Show THE LAST SURVIVING OFFICER A OF THE forty tort yeara eor ago ft 1 voyage was made which considering Its Ita brief duration was probably fraught consequences ot greater moment to this nation than any other ther that has been performed In American water N On tho nf ot March 18 1862 the little ironclad Monitor left the tho harbor of or New York and sailed for Newport News reaching rt her destination about midnight of ot the just In Ulna time to meet Inel and nOlI defeat the thu Confederate Ironclad which that vory day had nearly two Federal l t derol ships of war and was about to nail soli forth on what promised to be bt an on unopposed of at Instruction against IWI wooden walled adversaries ries rie This la Is tho historical hl fact known to all but It will come na nil a shock horl to many who can hardly haly realize I CAPTAIN I L N that tho civil war Vor was taught fought and ond over more than a 1 generation ago to learn that of at the tho nearly sixty men who were W ro on the tho Monitor nt at time barely holt half a dozen survive Of Ot tho officers of at that historic craft ern In fact thoro la Is at nt ent only one ene survivor Captain N at present pr of at anchorages of iho tho port of ot Now York and ft I veteran of ot tho United States Horn In Ma MaHs i In 1833 1838 entered the tho navy from the tho merchant marine nt an early e t lY ago and an was In the tho gunnery school then than established nt Brooklyn when In January a 11 call was waa made mado for Cor volunteers to tri Pol n John n n II nt lit awn reen stat unfinished Ir roll raft work fOrk the guns gune ot on ft 11 thon an on sled concern aa nil some Hum 1110 styled It wu the laughing stock of ull tho tha naval vita w ho o had h I yO Jt am t ll Ie I Imen y u umen o their lives In their r bonds 1 tho prospective gunners warned that thoy were re d Within days men wore ware found anti the vessel was 01 constructed nt ft 11 rote rale of progress probably JOB IGO nys lma won from the laying of at her k el tho Monitor WAS waa launched with machinery complete ami 1101 Swede John J IIII OIl not lIot only tho victory over oyer tho which revolutionised naval architecture ar That great rent but he h Is I said to 10 have P ly own the tho MonItor ot at atthe lIu pled the tho energy and tho vim the plans the material the she won the tho fight Title This l I not greatly to tho credit cre lt of at our government but again 19 a quill H llory ory manned with such n crow craw as all could ao ld bo It tho tM Queer QU croft cratt was built hullt was Val launched and ont then Ihen hastily collected started on all her ber famous voyage Commenced In III October 1181 and launched In January the Monitor wont went Into commission Feb 25 23 before the tho of March had achieved her victory I tor torNo at remembrance of the memorable voyage that No wonder that the genial Captain cyon sparkle til he hi betties oer And Aim ho no is III not lot looking buck back over orr the forty Intervening years ho feels quite young so 10 old after nil all for aa liS Dr Holmes might say BOY ho la III only years oun young oung IIo has hns ft n line fine hearty way wn with him hla hIli la well shaped Ills hili complexion like n 11 boys and hla hili mental montal poise polle IB 18 perfect Of or tho two occurrences tho voyage Yon ro tho fight that followed 1 rather fancy the former waa TIlI the more noro dreaded for verify by allusion to iho of ot the time the tho Monitor was wn by tho gallant tars In fact I know ao RO as we wo con built for tor service In smooth only at least twice on Oil th the trip to Hampton Roads very ry near When aho arrived there thelo her and crew had hOtl been for hour hourI without alo p without food yut they stripped their vessel for action tin soon as nil they thoy reached the and A lit proceeded II etl Immediately to busi business ness neu They had received the tho first flut now news of the tho fight of tho day preceding from ft 1 pilot off oCt Capo Henry 1 hoy had never before oven n hoard of at the for she hud had been kept In hiding and though they had heard the heavy firing when whon nt en they thought It must be the of ot Fortress l Monroe at practice Their astonishment wn when tho pilot told them the this now monster mon ter had suddenly appeared In III the midst nf ot tho Federal fleet had sunk sunt the tho Cumberland forced forred tho Congress it to surrender antI and run several other ships EO 80 she to nil 1111 appear nn CI hud the whole United States navy nt her mercy mero That might have havo seemed alarming now to some but to these who had just risked their lives nt at sea sen In Iron pot almost anything would seem Mem bettor than taking the voyage over again In III fact thoro was waa no thought but of attacking ond almost before they had washed the sea salt out of their eyes eyell and with tho Monitor nil rusty and battered from her buffeting by b the tho waves thoy sailed In gave frAYe battle buttle If It the Monitors steering gear had not broken down delayed her for tor n time she sho might have carrIed out th the original which van to 10 enter tho tha Potomac and 11 her way to tl Washington If Mho sho could courtl pass the Potomac batteries without being sunk by lIy their concentrated 1111 Sam had promised iI to accept her hr This was looking ft n lift horse hollO In the mouth with witha a vengeance an Rh subsequent events have havo proved but Ericsson had hod taken the tho chances chalices fur tor ha ho was Willi ready to 10 build tha tho vessel on any terms term so confident 11 ho of at ultimate success n all a it turned out OUI the Monitors detention Will was providential for tor Instead of ot proceeding up 11 tho Potomac to Washington to bo Inspected by the tho president l she found a n light on her hands hund ut at the tho word ord o tine ahe stripped for tor It won II we know now Rut nut wo may Imagine tho feelings of ot the men of at her as ns she hl steamed slowly yet un unwaveringly waveringly to meet her formidable antagonist moment there was VAl being tested an entirely new kind of at arma armament ment not only that but bitt now new cims IUn and tactics The Th hud beon told that their eardrums liard rums would be burst when the big Ig guns In the turret tunal went oft off and ont they would be hurled to the deck unconscious Hut had as assured them