Ericsson Monitor. moment. that of John Ericsson, of New York, a man of plans the scientific acquirements, Swedish by birth, but an American by adoption. His Monitor, a craft of careful model and superior workmanship, seemed almost providentially constructed to engage the clumsier Merrimac at the right For sea service it was defective; but in light draught and nimbleness of motion it was well suited for shoal harbors and rivers. Like a "cheese-box on a raft," as well described by the Union press, this ironclad presented only a thin edge of surface above and below the water line, while an iron turret revolved in sight from which two large guns might be rapidly trained and fired. Three wooden Union frigates of the older pattern lay at anchor under the guns of Fortress Monroe, and two others near Newport News, further within the bay, when about noon on Saturday, March 8th, this reconstructed Merrimac plowed suddenly toward them from the mouth of the James River near Norfolk, under an armed convoy. The three nearest frigates slipped their cables at once, expecting an easy encounter; but, being all of deep draught, they soon ran aground in low From Newport News the two other frigates, with shore batteries besides, opened fire upon this strange craft, which looked like some huge, half-submerged crocodile; but, to their amazement, the iron hail bounded from the sloping back of the dark leviathan like water. The Mer victory, 1862. rubber balls. On came the monster, and crashed her iron prow into the Cumberland, rimac's which sank in forty-five minutes, carrying March, 'down officers and crew; and the colors still floated at her masthead as the Merrimac, hovering about her, sent shot into the defenceless hull. Next, turning upon the Congress, which had made for shore, the Merrimac took up a raking position and riddled her with hot shot and shells, until after fearful carnage that vessel burned until midnight, when explosion of the magazine made an end of her. Drawing off at dusk, the iron champion returned with its convoy to the Norfolk side and anchored under the guns of Confederate batteries until morning. nation Wash. ington. The day's news carried consternation to Washington. This strange and ́terrible engine of war, impervious to our heaviest shot, what irreparable damage might it not inflict? Two of the three frigates that had run aground were with difficulty drawn off; but the Min- Consternesota* stuck fast, the first probable victim of ing the next daylight. Deliverance was providentially at hand, neither summoned nor sent for. By the light of the burning Congress the puny Monitor from New York was towed into Hampton Roads late that very evening, and, under the brave Lieutenant John L. Worden, took station near the stranded frig ate. On Sunday morning the Merrimac ap- proached, like a Goliath, sure of the prey; but the pygmy, like David, advanced to meet her. A single combat of three hours ensued, which spectators lining both shores viewed with prolonged wonder and eagerness. It began a duel of the invulnerables, and ended with no obvious impression made on either adversary; but the lighter craft, by forcing the heavier to withdraw, gained the essential victory. The Merrimac was twice the MoniThe duel of tor's length and breadth, and carried five times March 9 as many guns. Her great draught compelled her to manœuvre in deep water, while the Ericsson craft, drawing only ten feet, could run where she pleased and bring her guns to bear upon an iron target far broader than her own. The Merrimac began leaking, and there was danger of penetrating the joints of her armor; she rushed in vain to sink the agile foe, having lost her iron prow the day before; and, just as the second in command on the Monitor relieved Worden, who had received withdraws, a slight injury while in the pilot-house, the Merrimac started on her retreat, refusing further fight.* The Mer rimac Wooden walls, however, won the victory at New Orleans; and gunboats on our Western rivers, only partially protected with iron. chains or plates, did good service against the *The Merrimac's engines were poor, and fear was felt of a falling tide. The pilot-house arrangement of the original Monitor was afterward improved. more imposing, but ill-built Confederate rams and armor-plated craft, which never did such 'deadly work again nor caused such terror as on this first occasion. The valiant Monitor soon lent her name to a whole Union fleet, built after the turreted model, which operated The before Charleston and Richmond; and, the accepted as world over, naval ingenuity entered upon a new era of invention, which has hardly yet, at this late day, perfected its experiments. Monitor is a model. RISE AND FALL OF THE MEXICAN EMPIRE (A.D. 1863-1867) JULES GAUTIER NA APOLEON III. dreamed of founding in Mexico a Latin empire which would counterbalance the influence of the United States, and pursued this project in ac cord with the clerical conservative party. Napoleon's When he learned of the convention of the ambitions for found empire. Inga Latin soledad he sent to Mexico a brigade of 4,500 men under General Latrille de Lorencez, accompanied by General Almonte, son of the patriot Morelos and one of the heads of the conservatives. With him came Father Miranda and other notable priests. Juarez gave the order to arrest "the traitors and reactionaries," and the representatives of Spain and England, Prim and Wyke, demanded that Almonte should be sent back. Jurien de la Gravière refused, and in April the English and Spanish corps evacuated Mexico. The French manifesto. On April 16, the French published a strange manifesto in which they declared they had come to Mexico to put a stop to the divisions. of the country. This was war. A conserva |