Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-27
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
ORIGIN OF YANKEE cHEEsEBox
ON A RAFT

ON "A RAT
 . The sea fight between the Merrimac and Monitor was one of the most interest lns; and exciting episodes of our Cicil war. l. was the beginning of a revolution in the eS'. struction, of war vessels. The pe- culiar little boat. constructed through the genius of John Ericsson. Swede, came in for a considerable amount of ridieule when it hove into sight at Hampton Roads on March s, 1882 prepared to give battle te its big antagonist.
 History gives q picturesque description of this fight, and also notes that it was dubed the Yankee Cheesebex on a Raft" but it fails to give the origin of this title to the Monitor.
 There was much eenstefhatien among the Union navy men at that critical pe- ried, snd we'll there might be, for the Minnesota, a splendid frigate, was aground on the Newport News shoals, the Cambridge was not sufficiently effective to cope with the stern confederate iron clads and the St. Lawrence could not mahoeuyfe effectively under sail. The Cumberland had been sunk and the fri gate Congress was on fire.
 The outlook was gloomy It was known through the Union fleet that some kind of an irenelad was on it's way from New York, but its effectiveness was doubted
 
 not done much damage to he Merri- mac.
 As the Union crews were lying at anchor near the fortress cn March 8, as night was approaching, the little Monitor was lowed into the Roads and was anchored for the night. The tile craft was of great interest to the officers and sailors of the rather dis heaFtened Union vessels that remained in service.
 On the deck of the Cambridge stood William Briggs boatswain's mate, and as he saw the little Monitor he said :: 50 that's the boat that is going to save all of us tomorrow? Why it looks to me like a eheesebox on a plank" This is supposed to have been the first time that the term "eheesebox" was applied to the small turret of the Monitor, and also that from Briggs remark came its gen eral application, but it was no doubt an obvious name, for anyone could not help seeing the likeness.
 r The term thus applied by Briggs was passed along among the men and created considerable nerriment, and because of the general derision with which the Mon itor was greeted by its opponents, it has generally been supposed that the tern was applied to it by the confederates whc may have replaced the word plank fol raft for plank was hardly the propel term to apply, but any one looking al one of the latr- day monitors can easil. see the application.
 | About IL 0 e.orn on the night before l the fight the Monitor anchored nea l the Minnesota. The next morning thu Merrimac came down to renew tn 1 fight and steaming toward the Minneso | ta the Monitor darted from behind tn | big vessel and like a David attacking l Goliath she went directly for the Mer rimac The fight was a severe one am 1 by naval authorities 1t is generally con 1 sidered to have been draw. But thi 1 was a victory for the Monitor. in viey
 of the fact that previous to her appear ance the confederate navy had every ! thing their own way.
 The main reason for the success c the Monitor in this light was that sh had an advantage over her huge an
 tagonist, for her Night draft and supe rior speed enabled her to manoeuvre wit adroitness, while her revolving turre brought her guns into range wheneve
 they were loaded. Her quickness ena
 bled her to counterbalance the superie
 number of the conferedate guns by keel
 ing out of range.
 After the battle the Yankee Chees' box on the Raft" was ordered to protet l the national ships al Hampton Road
 but attempt nothing further. This sf did in an effectual manner. The subs quent careers of these celebrated irol cIads were short and tragic. On the flo
 lowing May Norfolk was abandoned l the coSfederates and on the 10th of tn; ; month the Merrimac was set on fire ar on the following morning she blew up. On the 2sth of December the Monit } left Hampton Roads for Beaufort. S. l but foundered at sea on December 3 most of her crew having been saved 1, being taken off of the vessel by u Rhode Island, when it was found Il l Monitor was going to the bottom.
 TomorFow-The Lncoln-Douglas D hata)