Part 9 (1/2)

Every waft of the air Was a whisper of prayer, Or a dirge for the dead.

Ho! brave hearts that went down in the seas!

Ye are at peace in the troubled stream; Ho! brave land! with hearts like these, Thy flag, that is rent in twain, Shall be one again, And without a seam!

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW.

THE MONITOR

TWO old Spanish s.h.i.+ps had, prior to the sinking of the _c.u.mberland_, met a like fate at the hands of the Confederates; and the signal success of the _Merrimac_ now augured well for the break of the blockade.

The South was greatly elated. The North was disquieted.

Twenty-four hours later the trend of events was changed.

There appeared in Hampton Roads a strange new craft, called the _Monitor_. It was unlike any vessel before seen, having a revolving round tower of iron, that enabled the gunners to train the guns on the enemy continuously, without regard to the position of the s.h.i.+p. The hull had an ”overhang,” a projection constructed of iron and wood, as a protection against rams.

The inventor and builder of this little giant was John Ericsson.

His,

”The master mind that wrought, With iron hand, this iron thought.

Strength and safety with speed combined.”

The vessel had been launched in less than a hundred days after the laying of the keel, in an effort of the Federal government to have her in service before the completion of the _Merrimac_ (the _Virginia_.)

The new wars.h.i.+p attracted the attention of the navies of Europe and brought about a change in the construction of war vessels.

As if indignant at the actions of the _Merrimac_ in preceding her, and in attacking the Union fleet, the _Monitor_ bore down upon her like some live thing bent upon retribution, and at once engaged her in a terrific encounter.

With the hope born of confidence in the strength of the Confederate ironclad, and her ability to overpower completely the Union flotilla, boats filled with sight-seers had gone out from Norfolk, but with the first terrible onset of the armored combatants speedily made their way back to safety.

In this battle of the waters two old Naval Academy comrades fought on opposite sides, Lieutenant Green and Lieutenant b.u.t.t, both well-known names.

For five long awful hours the strength of the two iron monsters was pitted against each other for supremacy on the seas, without apparent serious injury to either vessel.

At last the _Merrimac_ ended the gigantic contest by turning her prow and withdrawing to Norfolk.

THE CRUISE OF THE MONITOR

Hampton Roads, Virginia, March 9, 1862

OUT of a Northern city's bay, 'Neath lowering clouds, one bleak March day, Glided a craft,--the like I ween, On ocean's crest was never seen Since Noah's float, That ancient boat, Could o'er a conquered deluge gloat.

No raking masts, with clouds of sail, Bent to the breeze or braved the gale; No towering chimney's wreaths of smoke Betrayed the mighty engine's stroke; But low and dark, Like the crafty shark, Moved in the waters this novel bark.