750   NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE BUILDING OF THE "MONITOR."



government direct tovements by which naval and
mnlitary turn acquire renown, Is often by the panning
multitude little thought of aid searely known; but the
truth should nut be suppressed.
- The ecvilans of the Navy Department who adopted
and pursued through ridicule and assault the tanUor
experiment, Butler and others would light and defaune.
itt the histories of the war, the Nttvy Departaent, which
origitmated. Itlanned. and carried forward the mnial
aehlevelitent. frotti Hatteras to New Orteami.n and tualily
Fort F iller, Is scarcely known or memitioned. The
heroes wto fought the battles and periled their liven to
carry Into effeet thei plans which the departmnent de-
vised have deservedly honorable reti enibrnee- bitt the
originators and nvers are little known. I remember,
my dearsir, yourearnestefforts In the early days of the
war and the comfort they gave tue.
                     V Yotrs,   GlIDEoN WELLES."

  Captaitt Ericsson's version of the visit to Wash-
ingtou, as given in Colottel William C. Church's
paper ott   Johin Ericsson" in "The Century"
magazine for April, I8179, is as follows:
  --With his previous extperiettee of the waste of time
and patletite regutired to aemitulullh anything at Wash-
ington, Captain Ericsson, who Is not, It taunt be said,
like the mian Mtcs. tee-editig iteek.' woulil tt,,t hita-
sell gPt to the eapital to sieure attention to hin ideas.
There were associated with him three men of practical
.xperlenee, great energy and wealth, whia had become
interested Il the Monitor and were detenrnimed that it
should have a trial. Otte of these was Mr. C. S. Bushnell,
of Cuna-etteut. lIfe went I. Waehington, but failed itl
the t empt I. lera4e the ion clad botird thttt tht
designer of the Petneemss was worthy of a hiaring-
Nothing remiained eeaipt In Indutce Ertessoti to vIsit
Wa'hln-,o; n 0 per60n ar.1 liluad lhi owli cuause with
thr.t ratde bhut forciblehq ehiqteste b hieh hat sldoni fdiled
hlain hlt al ttimerf'ney. To nm-ve hilil was onty lt c..diffi-
clit thin t,. Convince the Xavy Departruetit without
hitmi. At last a sttbterftge wuts adoptid. Ericsoit was
given tn undlerstantl that Mr. BusAhnell's reception ait
Washinigton had beeti satisfactory aitd thlat ti-thing re-
tludned but for hiu to gon ottpt cidtptlete the d-tals] if
a contract fur one of his vessels. Presenting hiai-tiilf
before th' board. whst was his astatlshtttent Il. find
thait lie was not only an tnuexlted hut tupparceutly sn



unwelcome vhitor! It was evident that the board were
asking themselves what could have brought him there.
He was not left long in doubt an to the meaning of thin
reception. To his tudignation, an well a hi. astonish-
ment, he wan Informed that the plan of a vessel submit-
ted by bint had already been reected. The lint impulse
wan to withdraw at once. Mastering his anger, how-
ever, he stopped to inquire the reason for the deter
untnatlon of the board. The vessel had not sullcient
stability, Coummodore Sith e.c.laimed; in fact, it would
upset and place her crew In the Inconvenient and unde-
sir-able position of submuarine divers. Now, if there Is
anything which especially distinguishes the Monit-a,
with Its low free-board, it ji the peculiarity whiclh It hu.
In comnunon with the raft it renemobles - it. inability to
upset. In a m.ost earnest and lueit argument, Captain
Ericsson proeeeded to explain this. Perceiving that lIl
explanation had itn effect, and his bluod being well
warutedby this time, he elided by deelring to the board
with great earnestnes: ' Gentlemen, after what I have
said., 1 coonider it to lie your duty to the country to
give me an order to build the vessel b'fore I lIe've this
ro-. Withdrawing to one curlier, the boned eunsulted
together and invited Captain Ericasun to call again at
1 o'clock. Promptly at the hour nan-fi he appeared
at the Navy Department. In the board-rmotia he found
conimodore Paulding alone. The commodorc received
hin. In the most friendly manner, invited him Into his
private office, and amked that he w ould repeat the expla-
nation of the morning an to the stabiUty of the essel.
Between the two Imiterviews, Ericsson had found l ime to
make at his hotel a diagrani pr esnting the que.tion of
stabilityiu a form easilyg. ndeattaid. With this diagram.
he repeated hi. previous dlenioust-ation. Colni idore
tafterward Adnitral) Paulding was thoroughly con-
viceed, and with frankness which did hilto great credit
said: 'Sir, I have learnt iore ah uit the stability of a
vessel from what you have now sail than ill I knew
befor-.' This Interview eliiid with a retqitit to all
again at 3 o'clock. Calling at 3. Ericsson was at once
invIted to pas itito the room of secretary Welles. lHere,
without farther pirley, the secretary informed him that
the boarI now reported favorably upon his plant of a
vessel. asd wished bhu to return to New York and tom-
e-ce n  ork  p.on it at elnte. Ti,' contruact would be
ccitt on fr signature. Blefo,-' this mntr'it was re-
ceived. the kec1-t-plte furthc first M-otitor had passed
throughl the rotting-itill."            EDITORS.



END OF VOLUME 1.












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