Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-03

advance Of the Yorktown. but the Viz
Einia continues to approach. I; Is within
100 yards Of the daring little antagonist.
At this distance the engagement begins
II lasts several hours. II Is . furious
cannonade. II Is hot and close The YES
sells fight within from nifty 10 90 yards
Of each other. The Monitor carries two
guns against the virGnia's eight The
revolving turret enables the Monitor to BE
ready for the occasion sudden. II Is
blow for blow. This tends to ecualize the
conditions Of the duel The virginia finds
the Monitor impenetrable TO shot and
shell. II therefore attempts to run Il
down. II fails in this The Monitor
avoids the blows OF its enemy. II still
deals pointblank shots at short range
against It's ponderous antagonist. At
length the Virginia stAbs the Monitor In
the side. Ii thtusts. in vain. Ne damage
results. The Monitor spins around like a
top II soon oetnins Its bearing again.
and sends one OF Its formidable missiles
into It's huge opponent. BY this time the
officers Of the Monitor have acquired
complete confidence In It's impregnabslity.
They no longer fire al random or hastily.
The Monitor works round ths Virginia, re-
pea;ediy probing her sides. she seeks
for weak points and reserves her fire with
with GOODNESS until she has the night spot.
Now she steadies for q telling blow. She
takes the exact range. Crash erashl
crash, threa shots arc dealt In this DELHI
crate way The virginia viii take no
prize today. She II oyermatehed. she
now resorts TO fstreat. she Is svifter
than the Monitor. She will try the Mime
sofa again, She turns 10 renew the at
tack on that vessel The Monitor VIII not
permit this. shs comes up and takes po-
sitlon between the tuo ships. she again
makes the Virginia feel her proves.
where are the eontorts Of the latter
They may 80 back with their bcarders.
II Is now high noon. The four hours
conflict Is over The virginia is seriously
aa.aaged. Like . wounded giant she
moves off for sevelrs point at fun speed.
The Monitor follows for some distance,
bat she Is outstripped In the race she
Abandons the parsuit and returns 20 the
Minnesota. Viva, Viva little Monitor
The story Of this confiist 10 the romance
OF the war. where mechanism and grnins
save % much invincieility 10 the north
ern cause. The confederates were under
the impression that the thrust OF the Viz
sinla's ram had inflicted serfus damage
upon the Monitor; but this *as not the
case She sustained no injury: whie On
the other hand. one confederate authority
states that the Virginia lost her Iron beAk
in her plunge at tho Monitor. Tho VIZ
giniA lest her ram and sprung q leak.
The same writer beasts that the Monitor
ran on In q crippled condition. Tue CON-
uittse on naval affairs. % which the
writer has e-en recently chairman re-
ported upon this remarkable fikht In err
der to adjust claim for prszesL The sx'
animation resulted IN a report from JUDGE
Rsllantiae Of rennesses. which denies
thai the Virginia Vas seriously dsmared
The opposite opinion Is presented IN the
report Of Mr.. John r. Thomas OF Iianels.
which asserts that this victory Of the
Menisor ultimately caused the tesiraetion
% the Virgins. Both reports are recon
cslable with the facts; fer. although the
virginia was disabled IN some regards
and required some rerair. she xas not al
together disabled. There can b. no Ques-
ton a. 10 ths ability and gail&nrT with
which the two armed vessels fought But
Il sill always remain an open question -
TO the extent OF damage done 10 the vir-
ginia- The Moni,or came cut anscsthedL
ne mer., Of having invented or
planned the armor Of the fcrmld-
able eoafedsrsss irsnslat 70 dos 70
uestsnant JeAn u Brooke % The
Confederate States nayy. Tia NEED II
higA praise need nei Be Withheld from aa