The Republican journal., 1908-11-12

ton, from the expectations of the public,
founded on the success of Commodore
Buchanan, and have looked to different
field from his to satisfy them. | shall
never find in Hampton Roads the oppor-
tunity my gallant friend found. There
is no chance for me but to pass the forts
and strike elsewhere, and | shall be graft
fed by your authority to do so as soon as
the ship is in proper condition.
1t will be perceived that this letter was
written under the influence of expectation
of improvement in the condition of the
ship, created by the letters received by
me from the Secretary Of the Navy, in
forming me of her weak points, and the
changes to be made in her armor which
were then in progress. How much these
expectations We're disappointing is made
manifest by the evidence. Even the de-
signed improvements were not fully eff
fected, and at no time did the Virginia
(Merrimac) attain the power and capac-
ity of a sea-going ship, or exceed the
measure of usefulness originally designed
for her, that of harbor defence. When
in compliance with the Secretary's order
| consulted Commodore Buchanan on the
character and power OF the ship, he eX-
pressed the distinct opinion that she was
unseaworthy, and that she was not sui
ficiently buoyant, and that in common
sea she would founder. Her construction
was such that when the sea struck her
the water would flow into her ports. Mr..
Porter, the naval constructor OF the ship,
has testified that he informed the Secre-
tary of the Navy that the ship could not
go to sea with safety and the radical de-
fects in hull and engines were such as to
greatly retard her operations even IN the
smooth water of Hampton Roads.
Thus l think l have established the
fact, beyond reasonable doubt, that
the ship could not do what the people IN
their wild delirium of fright thought she
could do on that night of March s and
morning of March 9, 1862; and that she
could not have accomplished what she did
had ordinary caution been used to prevent
it.
The readers of The journal will see by
the remarks below that Commodore Van
derbilt, who was the owner OF the big
line of steamers then plying between
New York and the isthmus OF Panama
on the route between New York and
California, was alive to the situation.
1t will be remembered also that there
was no Union Pacific railroad to Califor-
mia at that time and nearly all the trans
portation between the Atlantic and the
Pacific went that way, with the exception
Of the sailing ships that voyaged around
the Horn. Nearly all the very heavy
ships went that way. Commodore Van
derbilt being sailor from his youth was
as well, and perhaps better, equipped IN
relation to things nautical than any Of
ficer in the u S. navy at that time. He
was the sole owner of the steamship OF
5000 tons burthen that bore his name
and which was the biggest steamship
afoat at that time with the exception OF
the Great Eastern. He watched the pro-
ceedings of the navy at Hampton Roads
in relation to the manner in which they
were to receive the rebel ram when she
should come out, and all knew that she
was coming.
In concluding this article | deem 1t
proper to state that by the official rec
ords of both the army and the navy that
no reliance was to be placed on the ulti-
mate destruction of the Merrimac by the
Monitor in the case of another fight be-
tween them, for the Secretary OF War
had secured the great transport steamer
Vanderbilt for the purpose OF running
her down should she come, which there
was room to do, and the Secretary OF the
Navy had also contracted with large
merchant ship to do the same thing, for
which the navy department paid 81, 3oo
per day, and to pay all damage done her,
including full pay for the ship if she was
sunk. This, Admiral Gouldsborough was
heard to say, was the only way to ef-
fectually destroy the ram. But the move
ment of the army upon Norfolk made 1t
unnecessary. j. y. JOHNSON
Stops earache in two minutes; toothache or
pain of burn or scald in five minutes; hoarse-
ness, one hour; muscleache, two hours; sore
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