| Best regards | | | | turret. Its strange appearanceearned the Monitor the |
| Hal Gieseking | | | | unflattering title, "Cheesebox on araft." Now the stage |
| Civil War's USS Monitor returns to "active duty" at | | | | was set for the Cheesebox on a raftto do battle with |
| Mariners' Museum in Virginia | | | | the Monster, forever changing navalhistory and |
| The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA opens | | | | overnight, making every wooden warship in theworld |
| the USS | | | | obsolete. |
| Monitor Exhibition March 9, 2007 ? exactly 145 years | | | | On March 8, 1862 the CSS Virginia steamed toward |
| to theday of the battle of ironclads that changed naval | | | | the Unionfleet blockading the Hampton Roads, Virginia |
| warfareforever. Here is the epic story this exhibition will | | | | harbor. Theheavy frigate USS Cumberland was the |
| tell. | | | | first victim. Her crewfired volley after volley at this |
| In 1973 divers discovered the wreckage of the ironclad | | | | weirdly shaped shiprapidly approaching at 7 knots. The |
| USS | | | | shells bouncedharmlessly off the Virginia's iron armor |
| Monitor strewn across the ocean floor 26 miles from | | | | like tennisballs. The Virginia rammed and sank the |
| Cape | | | | Cumberland. Anotherheavy Union frigate was next, the |
| Hatteras, North Carolina. The Civil War ship had | | | | USS Congress. This shipcaught fire and later exploded |
| founderedin a heavy gale in December, 1862 ? just | | | | into a massive shower ofmetal and wood splinters. |
| months after the | | | | The day was a total disaster forthe Union navy. |
| "Battle of Hampton Roads." In this world famous | | | | The next day the Virginia returned to the hunt, planning |
| 4-hournaval battle the afternoon of March 9, 1862, the | | | | todestroy the remaining Union ships. But almost as in a |
| Monitorfought the Confederate CSS Virginia | | | | bad |
| (Merrimack) to a draw. | | | | Western movie, the Union's "hero" had arrived during |
| A number of artifacts have since been recovered | | | | thenight. The Monitor now steamed right at the |
| from thewreck site, including the turret, propeller, | | | | Virginia,firing two powerful Dahlgren cannons from her |
| anchor, andengine that have become some of the | | | | revolvingturret. The enemies were evenly matched |
| featured attractionsof the spectacular new multi-media | | | | and protected bytheir iron armor. After four hours, the |
| USS Monitor Exhibitionthat opens March 9 at the | | | | no-win-win battlewas over, and the two ships sailed |
| Mariners' Museum in Newport News, | | | | away from each other. |
| VA. With these artifacts plus inter-activedisplays, and | | | | History records the battle as a "draw," but the Monitor |
| new audio/video techniques, the Exhibitionbrings the | | | | hadsaved the rest of the Union fleet. The Virginia nee |
| USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia back to activeduty | | | | Merrimack was later sunk by its own crew to keep |
| to tell their story. And what a story it is. | | | | theapproaching Union from owning another ironclad. |
| At the start of the Civil War, the Union had abandoned | | | | During the USS Monitor Exhibition that opens March 9, |
| the | | | | 2007at the Mariners' Museum, visitors can step into a |
| Norfolk Navy Base at Portsmouth, VA and burned one | | | | battletheater where scenes of the ironclads clash are |
| of theirmost powerful frigates, the steam-powered | | | | projectedon the walls with the sounds of cannon fire |
| USS Merrimack, toprevent her from falling into | | | | and windvibrating the floors. Other rooms show a life |
| Confederate hands. The | | | | size CSS |
| Confederates raised the ship from the mud, converting | | | | Virginia under construction. You can walk on the deck |
| herto an ironclad vessel with a wooden tent-shaped | | | | of afull size Monitor model. Experience the fateful night |
| structureon top that was covered with iron bars. This | | | | theship sank in a squall with readings of survivor |
| armor slopedat a 35 degree angle almost to the | | | | accountsheard above the howling winds. Then see the |
| waterline. The | | | | variousartifacts from the ocean floor, some still being |
| Confederates christened their new ironclad the CSS | | | | restoredin a viewable conservation laboratory. |
| Virginia. The Union quickly nicknamed this new threat, | | | | The Virginia Hospitality Suite has created a special |
| the | | | | "Jamestown 2007 Web Feature" that features the full |
| "Monster." | | | | storyof the Battle of Hampton Roads with descriptions |
| The Union went into panic mode, designing and | | | | of all theexhibits illustrated by numerous drawings and |
| buildingtheir own ironclad warship, the USS Monitor in a | | | | photographs. |
| fewfrantic months. The Monitor was another | | | | The Mariners' Museum is located in Newport News, |
| oddly-shaped ship,resembling a modern day submarine | | | | Virginiaat the intersection of J. Clyde Morris and |
| with her 172-foot longdeck topped by a revolving | | | | Warwick. |