BUILDING OF THE MONITOR

The story of the Monitor has never been told. Certainly not so told that justice has been done to all connected therewith.

The world knows of her brilliant action in Hampton Roads by which our imperiled navy was saved and the fortunes of our civil war changed, but the world does not know the men who made this action possible, and a fact in American history.

The invention belongs to Captain John Ericsson, a man of marvelous ability and most fertile brain, but the creation of the Monitor belongs to two distinguished iron-masters of the State of New York, viz., the Hon. John F. Winslow, and his partner in business, the Hon. John A. Griswold. These gentlemen, if they did not go to the front, certainly furnished the sinews of war from brain and purse. In the dark days of the Republic, with earnest, heroic and patriotic purpose, under difficulties that would have appalled most men, they undertook the construction of an iron vessel, the record of which commands the admiration of the world.

It was a step which required large faith, energy and capital on their part. They were not ship-builders, had no special facilities for constructing vessels, and knew nothing by experience of the business, and there had never been any iron war-ships built in this country; hence, for them to attempt to put afloat any kind of a war vessel was a hazardous experi

ment.

When we consider that the fighting-machine to which they put hands was entirely unlike anything else in the world, and had met with nothing but disapproval from all the naval authorities to whom the matter was submitted, it will be seen that the risk they took was one such as probably no other firm ever assumed under like circumstances.

Nevertheless, they had the means needful for the experiment, and after full consideration decided, patriotically, to risk all in the attempt, and if they failed, bear the loss and the blame themselves.

The story is in this wise: Messrs. Griswold and Winslow were in Washington in the autumn of 1861, in the adjustment of some claims against the government for iron plating, furnished by them for the warship Galena. There, through Mr. C. S. Bushnell, the agent of Captain Ericsson, they learned that the plans and specifications for a naval war machine, or floating iron battery, presented by Captain Ericsson, found no favor with the special board appointed by Congress in 1861, to examine

and report upon the subject of iron-clad ships. That board consisted of Commodores Joseph Smith, Hiram Paulding and Charles H. Davis. Ericsson and his agent, Mr. Bushnell, were thoroughly disheartened and demoralized at this failure to interest the government in their plans.

The papers were placed in the hands of Messrs. Winslow and Griswold, with the earnest request that they would examine them, and, if they thought well of them, use their influence with the government for their favorable consideration.

Mr. Winslow carefully read the papers and became satisfied that Ericsson's plan was both feasible and desirable. Commodore Smith was seen, but his interest could not be awakened nor his objections overcome. After conference with his friend and partner, Mr. Griswold, it was determined to take the whole matter to President Lincoln. Accordingly, an interview was arranged with Mr. Lincoln, to whom the plans of Captain Ericsson were presented, with all the unction and enthusiasm of an honest and mastering conviction, by Mr. Winslow and Mr. Griswold, who had now become thoroughly interested in the undertaking. The President listened with attention and growing interest. When they were done, Mr. Lincoln said, "Gentlemen, why do you bring this matter to me? why not take it to the Department having these things in charge?" "It has been taken already to the Department and there met with a repulse, and we come now to you with it, Mr. President, to secure your influence. We are here not simply as business men, but as lovers of our country, and we believe most thoroughly that here is something upon which we can enter that will be of vast benefit to the Republic," was the answer. Mr. Lincoln was roused by the terrible earnestness of Mr. Winslow and his friend Griswold, and said, in his inimitable manner, "Well, I don't know much about ships, though I once contrived a canal-boat, the model of which is down in the Patent Office, the great excellence of which was that it could run where there was no water. But I think there is something in this plan of Ericsson's. I tell you what I will do. I will meet you to-morrow at ten o'clock, at the office of Commodore Smith, and we will talk it all over." The night following this interview was an anxious one with Mr. Winslow, upon whom the onus of presentation and advocacy was thrown.

He scarcely slept, but went through the drawings and specifications of Ericsson, line by line, and item by item, that he might familiarize himself with the whole subject.

The next morning the meeting took place according to the appointment. Mr. Lincoln was present. The Secretary of the Navy, with many of the influential men of the Navy Department, were also there.

The office where they met was rude in all its belongings. Mr. Lincoln sat upon a rough box.

Mr. Winslow, without any knowledge of naval affairs other than that which general reading would give, entered upon his task with considerable trepidation, but his whole heart was in it, and his showing was so earnest, practical and patriotic, that a profound impression was made. "Well," said Mr. Lincoln, after Mr. Winslow had finished, "well, Commodore Smith, what do you think of it?" The Commodore made some general and non-committal reply, whereupon the President, rising from the box, added: "Well, I think there is something in it, as the girl said when she put her leg in the stocking. Good morning, gentlemen," and went out. From this interview grew a government contract with Messrs. Winslow and Griswold for the construction of the Monitor, the vessel to be placed in the hands of the government within one hundred days, at a cost of $275.000. The contract, however, was so burdened with conditions and restrictions that it seemed very hazardous and impossible, almost useless, to undertake the work. Government officials, evidently, had no confidence in the ability of such a vessel as was proposed; hence the conditions imposed amounted almost to an injunction upon the enterprise. After thoroughly weighing the whole subject, and with some verbal protests against its exactions, Messrs. Winslow and Griswold signed the contract on the fourth day of October, 1861, having the courage and patriotism to hazard their reputation and money in building this experimental war craft. They at once entered upon the undertaking. They wrought as by inspiration, all their other work and orders giving preference to this. The hull of the vessel was built by Thomas F. Rowland, agent of the Continental Iron Works, at Greenpoint, L. I., the plates, bars and rivets being largely furnished him from the Albany Iron Works of Troy, N. Y. The Delamater Iron Works, New York, had the manufacture of the steam machinery, boilers, propellers and internal apparatus of the turrets. The port-stoppers were assigned to Charles D. DeLancy, of Buffalo. work was pushed with all diligence, till the 30th of January, 1862, when the ship was launched at Greenpoint, one hundred and one days from the execution of the contract by all the parties thereto, thus making the work, probably, the most expeditious of any recorded in the annals of mechanical engineering.

