Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-11-17


an experiment, she made her appear
ance in Hampton Roads at critical
time in the civil war. saved feet
from destruction, inspired feeling ot
confidence in our national ability to
cope with emergencies and practically
revolutioniZed naval warfare.
Not many are aware that the sole
surviving officer of that famous craft
that is to say, the only one who, or
dered to her before she was launched,
remained with her until she ended her
brief but glorious career by going TO
the bottom off Cape Hatteras-lives IN
New York. He is Capt. Louis \. Stod-
der, United States revenue cutter serv-
ice, recently retired
Capt Stodder's hair and mustache
are white, but he is as active as he
was twenty years ago. He is OF erect
figure and has the air and voice of
strict disciplinarian, but he has keen
sense of humor and seems to enjoy
life thoroughly. Owing TO his great
| modesty, 1t Is difficult to get him To
| talk of his experiences with and in
the Monitor, and it was only after he
had been fairly trapped the other day
! during one of his visits to Capt. New
| comb that he consented to become rem
| iniscent for brief space Of time and
| to tell over the career of the little
cheesebox of a raft which took so
! great part in the making OF history
II was navigating officer and sailing
master on the Monitor" said Capt
| Stodder, having joined her when she
was still on the stocks at Rowland's
shipyard, Greenpolnt, now, think, the
Continental Iron Works. recollect
when | went over to see her for the
| first time / talked with some of the
worknen in the yard. You had better
take a good look at her now,' they said,
'as you won't see her after she strikes
! the water. She's bound to go to the
bottom of the East river and stick
there, sure
But of course, she did no such
thing. They thought she could never
| be launched successfully, owing to the
thirty feet of overhang at the stern,
which was likely as she left the ways
to bury itself in the mud. Butterflies
son made wooden tanks filed with
holes, with just enough buoyancy to
hold mp her stern when she struck the
water, until the tanks filled, and the
launching was successful.
"Of course, most people did not be
fieve in her. | was thrown into con
tact with Ericsson, who gave me many
points about the craft, and was
rather confident she would give an ac-
count of herself.
'She was rather a hasty job, was the
Monitor, put together and delivered in
approximately ninety days, and pre-
scented some defects which might have
been remedied had there been more
time allowed. For instance it was I'M
possible to fire both her guns at one
time, for the reason that the masses
of iron which closed over the portfolios
In the turret after firing drew to the
center instead OF to the sides, and, the
Two holes being very close together,
there was not room between for both
| covers at one time
| "On her first start from the navy
/ yard the Monitor got only as far a.
Fulton ferry when her steering gear
became disabled and we had to put
| back. Our final start was made on
March 6, 1862, under the tow Of the
! tug Seth Low. This was merely to
have been a trial trip, as the vessel
was not paid for, and the condition of
her final acceptance was to have been
| ythat she was to go down to Hampton
Roads, steam up the Potomac, passing
successfully the Confederate batteries
along the shores of that river, and
reach Washington.
Lieut. j. l.. WOrden vas In com
mand.
I'VE arrived in the mouth of the
| chesapeake late in the afternoon Of
March s, and heard firing when we
were twenty miles distant from Hump
| ton Roads This we took to he the
/ guns Of Fortress Monroe at practice.
and the powder boat from which we
| got our ammunition could give US no
/ information We did not realize what
| had happened until we got near enough
! to see the Congress burning.
| u was about : 80 O'Clock the next
morning when the Merrimac which
had anchored the night before around
iSeweil's Point, showed her nose com
ing out of the Elizabeth river. and
after we had got look at her the crew
was piped to quarters Everybody was
shut In. Lieut.. Worden was in the
square pilot house forward. whose peep
holes, four narrow Sits, one on each
side afforded the only view of what
was going on outside the vessel Lieut..
Greene was in command Of the turrct.
and l had charge Of The turrct ma
chinery, which was worked by a wheel