needed
'She could have levied tribute on every
city along the coast from the Chesapeake to
Maine, and would have had everything her
own way. Well, when the Monitor was
proposed, people said that was just the
thing If 1t would work out. But many peo-
pie were doubtful about the 'cheeseboX as
they teeringly called Ericsson's vessel
Mr.. Bushnell thought she could be built
So Mr.. John Drew of New York and my
self went on his bond with the Navy De-
partment and the work was started at
GreeDpoint, n Y. 1t was nip and tuck be-
tween the two rivals which should be
completed and get to sea first Everybody
knows how the Union vessel was finished
went down the coast and was in Hamp-
ton Roads when the Merrimac came out.
Il will never forget the day cf the battle
1t was an exciting time in New Haven, for
we had kind OF local pride in the
Monitor. on account of Mr.. Bushnelrs con-
nection with her construction. All day long
crowds clustered around the telegraph of
flee receiving bulletins of the fight.
Mr. Bushnell ard l were there too, you
may depend upon it. AT last, along about
5 or 6 o'clock in the evening came the news
that the Merrimac had been disabled by the
Monitor and had put back to port. Bush
nell, who was a strapping big fellow. with
hand in proportion to his size brought his
hand down on my shoulder with a whack
that nearly knocked me down.
'Sperry, says he, your bond is safe
l tell you there was great celebrating in
New Haven that time. A peculiar thing is
that the original bond we signed has never
been found No enc knows what became
of It,"