The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-09
IN MEMORY OF
JOHN ERICSSON
Fiftieth Anniversary Of Naval
Battle Between Monitor
and Merrimac
HISTORIC EVENT CELEBRATED
Taft Guest Of Honor Of Chicago
Swedish Americans
Invention Which Has Revolutiohized
Naval Warfare and Saved the
Federal Fleet.

Washlneton H. c.. March 9.--Fifty
years ago today the famous and
epoch making naval battle between
the Monitor ana the Merrimac. which
saved the federal fleet from destruc-
ton al a critical moment and mark
ed the beginning of new era in the
construction of warships. was fought
of Fortress Monroe. In commemora-
tion OF the historical event and to hon
or the memory OF John Ericsson, the
inventor and builder of the Monitor
which became the prototype Of our
modern battleships the Swedish AM
erican Republican League OF Illinois
at the Auditorium i'm Chicago, which
President Taft will honor with his
presence. The Swedish Americans of
Illinois have arranged for this occasion
an interesting program of exercises TO
give expression to their patriotic pride
in their famous countryman Ericsson.
who was born in Sweden in 1904 ami
came to the United States about 1870.
Had Scientific Training.
Ericsson had received an excellent
scientific training and at the age of
twenty-four was captain of engineers
i'm the Swedish army. Mathematics
and mechanics were his favorlte stud
les and he invented many valuable
and important instruments and con-
trivances, including caloric and steam
engines. Two years after his arrival
In this country he designed for the
United States government the first
screw propelled warship the steam
ship Princeton.
For years Ericsson had studied and
planned to invent new type of war
ship that would revolutionize naval
warfare. Love for the country OF his
birth and hatred of Russia, his coun-
try's national enemy, inspired him and
gradually his fertile brain evolved the
idea of an armored vessel with "A ro-
tary turret, the Monitor type, which he
afterwards perfected. He offered his
idea to Napoleon III, hut the latter
merely adopted the armor suggestion
for his cruisers i'm the Black Sea, with
out giving ErcsSons Monitor craft q
trial. The Swedish inventors idea was
not put TO a practical test until fifty
years ago today, when the memorable
battle between the Monitor and the
Merrimac was foL yl,.
Emergency Was Great.
In April, 1861, Capt. McCauley, the
commandant of the Norfolk Navy
Yard. fearing coup by the Virginia
State government. decided Ia abandon
the navy yard and to destroy all the
buildings, docks. stores and vessels
there at the time. He carried out his
plan. but the Confederates took pos
session Of all the stores that had not
been destroyed and OF the partly burn
ed hulls of the vessels. one OF them
the hull of the forty gun frigate Mer'
rimac which had suffered compare
, lively little was raised by the confed-
crate engineers and remodelled i'm imi'
tatlon of the iron-clad ships OF Ma
poleon. 1t was provided with an iron
plated superstructure, the walls Vi
which sloped at an angle of S5 degree:
and gave protection to the ten DOW
erful guns with which the ship was
equipped.
At the beginning of october. 1881
four months after the raising of tn
Merrimac By the Confederates AT Nor
] folk the federal government, whici
had received inforinatio of the worl
of transforming the former frigate in
10 an impreg nable iron clad vessel. en-
tered into a contract with John Erics
son for the construction of war yes
sci of such type rs would effect th
same purpose that the Merrimac aime'
10 achieve The inventor had i'm mini
his Monitor type which had been ia
vorably reported upon M the nava
board and this idea was carried out II
the construction of the craft.
The Famous Battle.
The keel was laid In the shipyar
If the Continental Iron Works. Green
| point, Long Island. on October y
1861 and i'm one hundred days the wor
j was completed. ON feDruafN ~ ieo'
The new iron-clad was turned over I
!, the federal government and on Marc
! the guns of the vessel were mount
cd. In Difference to Ericsson's wis
/, the craft was named Monitor. With
out delay the strange craft started o
IT'S way TO the South.
The Merrimac, which had just bee
q completed on March s. 1862. entere
Hampton Grads. shortly after noon
: that day and gave battle to the feder'
v feet assembled there. The battle wa
? disastrous for the federal ships. whic
. were unablc 90 do any damage To th
4 Merrimac and were completely at th
: mercy of her powerful guns. The Mon
: tor. passing Cape Henry, heard tf
4 thunder of the battle, but could nc
, reach the scene of the fight until nigh
Q II was on the following morning Marc
p, 1862, that the famous duel Detwee