Home school of American history; embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful year .. . ar for the Union. CONSTRUCTION OF THE MERRIMAC. It has been stated that early in the war the Norfolk navy yard was burnedto prevent its fiilling into the possession of the Confederates. Among thevessels sunk was the frigate 3l€7rimac, which went down before much injurywas done to her. She was a formidable craft of 3,500 tons, 300 feet in length,and had mounted 40 guns. The Confederates succeeded in raising her, and CONSTRUCTI
Home school of American history; embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful year .. . ar for the Union. CONSTRUCTION OF THE MERRIMAC. It has been stated that early in the war the Norfolk navy yard was burnedto prevent its fiilling into the possession of the Confederates. Among thevessels sunk was the frigate 3l€7rimac, which went down before much injurywas done to her. She was a formidable craft of 3,500 tons, 300 feet in length,and had mounted 40 guns. The Confederates succeeded in raising her, and CONSTRUCTION OF THE MERRIMAC. 309 proceeded to work marvelous changes in her structure, by which she was turnedinto the first real armor-clad ever constructed. She was protected by layers ofrailroad iron, which sloped like the roof of a house, and was furnished with aprow of cast iron which projected four feet in front. Pivot guns were so fixedas to be used for bow and stern chasers, and the pilot-house was placed forwardof the smoke-stack and armored with four inches of iron. She carried tenguns, one at the stern, one at the bow, and eight at the sides, and fired SECKETAEY STANTONS OPINION ABOUT THE MERKIMAC. ? The whole character of the war will be changed. Her iron armor sloped down at the sides, so that she looked like an enormous;mansard-roof moving through the water. Her commanding officer was Com-modore Franklin Buchanan, formerly of the United States navy, while underhim were Lieutenant Catesby Jones, the executive officer, six other lieuten-ants, six midshipmen, surgeons, engineers, and subordinate officers, in additionto a crew of 300 men. She was rechristened the Virginia, but will always beremembered as the llerrimac. Of necessity this craft, being the pioneer of its kind, had many defects. She 310 AmilNISTEATION OF LINCOLN. could move only very slowly, and her great length of oOO feet and j^oor steeringajjparatus required a half-hour for her to make a complete
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