Special Report: The Monitor Mission

Virginian Pilot ^ | July 2002 | Paul Clancy, Steve Early (photos)

[csvset]

Special report: The Monitor Mission
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 21, 2002

This month, off North Carolina, archaeologists and Navy divers plan to recover the most revered artifact of the ironclad Monitor. The first revolving gun turret, ridiculed by Confederates as ''a cheese box on a raft,'' is coming back to Hampton Roads 140 years after a storm sent it to the ocean floor.

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Part 1: "Raise the cheese box!"
Descending 240 feet below the ocean's surface to the ancient remains of the Monitor is like visiting the great-great-grandmother of modern warships.
Full story / Slide show

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Part 2: Divers are on a sacred quest
An elite corps feels privileged to explore the ironclad Monitor's resting place as members prepare to salvage the Civil War ship's historic turret.
Full story / Slide show

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Part 3: Closing in on the prize
The last major piece of the Monitor, the newly exposed turret, is ready to rise from the ocean floor. With it may come more artifacts of the Civil War sailors.
Full story / Slide show

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Slide show: Historical images of the Monitor

Timeline of key dates
The ship was built for $275,000 in 1861.

Stories by Paul Clancy; photos by Steve Earley

[wasp69]

The Monitor had a 4 blade propeller, or "screw", instead of the paddle wheel. The Mariners Museum in Hampton, VA, has the main engine and the screw in a tank.

[fnord]

bump for later reading

[Constitution Day]

Cool! Thanks for the ping.

[hc87]

I don't want to embarrass myself but I don't have a clue what that thing is that's on top of the turret. The book said that the "Beam" is 41 feet. I think that's the width. What that long skinny piece is, I don't have a clue.

You're right, the "beam" is the ship's width. As for the long skinny piece, I think that's a portion of the armor belt. I can't find the original photo we were both looking at (it seems to have disappeared from the post), but my memory was that the armor belt, which ran around the perimeter of the hull, was resting on top of turret.

The best way to vizualize how the Monitor is resting on the sea bottom is to take a quarter and place it on a table. This is the turret. Then take a ruler and rest it over the right half of the quarter. This is the hull. The armor belt piece in the photo runs along the left side of the ruler. The rest of the hull is not visible because of deterioration over the last 140 years and a pretty heavy duty depth charging during WW II.

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks. The book I have shows a flat bottomed ship with the sides of the hull going up on a 45 degree angle. The armor forms a cap over that.
We also have to remember that a salvager found the ship some years back and when he announced plans to bring it up, the Navy stepped in. He was so angry that he told everyone that he dredged it up to hide it. The Navy may have moved parts around in order to salvage the engine.

[Nitro]

Diogenese you are a marvel...

I can't thank you enough for these images, as I am an ex-squid, and I truly loved the whole US Navy thing!!

I remember in "Boot Camp" some of the guys would try and extra-step or jump over a puddle and I thought...

"What the Fuck are these guys doing in the Navy???"

if they are afraid of stepping in a 1/16 inch of water, what is going to happen when we get to Blue Water??

Well I went on to Blue Water and I was a superstar for 4 years then I left and turned into an asshole again and here I am forever after....

ex-Navy!!

[hc87]

I would expect your right on the Navy moving things around to get to the engine (and the propeller and shaft the year before). I'm curious as to whether they plan to salvage other hull elements in coming years. The newspaper articles at the top of this thread make reference to other expeditions that will salavage personal belongings and says this is the last large scale salvage. I wonder what that means exactly? It would be a shame to leave the rest of the wreck to deteriorate on the bottom.

One other thing, the monitor Tecumsah was sunk at the Battle of Mobile Bay and rests within sight of shore. I wonder if anyone has proposed salvage and display in Alabama?

[green team 1999]

great finding,thanks.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Great pictures!

[Colt .45]

Only IF they display the CSS HUNLEY in a place of honor also.

[ppaul]

WASHINGTON, 5-AUG-2002: This US Naval Historical Center image obtained August 5, 2002 shows a view on the deck of the USS Monitor looking forward on the starboard side in July 1862. The turret, with the muzzle of one of Monitor's two XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbore guns showing, is at left. Officers at right are (left to right): Third Assistant Engineer Robinson W. Hands, Acting Master Louis N. Stodder, Second Assistant Engineer Albert B. Campbell (seated) and Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William Flye (with binoculars). US Navy divers are currently attempting to raise the turret from the Monitor that lies in 240 feet of water off Cape Hatteras, NC.