Evening star., 1923-03-04

the hands Of the enemy. The Con-
federate navy department authorities
took over the Portsmouth yard. and
after due consideration raised the
Merrimac and converted it into a
of Norfolk harbor and the mouth of
the James river.
THE hull was placed in drydock
and reconstruction commenced Work
progressed. and before long was COM
pleted. The vessel was covered with
roof 10 feet long, built at an angle
Of forty-fve degrees, constructed Of
twenty-inch heart pine and covered
with four-inch plank. Upon this
wood backing were placed, one hori-
zontally and the other vertically, two
iron planks two inches thick and
seven inches wide. making the arma-
ment four inches thick. These plates
were bolted through the wood and
clinched on the inside The bow of
the vessel was armed below the wa
terline with a cast-iron prov, about
six feet long, so constructed as to
be used as a ram.
he dTIUdH1cnt tHe lTOHCldu COLI
sisted of ten guns, as follows: Two
7-inch rifles, mounted as pivot guns
at the bow and stern; two 6-inch rifles
and six 9-inch smooth-bore broadside
guns. There was one fault with the
vessel, though. considered her weak
est element, and that was the motive
power, the engines and boilers hav-
fvc 10
THE Merrimac, then renamed the
Virginia, was commanded by Capt.
Franklin Buchanan, who had as his
executive officer Lieut.. Catesby
Jones. Members Of the crew were
mostly volunteers from the Confed-
crate army and navy. The men who
had charge of making the vessel IRON
clad were Lieut. Brooke, a naval con-
structor, and a chief engineer, whose
name is not recalled.
GIT was about 8 o'clock on the
i morning of the sth that the
Merrimac left the Norfolk navy yard.
At the mouth of the James river
were the U. S. S. Cumberland. flag
ship of the blockade fleet, and the
Congress, lying at anchor. Upon ap-
proach of the Merrimac the Congress
slipped her anchor chain and ran
aground. opening fire on the Merri-
mac as she steamed slowly by. The
fire was returned by the Merrimac,
but the ironclad vessel kept on it's
course, headed for tho flagship Cum
berland, which had opened fire on
the Merrimac as soon as the ironclad
was within range.
"a shot from the Cumberland part
ed the hog chain on the Merrimac,
driving it back into the ship, killing
one man and wounding several
others. The Merrimac then headed
for the flagship and the bow rifle was
used with deadly effect, making
large hole in the bow Of the Federal
warship. The ironclad kept on her
course and rammed the Cumberland
on her starboard bow, the sharp prov
of the Merrimac cutting right through
the side Of the Cumberland below the
water line. The great ship imme-
diately started to sink.
Inc lTOIlCldu tlici Wilhuicn oho
paid attention to the Congress. With
tho aid of a hot shot 1t was not long
before the Congress was a mass Of
flames. The Merrimac then with
drew to SeweIls Point battery for the
night.
'The next morning was Sunday.
Bright and early the Merrimac again
toI,
sofa, which was aground on the
Hampton bar. But during the night
the federal ship Monitor had put in
her appearance and was lying along
side the Minnesota, awaiting the ap-
proach of the Merrimac.
"The Monitor backed out and the
two ironclads exchanged shots, neither
f 4. = 4