Evening star., 1926-05-30

coin offering to construct a vessel
for the destruction OF the hostile fleet
in Norfolk and for securing Southern
rivers and inlets Of all craft protected
by Southern batteries He further
declared:
Attachment to the Union alone
impels me to offer my services at this
frightful crisis-my life If need be--in
the great cause which Providence has
caused you to defend. - 1t is
not for me. sir. to remind you Of the
immense moral effect that will result.
. Nor need l allude to the effect
| in Europe. il you demonstrate that
you can effectively drive hostile fleets
away from our shores
'"rhis offer was accepted, and as a
result strange new craft. sometimes
described as q cheese box OH a raft,
steamed into. Hampton Roads late
after dark on the day Of March 8.
| 1862. 1t arrived none too soon. for
that morning the Confederate iron
clad Virginia. reconstructed from the
Merrimac. began a work Of destruc'
ton among the 16 Federal vessels,
carrying 29S guns. located at that
point. The Cumberland. with "a guns,
| was battered to pieces. losing III OF
its 900 men. The Congress. with ID
guns, was grounded and set afre
and the Roanoke and Minnesota were
badly damaged and run ashore.
| 1.-THE result was CONSERVATION
among the Federal authorities. A
cabinet member is said to have ex'
| claimed that q shell from this new
engine of destruction might be eX
pected to f1y into the White House at
iany time. In the South expectations
| were entertained of a complete de
struction of the Northern ships. the
raising Of the blockades, the capture
of Washington and other cities. recog
milton Of the Confederacy by Europe
and ultimate victory.
| when the ironclad Merrimac wen
| out on the morning of March u
| complete it's work of destruction /
| was at once surprised and challenged
by this new and extraordinary nava
| innovation. Speaking before th'
| Naval Institute in 1876. Admira
| Luce said that the Monitor 'ex
hibited i'm singular manner the oil
| Morse element in the American
Navy. He pointed out that it wa
Ericsson who built her. Dahigrei
| who armed her and Worden 'wh'
fought her And we'll might he add
How the ancient Skalds woui'
have struck their wild harps III near
ing such names in heroic verse. HoV
they would have written them Il
immortal runes.
Hit and Routed Merrlmac.
AFTER a battle lasting four hour
in which the Monitor suffered n
material damage. except from on
shell which hit the Observation
opening in the pilot house. tempo
! rarily binding Lieut.. Worden. tn
commanding officer, the Merrimae
later reported to have been badl
cripDled. Withdrew. never to ventur
out again to meet her -conqueror.
"The old spirit of the Vikings, be
coming American. had again tri
umphed in a victory no less decl
sive of future events than when
had hoyered over the banner of VIII
liam the Conaueror. 1t did for IN
Union cause on the sea what IN
Battle of Gettysburg later was Z
do for it on land. If some of tn
European countries had any ser1ou
| thought of Joining with the South
such intentions were speedily apah
doned. That engagement reveaie'
that in the future all wooden navie
| would be of little avail. The London
| Times stated that the day befor
l LIllS A@iSih ne
149 first-class warships. The da!
| after she had but 2. and they wer
| iron-p plated only amidships. Nava
warfare had been revolutioniZed
fhe great genius of Ericsson hat
brought about new era in nava
construction. Naval authorities nov
| recognize the armored vessel which
he sent into action as the germ o
the modern battleship.' and beholt
i'm the modern dreadnaught thu
| glorif1ed Monitor
| "Great as were these achievement:
| they are scarcely greater than those
which marked the engineering ant
| inventive abilities of this great maj
which were to benefit the industry
commerce and transportation of th'
| country. He was a lover of peace
| not war. He was devoted to justice
and freedom and was moved by al
| abiding love of America. of which h,
had become a citizen In 1S48. HI
had a peculiar horror of slavery. Il
1882 he wrote to United State
| Senator:
| Nothing could induce me to ac
cept any remuneration from tn
United States for the Monitor ono
presented by me as my contribute,
to the glorious Union cause. tn
triumph of which freed 100000
bondsmen.'
Ericsson continued his labors II
!