The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-31
B5 Reading rnaketh a full man, coniers
ence ready man, ana W i = = ~, az
exact m ana " sSSi$st 81 10, -, 49,
The First Great Ironclad.

sisi To1,, about YOUR English Dreadnausht
md her American counterpart p loppoo's'ee'"'
\ a,,,t tn, most interesting ronclad evet
@.,,,,,,,,, vns the famous Confederate ram
Virginia. She was built on the runs l'l 4
34the United States sfrlgntc MerrinAc, =
d "a. NH, screw friga.e which was built IN
y 1855. but when the Portsmouth navy Sa al'l
Was abandoned by. the Federal govern
E - II An April 10, 1851 she. with ONE h
slips there, was sunk. The The nun vas ia1seu
Il AZ the sConfederates and CUT Gown ~
sthe herth-deck On the nldshlp se '1 ~ !.
" ~ senate Of timber 17O feet iong Vs.
huilt. This was protected by rolleo =
n mates two inches thick and eigh 'Ice' ~
,.,aa running horizontally and ou y Isl ~
Of this we're laid similar iron on pla'es ruu
n,nr vertically, the boiling riVets 49, .
sacnred on the inside. The s tls9
3 ~ semnte was sheathed WITH slA t'ltss
8 twenty feet wide and n hundred u ~
s,xty feet long When completed tl r We ="
y, looked more like floating barn VIII
a santing roof than an ironcl "a snip NJ
sS wnr And the iron roof was fcoatea VII
tn,low the result being, as was e. nitet-
z, ], "a shown. that solid shot from the
5, Gum were turned way ike wa ssr
rro,,red $,,,5on q duck back, and Win ~
n IA damage IN front Of the SMOKE
4 stack was the pilot house, with the same
armor as the sides; and fastened 70 t1 W
prov was an iron ram reaching pcyo9nsu1
Z the cut-water. Esf
such is crude description of the & VIZ y "A
r,nia as she steamed down the Eliza
\. hetll River on March s. 1862, undcrscoln-3
mand Of Captain Franklin l3uchan n y
she was escorted TO sewcll s Point where rt
n the Jamestown lsxpositio Ion Is to DC held
byS d number of steamers, nnd pointed
" her nose toward Newport News. where
Il lay tile United States frigatc Congress-.
4 and the sloop OF war Cumberland Lower,
II down In Hampton Roads We're the sailing
1;;ate ST Lawrence and the steam
frlgatcs Roanoke and Minnesota-all UNI
conscious of the impending danger
When the Virginia was within q hundred
yards Of the Cumberland and Congress,
they both opened fire with all available!
guns but the hcav. shot fell upon the
II Iron sides OF the Virginia like so many
81 paper wads. and she went at her work
of destructon/with the elaboration Of.
I Il boa CONSTRUCTOR Which has already.
co!od itself around its captured prey
( She rammed tho Cumberland and sank
her: then turning her attention to the
Congress, she lost little time III putting
her lout OF cQ!fnisslon. The other vessels
took to tsrcin. heels and the Minnesota
ran aground. s}5 l.
1t was now dark and the Virginia head
cd for Sewell's Point. She anchored Tor
the night. expecting to return to her
work In the morning, destroy everything
afoat carrying the Stars and Stripes, ana
then go on to Washington.
J. The appearance of the lronclad Monitor
in the nick OF time interrupted the pro-
gramme. but It was glorious victory;
aud the Virginia. although her llfe was
\ short. was In her birthday tho greatest
ship of war the world had ever seen, ana
r every part OF her noble frame preserved
Is n precious relic. s
The Times-D Dispatch is In possession OF
fragment of her iron sides and pro.
poses to have It converted into two
crosses OF honor. Ono OF these crosses
VIII be given 10 the Oldest and the other.
to the youngest Confederate now living
In Virginia, WHO enlisted under the Viz
ginia flag. Who are they? Lot us have,
the record. 5s