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In the Monitor Turret 1
by S.D. Greene
March 9, 1862
Published in "Century", March 1885
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Samuel
Dana Greene, Lieutenant
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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Launching
of the Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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The keel of the most famous vessel of
modern times, Captain Ericsson's first iron-clad 2,
was laid in the shipyard of Thomas F. Rowland, at Greenpoint,
Brooklyn, in October, 1861, and on the 30th of January, 1862,
the novel craft was launched. On the 25th of February she was
commissioned and turned over to the Government, and nine days
later left New York for Hampton Roads, where, on the 9th of
March, occurred the memorable contest with the Merrimac.
On her next venture on the open sea she foundered off Cape Hatteras
in a gale of wind (December 29). During her career of less than
a year, she had no fewer than five different commanders; but
it was the fortune of the writer to serve as her only executive
officer, standing upon her deck when she was launched, and leaving
it but a few minutes before she sank.
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John
Worden, commander of the USS Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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So hurried was the preparation of the
Monitor that the mechanics worked upon her night and
day up to the hour of her departure, and little opportunity
was offered to drill the crew at the guns, to work the turret,
and to become familiar with the other unusual features of the
vessel. The crew was, in fact, composed of volunteers. Lieutenant
Worden, having been authorized by the Navy Department to select
his men from any ship-of-war in New York harbor, addressed the
crews of the North Carolina and Sabine, stating
fully to them the probable dangers of the passage to Hampton
Roads and the certainty of having important service to perform
after arriving. The sailors responded enthusiastically, many
more volunteering than were required. Of the crew selected,
Captain Worden said, in his official report of the engagement,
"A better one no naval commander ever had the honor to command."
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Berth
deck of the Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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We left New York in tow of the tug-boat
Seth Low at 11 A.M. of Thursday, the 6th of March. On the
following day a moderate breeze was encountered, and it was at
once evident that the Monitor was unfit for a sea-going
craft. Nothing but the subsidence of the wind prevented her from
being shipwrecked before she reached Hampton Roads. The berth-deck
hatch leaked in spite of all we could do, and the water came down
under the turret like a waterfall. It would strike the pilot-house
and go over the turret in beautiful curves, and it came through
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Engine
room of the Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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the narrow eye-holes in the pilothouse with such force as to knock
the helmsman completely round from the wheel. The waves also broke
over the blower-pipes, and the water came down through them in
such quantities that the belts of the blower-engines slipped,
and the engines consequently stopped for lack of artificial draught,
without which, in such a confined place, the fires could not get
air for combustion. Newton and Stimers, followed by the engineer's
force, gallantly rushed into the engine-room and fire-room to
remedy the evil, but they were unable to check the
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Isaac
Newton, 1st Assistant Engineer, USS Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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inflowing [sic] water, and were nearly suffocated with escaping
gas. They were dragged out more dead than alive, and carried to
the top of the turret, where the fresh air gradually revived them.
The water continued to pour through the hawser-hole, and over
and down the smoke-stacks and blower-pipes, in such quantities
that there was imminent danger that the ship would founder. The
steam-pumps
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Alban
Stimers, Chief Engineer, USS Monitor
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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could not be operated because the fires had been nearly extinguished,
and the engine-room was uninhabitable on account of the suffocating
gas with which it was filled. The hand-pumps were then rigged
and worked, but they had not enough force to throw the water out
through the top of the turret, — the only opening, — and it was
useless to bail, as we had to pass the buckets up through the
turret, which made it a very long operation. Fortunately, towards
evening the wind and sea subsided, and, being again in smooth
water, the engine was put in operation.
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Monitor
with the Congress in background
From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum
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But at midnight, in passing over a shoal, rough water was again
encountered, and our troubles were renewed, complicated this time
with the jamming of the wheel-ropes, so that the safety of the
ship depended entirely on the strength of the hawser which connected
her with the tugboat The hawser, being new, held fast; but during
the greater part of the night we were constantly engaged in fighting
the leaks, until we reached smooth water again, just before daylight.
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Go to Main Category:
The Battle of Hampton Roads: March 8 & 9, 1862
Go to other documents in this category:
"The Battle of March 8, 1862" -
H. Ashton Ramsey
"Watching the Merrimac" - R.E.
Colston
"The Men of the Cumberland" -
Rev. R.T.S. Lowell
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