The

The first trial trip of the Monitor was on February 19, 1862, and on that day she was delivered to the Navy Yard for her armament and stores. She had two trial trips afterward. Her first and second trips were not satisfactory; the first, because the cut-off valves had been improperly set,

and would not admit the steam properly to the cylinders; the second, from some slight defect in the steering apparatus,-speedily corrected. On the 13th of January, 1862, Lieutenant Worden, now Rear Admiral, was ordered to the command of the Monitor, then on the stocks. Thus far there were grave doubts as to her success. Officers of the navy and of the mercantile marine prophecied failure, but the faith of her builders grew from her beginning. On the 20th of February, 1862, her commander received sailing orders from the Secretary of the Navy to proceed to Hampton Roads, Va., and there report to the Naval Department. On the afternoon of the 6th of March, 1862, the Monitor, with a picked crew from the war-ships North Carolina and Sabine-fifty-eight officers and men all told-left the lower bay of New York, with a moderate wind and smooth sea, in tow of a small tug, the Seth Low, and accompanied by the United States steamers Currituck and Sachem. Those who volunteered for the crew of the Monitor were brave men. Here was a hitherto unknown and untried vessel, not floating upon the water as other vessels but nearly submerged; her deck being only eighteen inches above the water; her crew to live, if they could, below the surface; the ocean beating with its wild and restless waves right over their heads. The manning of such a coffin-like ship, face to face with such uncertainties, was an example of sublime heroism. On the 7th the wind had freshened to a strong breeze, causing a rough sea, which broke constantly and violently over her decks, forcing the water in considerable quantities through the hawser-pipes, under the turret and in various other places. At last the blowers were stopped by the violent action of wind and wave, and, there being no draught for the furnaces, the engine and fire rooms were filled with gas, by which the engineers were prostrated, and only rescued by being carried to the top of the turret, with the water rapidly increasing, and the motive power useless for propulsion or pumping. The tug-boat was commanded to head directly in shore, but being light and of moderate power, she could move the Monitor but slowly against wind and sea. It seemed that the ship which had cost so much, and in which so many hopes had centered, would indeed prove an utter failure.

The question arose, whether it were not best to seek a harbor along the coast. One young officer, however, Lieutenant Stimers, who had great faith in the capabilities of the ship, urged that they go on; his counsels prevailed. Herein was a manifest providence.

Had the Monitor stayed in her course, the glory of her work would never have been achieved. Here is another bit of history worthy of special mention, viz.: Two hours after the Monitor had sailed from New York,

orders came to her commander from Washington, directing him to proceed to the Potomac, where it was thought she was more needed; leaving the large fleet of war vessels at Hampton Roads to protect that place, the authorities little suspecting the aggressive powers of the Merrimac, and how poorly the whole fleet was prepared to cope with that formidable antagonist. Providentially, Lieut. Worden and his ship were beyond the reach of these commands.

The storm, to which reference has been made, did not materially injure the Monitor, so that she proceeded safely toward her destination.

As she passed Cape Henry Light, at four o'clock, on March 8, the heavy firing in the direction of Fortress Monroe indicated an engagement, and very soon, from a pilot, Lieut. Worden learned of the advent of the Merrimac, and the disaster to the ships Cumberland and Congress. The Cumberland, having lost 117 men out of 300, sank with her colors flying. The Congress, set on fire, blew up, the fire having reached her magazines, Lieut. Joseph Smith, temporarily captain, having been previously killed.

This lieutenant was the son of Commodore Smith, the President of the Naval Board at Washington, before which Mr. Winslow and Mr. Griswold had so steadily pressed the building of the Monitor. On the information. of the pilot, Lieut. Worden ordered the Monitor to be prepared for action, and at nine o'clock P. M. anchored at Hampton Roads near the frigate Roanoke, Captain Marston, the officer in command, to whom he reported. The voyage was made,—now for battle.

The next morning, March 9, 1862, the Merrimac was observed under way, steaming slowly from Sewell's Point, where she had anchored during the night, to accomplish more perfectly her work of the day before.

The Monitor immediately stood for her, with crew at quarters; and the fierce and remarkable conflict began, continuing from eight o'clock A.M. to one and a-half o'clock P.M.; resulting in the discomfiture of the Merrimac, and the full proof of all that had been claimed for the Monitor. In the engagement the Monitor received no serious injury, but Lieut. Wor den narrowly escaped with his life; a shell from the Merrimac exploding near the look-out hole of the pilot house, through which he was looking, filling his face and eyes with powder, and partially stunning him. His escape was marvelous, as he had withdrawn his face from the opening only an instant before the explosion. The presence of the Monitor at Hamp. ton Roads on the morning of March 9, 1862, was providentially oppor

tune.

Had she remained in New York two hours longer, or been disabled on her voyage, or returned to New York, or harbored on the coast, as was