Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-03-06

standing room. When Finished the
total length of the Monitor was 172
feet. This covered the armor and
what is called the "overhang." The
length of the hull proper was 124
feet. Her total beam over armor
and backing was. Al 1-3 feet-the
beam of the hull proper being "a
feet. Her depth was II feet; her
draught 10 feet. The diameter Of the
turret inside was 20 feet; the height
was 9 feet; the thickness, 8 inches,
there being S inches of wrought-iron
and 3 feet Of oak. The total weight
with everything on board, was nine
hundred tons. AS an engine of war,
the Monitor was in the strictest sense
of the work novelty. Nothing Of
the kind had ever before existed. Not
unnaturally, therefore, very different
opinions prevailed as to the fitness
of the vessel for the purposes con-
templated. Had the Monitor gone to
the bottom as she slid from the stocks
at Greenpoint, she would only have
fulfilled the predictions and justified
the expectations Of many prominent
scientific men who were present when
she was launched. The strange
looking little ship, as we shall pres
emily see, was to have different and
more glorious future. According to
the terms of the contract the Mon
itor was not to be accepted by the
government until her sea-going pow
ers were tested and until she had
made trial of her strength with the
heaviest guns of the enemy. This,
therefore, was her trial trip; and new
er, perhaps, in the history of any
ship Of war was trial trip more sew
erely tested or more completely sue
cessful. Lieutenant John L. Word
en- was in command. On her way
from New York the weather was ex-
tremely rough. For three days the
Monitor battled with the storm; but
more than once victory was doubtful.
After such a voyage the crew, as
was to be expected were much ex-
hausted. We have seen that the Mon
itor reached Fortress Monroe at 9
o'clock, on the evening Of Saturday,
the 9th of March. But for this storm
the Monitor might have been up in
time to prevent the disaster Of the
previous day; for it is now known
that the Confederates, Informed by
spies of the forwardness of the Mon
itor, had made almost superhuman
efforts to have the work on the Mer-
rimac finished, so as to give her an
opportunity Of destroying the Ma
tional fleet at Hampton Roads before
her great rival could appear on the
scene. AS it was, Lieutenant Worden
lost no time after his arrival at For
tress Monroe. Within a few min
utes he had reported to the flag off,
Ger in the Roads, received orders and
sailed to join the disabled fleet. Soon
after midnight, on the morning Of the
9th, he anchored his little vessel
alongside the Minnesota.
Before the Battle.
Never did the relief arrive more
OPPORTUNITY. It was a night to be
remembered-that Of the 9th of
March, 1862, at Hampton Roads. The
Confederates were flushed with sue
cess. The Nationals were downcast,
as we'll they might be, but by no
means desperate. Norfolk was IL
luminated; and the Confederate off,
GERS and sailors were rejoicing and
carousing with her grateful citizens.
AS the night wore on, the waters and
the adjacent coast were brilliantly
lit up by the flames of the burning
Congress; and ever and anon, at ir-
regular intervals, a shotted gun would
boom over the dull waters and star
tie the quiet air, as the spreading
flames ignited it's charge. The ship
had been burning for ten hours, when,
about one o'clock, the fire having
reached the magazine, she blew up
with terrific noise, filing the air
and strewing the waters far and wide
with masses Of burning timber.
An 0minous Sabbath Morning.
Sunday morning broke beautiful
and clear. The Congress had disap-
peared; but the masts and yards of
the Cumberland projected above the
water, and her ensign was flying in
it's accustomed place. The dead bod
les Of her brave defenders foated in
large numbers around the ship. Be-
fore the sun had fully revealed him
self, the Merrimac. was seen sailing
down from Sewall's Point. Her drums
beat to quarters. Worden was ready.
Taking his position at the peep-hole
Of the pilot-house of the Monitor, he
gave orders for an immediate attack.
The Merrimac made direct for the
Minnesota; and from the course she
took it was apparently the intention
Of her commander to capture that
vessel if possible and carry her back
as a prize to Norfolk, where hun
dreds Of people lined the shores
awaiting his triumphant return. As
she approached, the stern guns Of