The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-08

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the senate, Senator Knute Nelson
said:
MT. President, in the midst Of this
great war, when our navy depart
ment has been bending all it's eneP-
gies to circumvent the submarine, /
think 1t is appropriate to call atten-
ton to one of the most mOmentous
events of the civil war in connection
with the operations of our navy.
One of the most far-reaching and
momentous events of the civil war
was the battle in Hampton Roads,
March 8, 1862, between the Monitor
and the Merrimac. When that oc-
Cured the war had been dragging,
on land and sea, for nearly a year
with scant success for the cause OF
the union. To obtain and hold the
mastery of the sea had become all
important for the success of our
arms . To maintain blockade OF
the ports of the south and to keep
the ports of the north open was vital,
and became the great task Of our
navy.
For this task the north had small
fleet of wooden ships, some OF sail
and some of steam. The best OF
these were our four steam frigates,
the Merrimac, the Wabash, the Roam
oke, and the Minnesota. all Of the
same class and each of $500 tons
burden, and forty guns. 81
The south had no fleet at the open
ing of the war, but proceeded ito
make up for this deficiency by en-
barking, in limited way, upon the
construction Of ironclads of various
types and designs.
In the spring Of 1861 the union
tn a
abandon the Norfolk navy yard,
where the Merrimac was undergoing
repairs. When the yard was aban-
doned she was scuttled and set on
fire, but only partially burned. The
confederates, during 1861 and the
early part of 1862, raised, repaired,
and converted her into powerful
and formidable ironclad. In the
meantime, in August, 1861, congress
had directed the secretary of the
navy to take steps for the construc-
ton of ironclads.
At this juncture John Ericsson
came to our relief by furnishing
plans and specifications for the con-
struction OF his noted ironcfad, the
Monitor. and offering to construct
and complete the same within less
than four months.
and unfriendly reception in the navy
department, but finally few patr1-
otto and philosophical men came to
his relief, and through their interven-
ton his plan was adopted, and con-
tract was made with him and his
friends for the construction and COM
pletion of the Monitor within 100
days after the contract was let, with
the unusual and drastic condition,
however, that if the vessel failed to
accomplish all that was expected OF
it the cost of construction was to be
borne by Ericsson and his friends.
Those 100 days were days of great
trial for Ericsson. He not only had
to study out and prepare from day
to day the specifications and detailed
working drawings and supervise the
work, all of which kept him busy and
under constant tension early and
late, but he had also to bear the nag
ging and criticism of unfriendly or
doubling officials of the navy depart
ment, who, from week to week, In
one form or another, were admonfsh
ing him and criticising his work.
However, in spite of all obstacles
and drawbacks, the Monitor was
completed nearly on time and turned
over to the government, after a trial
trip on the 10th of February, 1862.
After being duly equipped, off,
cered, and manned, ON the 9Th Of
March, 1862, she left New York for
Hampton Roads, where she arrived,
after a stormy and tempestuous pas
sage, late on the evening of the Sth
of March, anchoring first by the side
of the Roanoke and later by the side
of the Minnesota, where she nestled
until early the next morning.
The Monitor arrived none too
soon; in fact, she came at a time
when our entire fleet in Hampton |
Roads was threatened with complete
destruction.
There seems to have been, as 1t |
were, a veritable race in construction |
between the builders of the Merrimac |
and the Monitor, with ampler time in |
favor of the Merrimac.
The Merrimac appeared ON the mo- |
mentous scene of action one day !
sooner. Early on the sth day OF
March, 1862, she boldly and defiantly |
folk and proceeded on her raid of !
havoc and destruction.
There were at that time in Hamp-
ton Roads sixteen Of our war vessels |
of all classes, mounting 29S guns. OF |
these, the most important were the |
Roanoke, the Minnesota, the Cumber
land, and the Congress-all wooden /
ships, and one of them, the Congress.
without steam power. On that fated |
day the Merrimac destroyed and sank /
the Cumberland and Congress and |
disabled the Minnesota, and then. as |
if wearied of her days work and |
feeling certain of her prey-the rem
nant of our fleet-on the morrow, re-
turned in the afternoon to her lair in
the Norfolk navy yard to prepare for
the raid of the next day.
The cause of the union was at this
time at its lowest ebb. Another
days work of the Merrimac, such as
that of the Sth of March, would have
destroyed the remnant of the fleet in
Hampton Roads, and Washington,
Baltimore, New York and Boston,
and our other cities, would have been
at her mercy. Our merchant marine
would have been driven from the sea