The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-03-21

q I'll. \. J. ]!
STheStrayelerE tourneying southwark
may leave Washington by rail. pass:
through the 3terrltorys made famous
by the civil war, Or he may take az
boat at Washington and sail down the
Potomac and down the Chesapeake
BaySsto Portsmouth, passing 81 on 4 Ills
way Fortress Monroe, Old Point Cons
fort, the Hampton Roads and the IA
nous Ripraps, that many q veteran
remembers with a shudder for ~ was
the retreat 81 the offender.
n Hampton Roads Is at the mouth of5
|the James river, the cradle of The
American development Yorktown,
where CORVALLIS surrendered, Is but
IaSfew miles away. Government inst.
buttons. from FortSto5 Soldiers Home,
are within easy reach. Bit the most
Interesting feature that attaches to the
voyage Is the recollection that's
Hampton Roads the lronclad ship5of
war was born. The Confederate yes.
sel--the Merrimac (Which had been
covered with railroad Iron, appeared
one day in Hampton Roads. and spread
terror$to the Union heartily rammlng
and destroying the shipping In the
harbor. The first days work was an
\ indication OF what might be expected
when the slinSrose again. The Iron.
clad ship was proof against the guns
ofSthe batteries and had things lis
own way Nothing apparently stood
between It and he annihllatlon3 Of the
United States Navy. and then attacks
on the coast cities seemed certain.
I II everSthe hand of Proyldence9kas
appeared IN history, surely 1t was
shown that5eventfulS evening Saftergthe
Merrimac had 8madegits first success.
Z rnl cruise, for that night the Monitor,
the queer craft that overthrow all
! previous calculations In naval war
fare, steamed into Hampton Roads,
1 The Monitor next morning metFthe
Merrimac, and put It ontsof commits
sion. Sitting on the comfortable deck
chairs, on a spring morning. looking
: out over the scene Of the great duel
is a wonderfully impressive expert
I ence. The water lis scarcely rutfled
! except as the swell from outside the
\ capes rolls in from the! sea. u Grafton
Z allHthe errands Of peace and sindustr,
! scurry9 hither5 and thlther. The waite
Y gives no Indications Of $the momen
Z tous story that was told 70 the swid,
world, and which has since beenBth,
3 study ofthe naval constructor.
I For a time the Monitor class OF bal
: tleships was supreme. Many wer
{ built; and they seemed at the tlme3in
!. yincble. The battery was no NOR
! formidable as a weapon than the tel
!, rible ram which was merciless an
J. invulnerable. But the Monitorgis tno,
!, almost obsolete. Its sole place 10
!. a coast defense vessel, and for thu
L purpose the United States keeps SON
B In commission. But the Monitor isss
n poor sailor although some have eros!
.sf ed the seas to our n philippine Spossel
" sion is2i3; s5ss 3ti II
s. The Monitor served two uses \ On
y was to help to save the Union, ,whic
n means that It helped to make til
IS greatest nation Iii many respects this
9. heSsun ever shone on. Then IT exer
ed the other influence OF smaking ii,
X val warfare SO desperate that sma
te countries are compelled BY theirsn!,
st cessltles 10 keep the peace 7 he eg,
( luton Of the slronclad battleshlp8 cor
Y menced with the fghtSof thet Merr
mac and the Monitor at Hampto
~ Roads, Just as the, modern thing cor
* menced with the YANKEE som1e,whe,
"A in this favored land! ~ The "a armore
D battleship5 which has resulted ii
O. most powerful and comp engine
< war ever. produced bysman mo
"a ern: battleship8 lisa giant capable,;we
u It's load put on railroad cars, OF sloa
q Ing nearly thousand cars. Its hors
Is power lis rated by the tens of tho
a sands. Yet ~ Is controlled by pul
X buttons and telephones and felectr
y signals as easily as il itSwere a5ro
o. boat: 1t carries guns big enough I
Is man to crawl Into, which can she
x q fifteen:inch hole i'm a piece OF ste
I'D a foot thick. It's whole equipment
~ mechanical and mat emat ical peri,
q ton. The furnaces burn more coal
W day than would run a village, Sa