The Monitor

Monitor mock up deck, stern looking forward

I'm still out here in Newport News, so last weekend I went to the Mariners' Museum where, among other things, the recovered parts of the Monitor are on display.  Here are a few pictures I snapped along the way...

More below the fold...

The engine regulator was the first article recovered with the Monitors' name on it

The engine regulator was kind of the odometer of the day.  It recorded the number of rotations of the Monitors' shaft.

The Captains' cabin

Here's a recreation of the Captains' cabin.  There were several of the ships officers' cabins recreated, and this one is huge in comparison  That bunk is maybe 5' 10" long, possibly less.  I guess average height for men of that era was somewhere around 5' 7".  I didn't see an example of the enlisted berthing, although I would imaging sleeping out on deck would be the first option when possible.  Information from letter of the sailors on board indicate it was hellishly hot inside.

The claw used to recover the turret

This is the "claw" that was used to recover the turret from the sea floor.  The NOAA and US Navy worked for months to recover the turret.

The cannon in the restoration area

Here are the tanks where the two Dahlgren guns along with other artifacts are being chemically stabilized.

The screw

The screw of the Monitor.  This was one of the first artifacts recovered after locating the site where the ship came to rest.

Wardroom

Recreation of the Wardroom.  The oil lamps are all mounted on gimbals.  The Captains' cabin is through the door in the back ground, other officer cabins are on either side.

Turret in the restoration area

The turret in it's tank being stabilized.  When it was recovered, two of the Monitors' crewmen were discovered inside.  They have not been positively identified, but have been narrowed down to 3 likely candidates.  They were buried at Arlington National Cemetery on March 8, 2013 with full military honors.