that no such luch thing would occur and If they knew of ot the firing at nt all It would bo he from seeing the und he recoil Thoy put their trust lit Iti the tho old Inventor and ond U It was not misplaced only If It they had hall had greater confidence In the guns and put In bigger tho Monitors projectiles might have pierced the armor and ended tho light sooner Hut But In th y went these theae lighters of forty years ago lillO and Inking up a n portion near he the sunken warship awaited ho tho coming of ot the foe faa When tho appeared the Monitor steamed out to meet her hor herand and to her rapid broadside fir replied slowly at lit about seven Beven minute Intervals l very shot however tool took effect or would have havo taken effect It the tha charges of oC powder had been thirty pounds Instead Ins lend of fifteen for nil all or nearly oil went Vent where they were aimed There arc 1110 many at nt this day BO so distant tram from that groat gron fight who may have no distinct picture before bOfort them of at tho occurrences for his reason description will be quoted The WilD wan ft 1 frigate which tho Confederates found burned and sunk when they Ihy took possession of ot Norfolk which they the raised and converted Into an Ironclad She appeared to be bit Impregnable and was Willi commanded by n brave officer of oC the old navy Franklin Ditch uch When nho ahl made her advent nIl vent nt lit Hampton Rands about midday of March 8 S 1862 she carried swift consternation to nil all the United there thera assembled As All history tells us she aho sank the tho Cumberland forced tho Congress to give glo up UI anti after atter a brief fight withdrew leaving the frigates Minnesota and St I lawrence grounded d practically h s Two iuna and anel twenty Vonly t men were on that clay when she carried terror to the tho heart hart of at our nur navy she ahe retired at night with tho determination to return In the morning and complete the tho work of at destruction The TM appearance of ot the tM Monitor vas waa as os great rent a 1 surprise to the tho men mon of the tM as ne that of the latter v hOI hod been to those thole of lit tho Iho former Carmer As soon oon as nil the news waa received the begun practice with hit her big Runs stripped of nor hor nea Mell rig 11 and put In lighting trim so 0 when Rho hc arrived at nt anchorage near the stranded Minne Minnesota sota Botn nt at midnight her men were somewhat prepared for tor what thoy expected to happen on the morrow Thoro TholO wat 61 not much to encourage them however find and If It ever IlIr men justified In regarding themselves as victims for tor a sacrifice neo fice thy they those tho on board the tho Monitor Near NeRr them lay tho Cumberland only her hor peak p ak above water with her flag and nm soon eoon utter litter their arrival the Congress blew up amid a blaze of ot sparks parks disclosing also tho unfortunate onto nate positions of her til III fated companions Sunday March 9 D dawned clear and cloudless cloud 1011 showing tho nt anchor near point Shortly nf ter 7 sho Wall waa reported under way wa and Instantly nil all was life aboard tho Monitor The Iron hatches were closed deadlight covers put on and nil all obstructions removed from the main deck de l so us to a 11 smooth surface only Inches above aboe the Iho water unbroken save for tor the pilothouse turret These preparations concluded and lid men man took their for tOI the coming battle Lieutenant Worden Woren dIrector directed operations from the pilothouse a 1 wrought iron structure situated well forward near tho bow and projecting tour four toot feet above the deck whence a n Ing tube tuba ran to 10 the turret amidships By Lieutenant tt Wardens side were Iero Howard the Ihl pilot 1101 Quartermaster Wil Williams liams Who steered tho Monitor during th engagement Lieutenant Greene commanded In the Iho turret where also I waa stationed with Chief Engineer aa as assistant In III charge charlt of ot the lite machinery that controlled the tho revolving of tho turret Kach J ach of at tho two guns In the turret was mUI manned by hy a It crew of at eight men mell captained by Boatswains Mate John Stocking and Seaman Thomas The light fight began with a n broadside from the directed at tho Minne Minnesota sota but tho Monitor did not return tho fire until within range and alongside Then Theil Lieutenant Worden stop stopped ped tho engine and nud gave the order to begin firing r Lieutenant Greene Instantly up the port ran out tho gun fun took careful aim and lild pulled the tho The Th answered by ft broadside from her ller ten guns and the tho duel wall waa on In earnest Shortly after actor noon Lieutenant Warden the tho Monitors commander rendered blind helpless by n 1 shell struck the pilothouse and was for n a Incapacitated by the painful accident nt Ho waa then years old oM but nil all of sixty Captain says hit long beard and cadaverous countenance He had ben been In tho United States naval service many years ear and had bad reached d the grade he to thon held of ot lieutenant In III 1810 but after this gr ht action he ha waa rapidly promoted promote Just previously to being appoint ml to command tho Monitor hI had been released l by tho Confederates who had captured him when he was aR returning from an nn Important mission Ho Iro was mill suffering from this Imprisonment when ho tool took command but hAll had energy to carry out the tho plans of his In tho navy nav department and forgo tho Monitor on to 10 victory Ho suffered from the tho effects ot at the explosion sion sian blinded him even evon to tu the tho day of his death which occurred In Washington In III The next In command Lieutenant Samuel Dana Greene executive on tho Monitor was only nt the time ot of the fight but waa n graduate of at the Naval academy and hall had seen service several years Ho Hu died nt at tho Portsmouth N II It navy yard In Like Captain who Horvet In the turret with him he ha remained with the tho Monitor until she foundered off orf Capo Halleran the tho lust lat day da of ot December 1862 So It will bo ha seen soen Captain tho only surviving of or the Monitor stood by her during her entire existence He lIe saw su her launching and ho witnessed her sad end when nho beneath the tho waves WIell carrying down sixteen n officers seamen CHANNING A |