io8 Book of Steamships 



In it were placed two very large guns, 

 large that is, for the period. These were 

 placed side by side, and, for the first time 

 in history, the guns of a vessel were able 

 to fire from all quarters. 



We shall see as we go along that the 

 principle involved in this great departure 

 from current practice was copied, in 

 various ways, into all future warships. 

 And if you will cast your minds back for 

 a moment to our great naval efforts in 

 the late war you will recollect at once the 

 important part the few monitors, named 

 after rivers, played in its latter stages. 

 Not only in type, but in most other 

 details, these last monitors followed closely 

 the pioneer Federal warship, which was 

 to make such a name for itself in actual 

 fighting. 



The Merrimac accepted with alacrity 

 the challenge of the curious-looking craft, 

 but she had a rude shock. First there 

 seemed nothing to fire at, save the turret 

 and the pilot-house, and both these 



