Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-04

The last survivor of the pioneer band
of sailors who manned the United States
Monitor in it's memorable battle with
the Confederate ronclad Merrimac
Joined his comrades in death today.
William burst died at his little home
at 1915 George street. George street is
a little thoroughfare near 18th and
Poplar stree s.
Scenes of the battle In which he dis
tnguished himself rose befors the vet
eran's mind in his last moments and,
as if to bear out the saying that he
bore "A charmed life, he fingered long
after those about his bed thought he had
passed away. Pneumonia, following an
attack of grip, caused his death. 1t was
his ninth serious illness in late years.
on. December 10 he was discharged from
the Jewish Hospital after recovering
from a heart attack He was employed
in the Bureau of Water for 50 years.
Shortly before his death the veteran,
prOpped up by pillows on his deathbed,
gave his last rehearsal of the epoch max
ing engagement off Hampton Roads, i'm
which he won a medal from Congress for
bravery
March Q, 1862, was the date" he said,
family The voice which had shouted
Justify during many sea battle was very
weak. 81 remember it all as well as If it
had happened yesterday We were or
uCTtu INTO action early Ill Llle llOT1llnS 10
protect the Minnesota, a wooden ship.
from the Merrimac. The Merrimac had
already done lot of damage.
'The fog was thick over the water. and
we sighted the Merrimac so sudden-like
that everybody on both boats was SUR
prised.
while we We're creeping through the
fog we had been wondering how our
little 'cheesebOx' would compare with the
pride of the Confederate navy. She
seemed to be about three times as big as
our Monitor. Several men were running
along the deck. One of them yelled
something at us. | couldn't hear what it
WAS.
THE two ships were pretty close
together. The Merrimac opened tirc-two
shots-bang, bang; both fell short and
splashed up the water" lie stopped Il
moment, coughing with excitement. When
he continued his voice was fainter than
before.
1--WE had closed in by that time. We
let fly a brOadside as we passed. Then
we came bacK. Both ships began bang
ing away at each other. We We're at
close range The boats stayed that way
during most of the battle, until the Mer-
rimac was disabled. The shells bounced
off our armor like water off a duck S
back One of our gums
Again he stopped to cough and the old
light of battle was in his dim eyes.
II was in the pilot house with Lieu
tenant Worden,' he resumed. "He was
the commander. \ shell exploded and
pieces of iron hit him in the head. lie
fell back into my arms and | carried him
out of danger.
I'VE maneuvered around the Merrimac
several times and licked her i'm great
shape. History books that say we ran
into shallow water where the Merrimac
couldn't follow us are wrong. We drove
her away and saved the Minnesota. The
fight began at a. m. and lasted half
day. The history books are wrong. The
His voice trailed off indefinitely. The
light faded from his eyes. His last in
Iervew was ended, and soon there was
not "A man left living of that gallant band
Of 81 which manned the Monitor,
william burst was born i'm Tarnov, Aus |
tra. May 6. 1889. He ran away from home |
N his early teens and came to this coun- !
.ry after rowing through England and |
he West Indies. He enlisted i'm the |
United States Navy at New York about |
1859 as a coal passer on the receiving ship |
North Carolina, and was later transferred |
10 tn man-o'-war Princeton lie was one |
IF the picked band, the cream of the !
navy, selected to build and man the iron
Monitor. burst was chosen because he |
vas sturdy brave and am experienced |
machinist. He was coal passer on the |
yessel soon after being promoted to first
class fireman.
His term of service on the Monitor, ac-
,ording to a certificate of discharge
ordered presented by the Secretary of
he Navy, was from February H. 1862, 10
November 6, 1862. lie was absent on sick
cave in December of the same year
when the Monitor was sunk in gale off
lape Hatteras with most of her crew. |
lie served on the Galena and the monitor
catskill in the closing years of the war |
III the blockaded Southern ports and was
mustered out of the navy at the Phila-
lelphia Navy Yard in the latter part of
s65