LOSS OF THE MONITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 419, 24 April 1863, Page 4

LOSS OF THE MONITOR.

(From the AustraVan J/aiJ,. January 26.) The Monitor left, llarapton Roads in ton' of the steamer Rhode Islam), the wvntlisr tieing fine. The iron-c!al vissd I'nssaii: left at the same time. It was noticed that, the vessel, instead ot rising to tlie sea, p'.outrhed through it, til* wat< r fivquei:t!y wa-hins; i over the <\< ck. On the following eveuinsr tiny much : Hatte^is liahr.. The aah id become rather heavier. 'I'lie Pas aic was then lust sight of Tha Monitor now ! liepan losliipa ooiisiierable quantity of water. At niyht '-ho weal her got worn, and tax sea ran high, j-ometiaiei passing over htr turret. She then began to leak fearfully, but. the pumps were a'>le to keep her clear for a time. The yes-el strained very much and towed heavily Presently the sprang; a leak, an'l, in addition, the water was entering the turret in larce quantities. Near miduight the storm was at its height, tlie \vave3 strikinsj and passing overthe Monitor, burying hi v completely for the instant, while for a f«w seconds nothing could be seen of her from the Rhode Islmd but the upper part of her turret, surrounded by foam. Sue was now fast sinking, the water being v. »;st deep in the wardroom. Captain Bankhead then hoisted signals of <!i tr. ss to the Ithode Island, and thouted to his men. " VVhoil cut the hawser V The master volunteered, and taking a hatchet, he, at the imminent peril of being I wasbed overboard, succeeded iv severing tlie hawser, t le waves paa-ting over him at every motion of the vessel. One poor fellow, whose name is not known, assisted, but lie was dashed off and drowned. Several of the crew and some of the officers also found a watery grave about this time, by being washed overboard. It was deaih to stand on the deck without having a firm hold, and even then the danger was very great. One hy one the gi'liant fellows disappeared from the deck, and were seen no more Tne Rho;le Island mnnned a boat, which, however, became enkindled in the loose hawser, and ths vess?ls drifting together at the time, the boat was much crushed. The crew, however, reached the Monitor. The boat, on arriving at the side of tlie Monitor, was again and again dashed on her deck, the returning 'wares carrying her hack into the sea. -he struck the side of the Monitor also, repeatedly. In the meantime, the two vessels had approached so near each other thnt five or six of the crew of the Monitor ssizsd the ropes hanging from the side of ths Kiiode Island, and started to climb up her side; but only three reached there. The others are supposed to have bsen struck by the Monitor, when they fell crushed to death, or perished in the sea Another boat was then manned and got alongside the Monitor. The last of the crew and officers cbat remained on dtck were nov in the boat, and none remained on board the Monitor but some six or eight who were clinging to the top of the turret. They were told to come down and try to reach tbe boat, but neither the entreaties of their comrades, nor the orders of their officers, h sid a y efFect upon them. The poor fellows had seen tlioir comra les one by one washed off and drowned in the attempt to reach the boats; find believing there was no chance of being saved, even if they reached the boat, they preferred to remain there and linger a few moments more, than to come down and meet cert dn death. Capt. B nkhend was then coiimslled to enter the boat without them and leave them behind. About 2 a in. another boat was laui che i, and started for the doomed Monitor ; but whether it reache 1 her or not is unknown, as the boat was la3t seen making straight for her, pitching and lolling fearfully, her gallant crew working manfully to approach the Monitor as soon as possible, when the moon, which had been ■graduaily gcing down f r sonle tima. now entirely disappeared, and the boat wa3 lost in the gioom The Monitor was last seen at this time also. Just b fore the moon vanished, a quarter before 2 o'clock, lights were plainly visible but her turret and deck were rather indistinct. For a few momenta after darkness was all around, the twinkling lichts of the Monitor shot here awi there like an igni- fatuus. wlien suddenly they all disappeared, and then it w»< known that she had'gouc down. The Monitor was l.envily laden with coal an.l ammunition. In th<! meantime, the Piissiac, w'licji was in tow of the Georgia, was in a bad strait, the water having risen within three inches of her furnaces, when the Georaia started back and ran her b.-fore the wind. This could not be done with the Monitor, as her blowpipes were aft, and the sea. would thus make a clean breach over her, rendering destruction swift and sure. Commander Bankheid, 'of tlie Monitor, officially r. ports that the rolling and pitching of ths vessel loosened the packing of O'ikum round the turret, and let in the water. He w.s firmly of • pinion that shs must have sprung a leak somewhere in the forward pert where t!uj hull joins on to tlie arm jur, a'ld that it Wits cuused by the foavy shrieks received a* she enine down upoa the sea. There were lost on tne Monitor four officer and twelve men : also one officer and four men belonging to the Rhode Island, iv attempting to save the men of the M mitor.