El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-29

navy. which the Federals scuttled and
sank when they destroyed the navy
yard at Norfolk She had been a steam
frigate. The Confederates raised her
and converted her into a shotproof and
bombprOof floating batter
The idea for her conversion was or
iEinaI with John L Porter. who had
been a constructor IN the naval service
of the United States. He received little
announcement. Some people said she
would never float, others said that she
would turn bOttOm-side up; yet others
said that the crew would SURROGATE, ana
that the conclusion Of the guns would
deafen the men on board. Local opinion
was the effect that she would never
come out OF the dock
Causes Alarm
The alarm felt in the North. when
the Nerrimac had been floated and had
proved her fighting power, may be
judged from what happened at meet
ing Of the cabinet in Washington Sec
Rotary OF war stanton said The Mer-
rimac will change the whole character
of the war. She will destroy, one after
another, every naval vessel she viii
lay all cities Of the. seabOard under
contribution. 1 shall Immediately recall
Burnside; Port Royal must be abau-
doned-" He had no doubt, in fact, that
the Merrimac was at that very moment
on her way 10 Washington; and, look
ing out Of the window which COM
manced view Of the Potomac. he
a shell from one OF her suns in the
White House before we leave this
room"
This is quoted from a description
given by secretary Welles OF what hap
pened NJ the cabinet meeting. he SAYS:
Mr. Steward, usually buOyant and self
reliant. listened in responsive sympathy
and was greatly depressed as, indeei,
were the members.
How the Mcrrimac Looked
an appearance very different from thar
with which she is associated in che
popular mind Pictures OF her show only
her-roOf-liSe superstructure, which was
of relatively small size, the hull which
was that OF a frlgate, being entirely
submerged. The roof was OF oak tim
bers covered with iron plates four
inches thick Ut the bow a cast iron
PROV was attached. for ramming-
Had Many Defects.
Formidable though she seemed. the
Me-rimac had about as many defects rs
could very well be combined in Il yes
sci Of war Her engine and boilers had
been condemned on her last cruise as
frigate (while she was still the property
of the United Staces). and her maximum
speed was five miles an hour. Sle
steered very poorly The aboye-men-
toned cast-iron prov was so imper-
fcctly attached that IL was broken off
in ramming the Cumberland She drew
IS feet OF water, and so could not pos
sibly follow the Monitor, the Union yes
sci which had a draft Of only - feet,
over the muddy shoals. II she had at
tempted TO do so, she would quickly
have run aground.
Monitor As fnyulHerable.
she Monitor was equally invulnerable,
much speedier and more Obedient 90
her helm. The two ships, in the first
battle of history between 1ron-clads,
fought for two hours at close quar-
without making rwnnTaEgfnn
upon each other Some Of the time they
were within 80 yards Of one an
other. AT such short range the Monitor
delivered two shots from her ll-incn
guns sQuarely upon the side OF the Mer-
rimac, knocking down the men at the
after guns Lieut. Jones' comma1dlng
the MerrimaC, found that he would do
no damage 20 the turret Of the Monitor
and so directed his fire upon the pilot
house, corresponding 20 what he would
call nowadays the coming tower. A
shell struck in the sight slit and eX-
ploded, knocking the roof OF the pilot
house partly of and binding and stun
ming Worden- IL was then thar the Non
itOr retreated over the flats into shOdl
water. where the Merrimac could not
follow
ArmOred Gun Boats
The advantages OF armor in naval /
warfare We're first practically lemon
strated by the Confederate river gun I
boats-freight and passenger steamers I
which had been cut down and armored I
with any form Of iron that happened I
10 be procurable, from chains TO bent I
rails. A number Of Mississippi river +
boats We're converted in this way into {
rather formidable crate, their upper {
works being torn off, and their ma /
chinery projected with railroad iron J
backed by oak timebrs- such a vessel !
carried from four to six guns.
Captures Mexican Vessels
Just before the civil war broke out. !
there was a revolution going on IN Mex |